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| Huisman | |
|---|---|
| Name | Huisman |
| Industry | Heavy equipment manufacturing |
| Founded | 1929 |
| Founder | Jan Huisman |
| Headquarters | Schiedam, Netherlands |
| Products | Offshore cranes, pipelay systems, drilling rigs, lifting equipment |
| Revenue | (undisclosed) |
| Employees | (approximate) |
Huisman is a Netherlands-based industrial manufacturer specializing in heavy lifting, drilling, and pipelay solutions for the offshore energy, marine, and civil construction sectors. The company has developed bespoke engineering systems for deepwater, renewable energy, and subsea projects, collaborating with shipyards, energy majors, and infrastructure contractors across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Operating from facilities in Schiedam and international shipbuilding hubs, the firm combines mechanical engineering, naval architecture, and project management disciplines to deliver integrated offshore equipment.
The company was established in 1929 in Schiedam and expanded through the 20th century by supplying lifting gear to regional shipyards such as Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij and later to global shipbuilders like Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering and Samsung Heavy Industries. In the postwar era Huisman shifted focus toward offshore engineering during the rise of the North Sea oil industry and cooperated with energy companies including Royal Dutch Shell and ExxonMobil. During the 1990s and 2000s it pursued internationalization with projects for Petrobras and Chevron and partnerships with fabrication yards in Singapore and South Korea. The 2010s saw diversification into renewable sectors with contracts for offshore wind developers such as Siemens Gamesa and Vestas Wind Systems.
Huisman designs and manufactures heavy-lift cranes, pipelay systems, drilling rigs, reel-lay towers, wellhead handling systems, and tensioning gear for vessels and platforms. Its product line supports projects involving deepwater drilling, subsea production systems, and offshore wind farm installation. Engineering services include detailed design, hydrodynamic analysis, fatigue assessment, and lifecycle support for operators like BP and TotalEnergies. The company supplies modular deck machinery to shipyards such as Nantong COSCO KHI and provides integration and commissioning services alongside naval architects from firms like BMT Group and Lloyd's Register.
Major projects include supply of heavy-lift cranes for construction vessels contracted by Allseas Group and complex pipelay systems for Saipem and TechnipFMC. The firm supplied drilling and well-intervention equipment for projects with Petrobras in the Pre-salt basins and delivered offshore installation systems used by Subsea 7 and McDermott International. In renewable energy, Huisman supplied turbine installation cranes and cable handling systems for clients including Ørsted and Iberdrola. Shipyards and operators such as Van Oord, Boskalis, and Jan De Nul have utilized its equipment on heavy marine construction and trenching campaigns.
The company operates as a privately held engineering and manufacturing firm headquartered in Schiedam. Its ownership history includes family stewardship and later private investment rounds involving strategic stakeholders from the maritime and offshore sectors. Executive leadership has included individuals with backgrounds at Royal IHC and Smit Internationale, and corporate governance aligns with standards promoted by classification societies such as DNV and Lloyd's Register. The firm maintains manufacturing and assembly yards proximate to European shipbuilding clusters and collaborates with global subcontractors in China and South Korea.
Huisman invests in R&D for high-capacity lifting systems, automated pipelay, and motion-compensated handling using digital control systems developed with partners in the marine technology ecosystem. Experimental work has involved hydrodynamics testing at facilities like the MARIN towing tank and fatigue modeling software interoperability with platforms endorsed by Bureau Veritas. Innovations include compact high-capacity winches, pipe-in-pipe handling for deepwater flowlines, and integration of remote-operation interfaces used in projects with Equinor and research collaborations with technical universities such as Delft University of Technology.
The company adheres to industry safety standards and environmental protocols influenced by regulators and classification societies, implementing HSE management systems consistent with practices found at Stolt-Nielsen and Shell operations. It applies emissions reduction measures in manufacturing, waste minimization in fabrication, and life-cycle assessments for offshore equipment deployed in projects for Ørsted and BP. Safety engineering, redundant control architectures, and risk assessments are conducted in line with guidelines from IMO and certification bodies like ABS.
Huisman has been recognized within the marine engineering industry for technical achievements and project deliveries, receiving commendations from shipowner clients and suppliers including Allseas and Saipem. Its innovations in lifting systems and offshore construction equipment have been cited in trade publications and highlighted at industry events such as Offshore Technology Conference and WindEurope exhibitions. The firm has worked on award-winning projects that earned project-level accolades from entities like IMCA and regional maritime associations.
Category:Companies of the Netherlands Category:Shipbuilding companies