Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen has celebrated its 60th anniversary. Some 250 guests, including clients, suppliers, local council delegates, Damen head office representatives, and retired employees, gathered to look back at six decades of ship repair and to wish the yard’s current team well for the future.

Celebrations for DSV’s 60th birthday started off with a tour of the yard’s facilities for the guests. “This was especially nice for some of our old employees; some of whom retired twenty years ago,” says DSV’s Managing Director Michiel de Vliegher “And it was also a chance for us to show our suppliers more of the yard; some of them have never been further than our offices.”

Then and now: the DSV shipyard in Vlissingen-Oost in 1964 and in 2024. Then and now: the DSV shipyard in Vlissingen-Oost in 1964 and in 2024.

The event programme continued with the official reception, which opened with a showing of an old black-and-white newsreel covering the news of the new shipyard. “A few of our guests were actually here at the opening ceremony on 2 September 1964, when Queen Juliana came to Vlissingen to officially open the yard. The Royal Schelde Shipyard, which was based in the city of Vlissingen, needed bigger facilities. So it was decided to develop the area that we know today as Vlissingen-Oost into a harbour,” Michiel explains. Indeed, a look at the old newsreel footage shows just how undeveloped the area was. “The new shipyard was actually the first company to operate here,” he adds.

The DSV Works Council presented the company with an artistic collage that now hangs in the company's entrance hall. The DSV Works Council presented the company with an artistic collage that now hangs in the company's entrance hall.

Damen Shipyards Group CEO Arnout Damen then gave a speech and presented the yard’s current personnel with a gift of a 300-year old map of Zeeland (pictured at the top). This was followed by a speech from Damen’s Director of the Shiprepair & Conversion Division Jeroen Heesters. “He gave us a nice ‘then and now’ photo of the yard location,” Michiel says. “And the speeches concluded with a word from Djordje Kostic on behalf of the Works Council here at DSV. He presented us with a beautiful two by three metre collage of different projects that we have worked on over the years.”

“A few of our guests were actually here at the opening ceremony on 2 September 1964, when Queen Juliana came to Vlissingen to officially open the yard." Managing Director Michiel de Vliegher

With the main speeches over, it was time for the guests to raise a glass and toast the future of DSV. “I have never been congratulated so much for my 60th birthday – and I am only 42 years old!” Michiel smiles. The party was also a chance to raise money for charity. “We asked our guests to give money to the Dutch Heart Foundation. I would like to thank everyone who donated: we raised 4,000 euros.” As a leaving gift, all the guests received a present of a mug with the DSV 60-year anniversary logo on it.

“I have been Managing Director of this shipyard for one and a half years and I was very pleased to be the host of the 60-year anniversary party. DSV has spent the last 60 years working with commercial and naval clients – and the last ten years with superyachts owners too – in what is a very diverse and dynamic discipline. The whole team here is looking forward to the years ahead.”

If you would like to donate to DSV’s fund for the Dutch Heart Foundation, follow this link: 60-Jarig bestaan Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen – Eigen acties – Hartstichting – Supporta

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