'We don't shy away from a challenge'

Moving water any way, any where and any time

Moving large volumes of water on a temporary basis. Van Heck has been doing that from its base in Noordwolde, Friesland, for almost sixty years. Not by roughly renting out pumps, but by looking together with the customer for the best and most sustainable solution. A siphon, for example, instead of a pump. "That saves a nice amount of fuel."

They work at the nicest company in the northern Netherlands, say project manager Almer de Vries, company manager Titus ten Kate and director Herman van Dijk. The latter took over Van Heck last year from Jeroen van Heck, after it had been in the family for 58 years. Of course things changed then, but more has remained the same. The 25 employees still like their work, love adventure and are not satisfied until they have found the best solution. 

Smart solutions

If in the past they mainly received requests for pumps to get rid of water, nowadays it is more often about too little water or water in the wrong place. These are the requests for help for which the boys and girls of Van Heck come up with their clever solutions. "That's what makes this work so dynamic," Titus explains. "You never know on Tuesday what will happen on Wednesday. A flood. A faulty pumping station... Our people come up with a solution, build the pump sets themselves and go out with them to install them in the field, together with the customer. No quick fix or one hit wonder: with us you do business with people who build lasting relationships."

The fun of challenges

Large assignments, small assignments. Assignments in Lutjebroek or on Curaçao. Ad hoc assignments and assignments that seem impossible to solve... Van Heck doesn't shy away from a job. They enjoy taking on challenges. Are people from Limburg asking for help after a flood? Then it's a four-hour drive and Van Heck can be there in five hours. Because that is what benefits the customer.

Eye for ambitions 

The ambition is to continue to grow, to do even better work and to become more sustainable. The latter by working with clean energy whenever possible, siphoning water wherever possible instead of pumping it away, and working electrically if possible, instead of using fossil fuels. "But fair is fair," Almer states, "if there is no energy supply on site, a diesel-powered pump is still often the most efficient. However, we can reroute a line, use a different diameter or run a lower speed. We look at that critically. Because when we have an ambition, we make it a serious priority."

Motto

Where there is a will, there is a way, seems to be Van Heck's motto. For example, they were in Kiev recently, trying to come up with a solution to the lack of water in three major cities due to the recently burst Kakhovka dam. Any doubts? No, not really. Herman: "Those people need a solution now. Even though it's war. And we have that solution." 

So the slogan "moving water any way you want it" also applies "any where" and "any time.