Established since 1947 in Den Oever.
Innovative for over 80 years
The history of Sandfirden Technics goes back almost 100 years. At the beginning of the last century, the Kuit brothers had a forge in Den Oever. The red lighthouse built by these two brothers at the head of the Afsluitdijk is still standing. Later in 1946, operations were taken over by Mr Laan, Mr Kooij and Mr Van der Zwaag, forming Laan and Kooy.
Innovative for over 60 years
Laan and Kooy sold its first Scania engine in 1958. It was a D-6 propulsion unit intended for a Wieringer fishing vessel. They didn’t stop at that one engine and after four years, Laan and Kooy’s success with Scania in the Netherlands was sealed with official importer status. Our company has been the importer for Scania marine and industrial engines in the Netherlands since 1964. In 1974, it became an importer for another brand, then Valmet, which became AGCO Sisu Power, of Finland. The product ranges from the two Scandinavian engine builders complement each other perfectly, and with the maritime sector as their main market, Laan and Kooy grew steadily.
On December 1, 1987, the name Laan en Kooy was changed to Sandfirden Technics. The reason for the name change was the takeover of Laan en Kooy by the Groningen shipping company Sandfirden. The product range had now been expanded considerably with gearboxes and, steering gear, rudder propellers and our own range of ship gensets. In 1995 Sandfirden Technics became independent again. Piet Kooistra, then general manager of the company, carried out a management buy-out and continued to build the future of the company.
In 2001, the company was taken over by Rene Groen, Lex van der Loo, and Bart Bakker. The company continued to grow. Sandfirden now supplies high-quality products and services to the maritime and industrial. We do this in the fields of power supply, propulsion, and maneuvering. Sandfirden strives to provide total solutions and is able to do so thanks to the many possibilities within the company. For example, we offer complete generator and propulsion sets with Scania or AGCO Power diesel, methanol, and gas engines.
In 2024, Lex van der Loo will be enjoying his retirement for a while and Bart Bakker will also be taking a step back. Two new faces who have been working for Sandfirden for many years will be joining the management team. Aart Vijfvinkel and Jack Lont will be taking over the reins and continuing to pioneer this golden legacy together.
Energy needs to be used more sustainably
Sandfirden Technics recognises environmental and social concerns. That means we see it as our responsibility that the world will still be liveable for generations to come. That is why we spend a lot of time, money and energy on research and development in new innovative technologies that play an important role in creating sustainable solutions for people and the environment.