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 sold again to Rene Groen, Lex van der Loo and Bart Bakker. About 60 people currently work at Sandfirden.