De Vries Maritime looks back on 2022: "Innovation and local production are key" 

What were the most important events of 2022 for De Vries Maritiem? Owner Ruben talks about the innovations and highlights of the past year. What challenges did the sailmaker face? What went differently than expected? We like to share it with you in this item.

Increase in in-house sail production

Did you know that all our sails are made at our own location in Lemmer? Many products, including sails, are made abroad and transported to the Netherlands. Production costs are then often lower, but at the expense of quality. "Cheap is expensive" often applies to foreign sails. In addition, the sails we make in-house are a lot better for the environment. We need less transportation and we produce as sustainably as possible. Because of this, we see a considerable increase in the number of orders for sails. Our customers also appreciate the personal contact in our sailmaking shop. Specific wishes, customization and the quality and lifespan of our sails are then discussed in detail. Cloth and stitching are of the highest quality at De Vries Maritiem. Are you curious about our sails? You are most welcome, your sailing pleasure is our priority! 

New innovation machine: 3D Scanner for perfect measurement result

Because production takes place at our own location in Lemmer, our sail-making shop is equipped for this. The 3D scanner was introduced in 2022 and with it De Vries Maritiem has made great strides when it comes to efficiency. "The machine provides perfect measurement results so that canvas products are made even more precisely and efficiently" explains Ruben. "We are improving the quality of tents and hoods so that the customer has even more pleasure and convenience from these products. In addition, the innovations make it possible to deliver specialized serial work. Business customers in particular know how to find us for this. All in all, there is continuity in the orders and we are told that we deliver craftsmanship. Of course we are proud of this!"  

Growth in the workplace: 2 colleagues complete internal training

Not only are customers growing, but two staff members have also completed in-house training. "We anchor our knowledge by training staff members internally. In addition, we have added a new sailmaker. We are growing fast and are currently looking for two more new colleagues: an experienced sailmaker and an apprentice." Internal training at the sailmaker's shop teaches new colleagues the intricacies of craftsmanship so that the craft is continually passed on. Our company consists of a merger between 2 sailmaking companies and in addition to internal growth, we are open to collaborations with or acquisitions of a fellow sailmaker. 

Challenges around delivery times
"This past year, in addition to innovation, delivery times were challenging. For example, at times it was tense whether we could deliver on time to new and existing customers due to poorly available materials. This was eventually resolved by holding higher stock levels."   

Expedition Greenland: "We really went all out. We did it!"

One of our 2022 highlights: a rush order to Greenland. 

De Vries Maritiem received a phone call last spring asking if bright red sails could be urgently made for adventurers' voyage. "We really pulled out all the stops to make this happen. We succeeded! The team made sure that within 10 days the bright red sails were in Greenland" These red sails are used to make beautiful pictures. The pictures of the red sails and the boat in these beautiful surroundings have really become indescribably beautiful.

Our colleague Johan and his wife Yvonne were on board for part of this expedition in Greenland. The sailors and expedition members wanted to make visible that the area (Disko Bay near Ilulissat in West Greenland) is very vulnerable. The photos are partly intended to portray how beautiful the area is and how important it is to treat our earth sparingly. With our core value of "Healthy Future," we also try to keep our footprint of the products we make as small as possible. 

Sponsor of Strong Yerke

Zeilmakerij De Vries Maritiem is a sponsor of Sterke Yerke because the core values around sustainability of both organizations match seamlessly. Zeilmakerij De Vries Maritiem has made new sails for the new raft, the Sterke Yerke IV. This raft calls attention to the "plastic soup. Sterke Yerke puts water pollution on the map by creating awareness among people. 

Future perspective of De Vries Maritime in 2023: sustainability

"Next year we are putting full effort into sustainability and efficiency. We want to produce even less waste and recycle more materials. Optimal handling of purchased materials is key. We have set up our production process in such a way that material consumption, and thus 'waste', is as small as possible. In addition, we plan to continue saving energy. We still have a small piece of roof that can accommodate a number of solar panels. We are going to make the best use of the space, let the sun (and wind!) shine!" 

In the context of sustainability, we are also working today on hoods for electric sloops. The design and production process of the hoods are designed as efficiently as possible so that the footprint of electric boating remains small." It is not surprising that De Vries Maritiem has become a sponsor of a project focused on sustainability. Students from TU Delft are developing solar-powered boats for this project. "A future in which only natural resources are used to sail would of course be great!"