Update: Aluship is building boats again
When flames burst from the roof of the AluShip building on Monday 24 June, the Steenwijk boat builders lost heart. The building burned down completely and all machines, production and personal belongings were lost.
Owner John Sellis, however, immediately got back on his feet. Supported by the municipality, the insurer, neighbors, family, friends, customers and staff, he immediately started making new plans. A temporary location was found in the same week.
John Sellis: “On the day of the fire, we contacted the insurance company directly through our intermediary. They came within an hour and arranged everything in the best possible way. We also immediately received offers for locations in the area and we opted for a hall further down the street. It is smaller than what we had, but as a company hall it is perfectly suitable as a temporary home for the finishing of the boats.”
For the construction of the hulls, AluShip was able to use a facility in Sneek. Sellis: “The advantage there was that all the tools were already available, so we could continue production immediately. We have now completed the first boats and next week, three months after the fire, the first newly built boat will be delivered. The fire initially resulted in fewer requests, but after the Hiswa te Water we have sold four new boats in recent weeks.”
The old building has now been completely demolished. Sellis: “The municipality gave us a demolition permit within a day and now soil drilling is being done to see if there is any environmental damage. Once the report is in, we can start the new construction. According to the planning, the pile driving will start in week 44. And if all goes well, we can move into our new building at the end of January 2025. It will be twice as big as the old building and is more focused on the larger and luxury segment. The office will be at the front, the production hall will have roller doors of 7 x 7 meters and the roof will be 10.50 meters high.”
The AluShip owner has some tips for colleagues based on his situation. Sellis: “Store your administration in the cloud. We had all our bookkeeping up and running again within a few days. Also, make sure that your insurance is always in order and that you keep it up to date. I always thought our insurance guy was rather strict, but now I am glad about that. We had to have everything appraised, but because everything was fixed, we are now being reimbursed for the appraised value. And also, don't let yourself be discouraged, learn from your past mistakes and make great new plans. We are going to keep going and we want to do even better. It is still a difficult period, but thanks to all the support I am full of confidence in the future.”
