Feadship celebrates 20 years in Makkum with new sustainable office

Feadship’s outfitting facilities in Makkum marked their 20th anniversary last weekend, coinciding with the completion of a new sustainable office building. The milestone was celebrated with a festive family day for employees, their families, guests, and local residents, attracting nearly 2,000 visitors.

Over the past seven years, the Makkum yard has undergone a major transformation. A second dock hall was completed in 2018, followed by new workshops and, this summer, the delivery of the striking 2,820 m² office. Built entirely from wood, the three-storey structure is designed to be demountable and reusable. It is connected to one of the yard’s original buildings – the former joinery workshop – by a 17-metre bridge constructed by the yard’s own metalworkers, a fine example of in-house craftsmanship and teamwork.

The addition of the second dock hall also enables more refit projects to be carried out on site, allowing the yard to serve existing clients directly from Makkum.

“With the new facilities, the yard is ready for the future. Twenty years ago we started with 78 employees, and today we are a team of 450,” said Director Sijbrand de Vries. “Despite this enormous growth, there is a stronger foundation of mutual trust than ever. There is a spirit of helping one another and an incredible drive to be the best together.”

It all comes down to people. For over fifteen years, the Makkum yard has operated its own training school in partnership with Firda, a regional vocational education institute. The programme inspires young people to learn a trade and offers opportunities to those looking for a fresh start. Increasingly, the yard also welcomes professionals who have chosen to retrain and pursue a hands-on craft.

With its dedicated team, strong training culture, and some of the most advanced yacht-building facilities in the world, the Makkum yard is well prepared for the future – continuing to innovate, deliver quality, and build on the enduring trust of Feadship clients worldwide.