Royal Wagenborg has over a century of experience in intelligent and reliable transport solutions, including a diverse fleet that has expanded its international reach significantly. The company emphasizes innovation, ensuring timely delivery despite challenges posed by weather and logistics, while maintaining a commitment to safety and local knowledge through its network of personnel. Wagenborg operates in various sectors, including shipping, stevedoring, offshore logistics, and heavy transport, and is well known for its ferry services to the islands of Ameland and Schiermonnikoog.

3. R O Y A L

5. Whatever transport is important to your business
operations: Royal Wagenborg has been looking for the
most intelligent and the most reliable transport solutions
for more than a century. Royal Wagenborg finds them
with committed people and state of the art equipment.
Wagenborg, ‘A sign of solutions’ since 1898.

6. Solutions by Wagenborg Shipping
First we sailed the Baltic Sea and then we sailed the Mediterranean. Eventually, our ships made
the Atlantic crossing and now we can be found on all the seven seas. By investing in larger,
modern ships. With intelligent combinations and a healthy dose of courage.

7. Through the ice without icebreakers
Pulp and paper – millions of tonnes. If it were down to Wagenborg Shipping, they would Own Office in America
sail ships full of all types of pulp and paper from Scandinavia to North America. In 1997, Wagenborg started to expand the fleet. Hans Kroon: ‘It’s quite simple – the larger
Hans Kroon is Director of Wagenborg Shipping North America. ‘It may sound strange’, the ship, the wider the trading area. We used to sail the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, but
he smiles, ‘but by taking the first steps with a little bit of courage we have become a large gradually expanded our sailing areas to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
and fully fledged international shipping company and we no longer bat an eyelid about a Then came the big crossing, which caused a few headaches of its own. You send out a
direct line between the Hudson Bay and Scandinavia. But that wasn’t always the case.’ ship full of cargo, but what will it have for the return voyage? We see it as our challenge
Wagenborg Shipping used to have the northern European seas as its home base for to come up with an intelligent logistic solution. So we looked at how we could apply our
many years. Ships from the Wagenborg fleet have sailed between Scandinavia and the knowledge to this new trade between Scandinavia and North America, including the
European Continent thousands of times. Long term clients have given rise to an impressive Hudson Bay and the Great Lakes.’
Trans-Atlantic fleet over the past few years. ‘One of our clients in Finland shipped wood
pulp to North America for years. That shipping line was not something we did in those Around the Finnish Saimaa Lakes, Wagenborg had acquired experience of limited access
days, as we mainly did the ‘short sea’ jobs for them. However, we are always thinking in during the winter period. ‘We had already developed ships that were ice-strengthened and
terms of total transport solutions, so we just put it to them that we could take on that trade could sail independently for a long time during winter conditions – without icebreakers.
as well. As they were used to working with us they knew that reliability is our top priority The Hudson Bay is quite similar to that area, as you can only sail there between July and
– we are always as good as our word – so they said ‘Yes’ straightaway.’ October. By using our experience intelligently, we had an advantage in the market – with
our ice-strengthened fleet we could make the crossing really early in the season.’
These new developments came with their own concerns.
Facts and Figures
• 150 sea-going vessels (1,000 - 20,000 ton)
• Ro-Ro, dry cargo, container carriers
• Total ship management
• Worldwide operations

8. ‘A long crossing means that you need to consider People’s Business
what you may come across along the way. Such a long By now the Wagenborg fleet consists of more than one
crossing means chance of bad weather and that means third of all ships sailing under the Dutch flag, and the
delays, but we still want to deliver the cargo on time - no fleet is still expanding. Together with the ships of private
matter what. So we invested in weather navigation which owners, Wagenborg Shipping covers the entire range
will enable us to predict the progress of the journey in between 2,000 and 20,000 tons deadweight. For every
weather terms. The seasonality causes significant time cargo Wagenborg has a vessel. The Wagenborg fleet has
pressure - we need to leave the Great Lakes before the end an average age of less than seven years. Koos Zumkehr,
of December, otherwise we are locked in by the ice.’ Director Chartering: ‘Many people, many ships, many
This step worked out well, as Wagenborg acquired its languages. There have been many changes over the past
own reputation and position in North America. In 2003, years, but the people and their contacts have remained
Wagenborg opened an office in Montreal. ‘One of the the constant factor. We are always talking about ‘people’s
reasons was to bridge the time difference between the business’ and that is what we at Wagenborg do well.
continents. However, an even more important reason was People make the difference, they make us a reliable partner
to acquire local knowledge. We can also operate as the and we want it to stay that way.’
eyes and ears of our European clients. By maintaining
contacts with the authorities and by listening to clients and
their recipients, we found solutions and often created our
own niches. Our support offers added value to the client’s
product. By thinking in terms of solutions you prevent
becoming bogged down by problems.’

9. Wagenborg Stevedoring Wagenborg Towage
Within the Shipping division, Wagenborg Stevedoring Wagenborg Towage has a fleet of nine tugs, six barges and a floating heavy-lift-
provides important and valuable logistics services. crane at its disposal, making it more than qualified for transporting ship hulls or
The covered storage of nearly 140,000 m is used by
2
project cargo’s. Wagenborg Towage can move cargo that cannot be transported
many clients and for a wide range of projects. on regular cargo ships. In the ports of Delfzijl and Eemshaven these tug specialists
assist with the mooring of large vessels.

10. Solutions by Wagenborg Offshore
Sailing an oil rig across the Caspian Sea at seven knots. Providing a drilling rig in the middle
of the desert. Wagenborg Offshore and the business unit Wagenborg Foxdrill are specialists
in transporting, assembling and disassembling complete drilling installations, platforms and
rigs. Anywhere in the world – at sea or on land.
10

11. Under pressure
The heat of the Sahara or the piercing frost of Siberia. For the people of Wagenborg People’s work
Foxdrill – specialists within the Wagenborg Offshore division in the area of transporting However, the real work was on the day itself, when the cylinder needed to be
and assembling and disassembling drilling rigs – these have become normal working disassembled for maintenance. ‘Imagine a grey, bitter, windy, and rainy day in a
conditions. Bert Harms has been active within Wagenborg Foxdrill since 1983, and he Norwegian fjord. When I arrived on deck at six o’clock that morning it was raining,
has installed and moved the most ingenious drilling installations in the most extraordinary when I went indoors twelve hours later it was still raining. Day after day. In those
places in the world. Although the technology and the sites change and astounding conditions it becomes difficult to tell how you will react. The work has to go on, but safety
inventions are introduced every year again, there is only one thing that really matters: comes first and foremost. For this project we had already decided to use ‘rope access’.
a capable and experienced team. This is a method that enables our people to move through constructions at enormous
heights by using ropes. Wagenborg Foxdrill has IRATA certification for this type of work.
Preparatory Work Whichever way you look at it, ropes become slippery in the rain. You have to realise
‘We were working with a large team on a major project in a Norwegian fjord. A weight that this is really tough physical work, even in good weather conditions. So every five
compensator needed to be replaced in a drilling rig. This compensator is a cylinder-shaped minutes I’m asking myself: Can we justify this, can we continue? We always have an
construction of 14,000 kilos that keeps a drilling rig stable when wave movements occur expert rope-access supervisor on site and he gave his consent in the end. By using radio
during drilling. We thought long and hard about how to tackle this. How do you keep the communication, we first lifted the mobile hoist, inch by inch. This preparation took a week.
whole thing stable whilst you are lowering the cylinder with winches? Our constructors The construction is heavy and extremely important for the actual hoisting job.
designed and built a special aluminium mobile hoist for this project. But you can’t rush blindly
ahead. We created the entire construction to scale in order to measure the forces – what
does a rig like that do when it’s for real?’
Facts and Figures
• Offshore projects oil and gas industry
• On and offshore rig moving
• Assembling/disassembling
• Modifications/inspections
Wagenborg Offshore provides logistics services to the global oil and gas • Windenergy projects 11
industry, such as here in the Caspian Sea. • Management Services

12. Under pressure
So there he was, Bert, on the ground, with four or five guys in the ropes. In the rain and
during storms. ‘The mobile hoist was up, but then the real hoisting work started. All those
months of preparation came together at that time. Does it work? Did we figure it out right?
Can we do it in this weather? And there it was, the cylinder. When it was down on the
ground, I thought to myself – Brilliant! – that’s what it’s about.’
Quality of the team
Special constructions, long trips, heavy work. Within Wagenborg Offshore it often comes
down to the quality of the team. ‘What is most important to us? Our people. When you
have to rely on each other during major projects at sea or somewhere in the desert, good
colleagues make the difference– not only outside working hours. During every job, like
the one in Norway, you need to be able to rely on each other. When I select a team,
personality is very important. New guys will gain experience automatically.’
The same applies to the other Wagenborg divisions – ‘A quick call to Wagenborg Nedlift
and the transport of the drilling rig towards the coast or over land is sorted. They don’t
need it spelled out.’
Respect for people is something really important to Bert as a supervisor, including when
he supervises new colleagues. ‘Wherever you are, you can always learn something from
someone else. We respect every culture and every language. That is when you have the
most meaningful contacts, and when you learn something from being away from home.
There is a vast desert around you with no one else only your colleagues. Where the
morning sky has such magnificent colours that you can face any job that day.’ Bert smiles...
12

14. Solutions by Wagenborg Nedlift
Heavy transport. Lifting and hoisting. Creating connections. Building bridges, Literally at times.
Within Wagenborg Nedlift the most unique projects consist of thinking and combining. The best
equipment only acquires value when it is deployed intelligently. Heavy transport is precision
work, especially when you’re dealing with constructions that weigh several tonnes.
14

15. Dutch brewery moves to South America
‘Impossible!’ his friends said, when Gerben Elferink told them he needed to move a complete Whatever it takes
brewery from Groenlo in the Netherlands to Peru. But... Wagenborg does not know the All the specialists of Nedlift were involved in the complete transport of the large silos,
word ‘impossible’. For eight years, Elferink has been a member of the team in Hengelo and drums, and other installations. ‘The entire transport chain required an enormous amount of
he saw the most unusual things during these years. He was also closely involved with this cooperation. We dismantled the brewery in two parts and moved it to Lochem. The largest
operation. ‘The former Grolsch brewery was dismantled here in the Netherlands and built up parts were sailed to the Wagenborg terminal in the Eemshaven on barges, but we thought
again at its destination, screw by screw. The entire process in between was our responsibility. that the smaller parts could be moved more efficiently by road. In the Eemshaven there
We checked the dismantling process every step of the way. We absolutely had to know were two 9,000 ton ships from Wagenborg Shipping that were ready to make the crossing
what we were transporting. How big and how heavy are the various parts that need to to South America. Everything was ready for departure, when there was a hitch in the
be transported? Could it be simpler, lighter? We always inspect the route we will travel to country of destination. This produced an enormous delay in the construction planning at
avoid surprises. A bend may be too tight or a bridge too weak. We are fully responsible for the new brewery site. For us it meant that the entire logistics planning had to be adjusted
every transport, in this case to Peru. For this project we worked together closely with other immediately.’
Wagenborg divisions. Who can do what? What can other divisions add to this project?’
Planning is everything, also in heavy transport. If a north-westerly storm or a spring tide
The entire project started with a soft-drinks manufacturer from South America. He wanted delays the departure of precious cargo, this has consequences for the entire company.
to expand his portfolio with a beer-production line. Because of the Dutch knowhow within ‘Sometimes ten people are involved with a project. In such a case everyone is on standby,
Grolsch and the fact that Wagenborg Nedlift could arrange the entire transport chain, this because as soon as we can continue, we will. Whatever it takes.’
client chose the down-to-earth Dutch approach.
Facts and Figures
• Heavy transport and lifting services
• 140 mobile cranes and crawler cranes
• 75 heavy transport vehicles
• Factory to foundation transport projects
• Engineering Project Management

17. Done!
Nedlift arranged storage facilities for the client on the site
of Wagenborg Stevedoring. ‘After a period of uncertainty
of no less than eighteen months, the word came - the
brewery could be shipped to Peru. All that time, we had
a dormant brewery in our backyard in the Eemshaven...
Finally we made the crossing, and the brewery is now up
and running!’
Elferink smiles when he talks about his team. ‘We are
a serious player in the market, but not the biggest. We
need to think more intelligently. Sometimes this leads to
very special solutions or combinations. For example, a
construction that reinforces a bridge that could otherwise
not take a heavy load. Our construction department
worked intensively on this. In the end this construction is
designed in such a way that it can be used during other
projects as well.’
The most beautiful aspect of his work? ‘That I’m standing
next to a transport at night, I’m looking at all those busy
people, and I’m thinking that it’s just how I imagined it.
With every project I learn something new. Great.’
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18. Solutions by Wagenborg Passenger Services
For nearly a hundred years, Wagenborg ferries have transported millions of visitors to the
islands of Ameland and Schiermonnikoog. Amongst the general public, Wagenborg Passenger
Services is certainly one of the best known divisions of Wagenborg. It has a history of wonderful
encounters, stormy passages, and above all dedicated people.
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19. We’ll carry them, if we have to
For many years, Wagenborg Passenger Services has transported millions of tourists, day
visitors, and island residents to and from Schiermonnikoog and Ameland. Tiemen Boelens
has worked for this Wagenborg division since 1975. ‘We sail throughout the year – in the
summer we transport many tourists. In the winter we transport day visitors and collect large
equipment from the mainland for restauration projects on the islands. A lot has changed
over the years. Our ships have become bigger over time. These days we are even more
conscious of safety and use extra ships when demand is high. It is wonderful to see such
developments within the company.’
The born and bred Amelander has lived with the sea his entire life. ‘I’m a true sailor, quite
right. The Wadden, our home, has changed a lot over the years. You used to have mussel
beds that held the sand in place. These days the seabed is different and has a hard clay
layer with a sandy layer on top. That means the sand layer changes very rapidly and in
some places that has consequences for the permanent sailing routes – they change as well.
Facts and Figures
• Allmost 10,000 departures a year
• 1.8 million passengers
19
• 5 ferries

20. In order to sail safely, we have all sorts of equipment
onboard to keep an eye on things. Fortunately the mussels
are making a comeback, which makes the sailing routes
more predictable.’
Tiemen Boelens lives with nature, but transporting people
is in his blood too. ‘These two things can conflict at times.
I remember an evening that was pretty wild at sea. We
sailed our normal service, a full ferry from Holwerd to
Ameland. That evening it was a spring tide, so high water
and strong winds. Despite the conditions we decided to
sail anyway. Well, the crossing went without difficulties,
but once we arrived in Ameland, the water was so high
we could not moor the ferry. Normally we would shore up
the ferry with ropes on the quay, and lay a gangway to
the pier to get people onshore. However, that particular
evening it was too wild to use that option. There was no
way we could moor in such a way so that our passengers
could disembark safely.’
20

21. Tiemen digs in his memory and continues the story. ‘In levels are more than two metres above NAP during high
those cases we would have to wait for the ebb tide, but tide, the lights go red in Holwerd and Ameland and you
that could take hours! We really wondered how we could cannot enter the ferry road. We used to do that with the
get all those passengers onshore. We had a lot of radio naked eye.’
contact with the shore, and all of a sudden I noticed that
buses were waiting for passengers on the dyke. That was Does the old dog not miss the manual work? ‘Well, it’s
the answer! The buses were heavy and high and formed much safer and more comfortable nowadays. Cleaner too.
a perfect windbreak between ship and shore. We used In the early days people never used to separate waste,
the VHF to ask the drivers to drive very carefully over the and spent oil was treated totally different. Wagenborg is in
ferry road to the pier. The buses drove to the ferry at snail’s the vanguard of new methods to minimise the pressure on
pace. The passengers were able to move safe and dry from the environment. Mind you, the Wadden are on the World
the boat into the bus and onto the island.’ These days a Heritage List now, and with good reason.’
stormy night would be much less wild. ‘Correct. We have
floating height meters near the ports. When the water

22. Solutions by Wagenborg Reining
We used to have a massive board on the wall with cards that indicated which route was being done
by which driver, Roughly. these days With GPS, the Internet and the latest technology, Wagenborg
Reining’s head office is a modern high-tech logistics centre, where the entire transport chain can
be followed at a glance. From the factory to the front door.
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23. The Logistic Connection
Thinking from the point of view of the client comes naturally to Wagenborg Reining. Our Huckepack trailers, that can be put on the train, are a good example; they offer a
With the divisions Transport, Warehousing, and Intermodal, Wagenborg Reining offers seamless link with the European road-transport network. ‘The goods are then stored in
integrated logistics services to its clients. Together with her colleagues of the Customer our warehouses and distributed to various clients. The warehouse carries out a range of
Service Desk, Susan Bax is an important link in the complete distribution chain offered by value-added activities, such as quality controls and assembly. The distribution to the end
Reining – from the factory to the end customer. customer is also carried out by our own people and with our own equipment. It completes
the circle – from factory to end customer, everything in-house.
‘You have to realise that we used to transport from A to B or from B to C. But nowadays
we consider how to facilitate the entire transport chain. So from A via B to C! If you INBOUND transport goods to warehouses
can do everything yourself that means having your own people behind the wheel, the
computer, and on the phone. For our clients it means guaranteed capacity and uniformity AREHOUSING
W storage and value-added logistics
of equipment. It is really efficient.’
DISTRIBUTION transport to end customers
They come from all over Europe - products that Reining transports from the factory of a
large client to the front door of the end customer. ‘We use special road train combinations
and mega-trailers that have curtain sides and a lifting roof. This makes loading and
unloading considerably quicker. With the lifting roof, pallets up to three metres in height
can be loaded and unloaded quickly and without damage.’
‘We are always looking for the optimum logistics solution for the client, and that doesn’t
necessarily mean by road. Intermodal transport can be a better solution, for example in the
case of a relatively constant flow of goods. In these cases, our Intermodal division seeks
the optimum combination of the modalities road, rail and water.
Facts and Figures
• 400 vehicles
• Warehousing 100,000 m2
• All over Europe
• Intermodal transports

24. Always informed
In determining the optimum logistics solution, Susan and Susan is proud to talk about the Warehouse Management its clients one central contact point. ‘The spider in the web.
her project team first look at the two ‘flows’. ‘The standard System. ‘We used to have different systems for different That is good for communication, for transparency, and
transport from the factory to the end customer could be warehouses. But these days clients want to see the total for reliability. Nowadays, failure costs are extremely low
seen as ‘downstream’, but the reverse, the information stock levels at a glance, even if they are divided over – throughout the chain. A sign that the reliability of the
about how the shipments are doing along the way, several storage sites. With our revolutionary ‘Multi-site deliveries is on a very high level.’
‘upstream’, is just as important. Multi-user’ application this is possible. The information is
This enables us to monitor the performance of the chain. processed real-time by making use of wireless scanning
With our ICT facilities, such as GPS onboard computers equipment.’
and an ‘Advanced Planning System’, we can provide the All systems are linked, internally within Reining but also
client with information about the status of his order.’ with the systems of the client. Furthermore, Reining offers
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28. www.wagenborg.com