John de Rooij
Mechanic, Nijborg Staal
For the past 1.5 years, I have been doing assembly with the Hoeflon crane. Initially, I did the heavier construction work. Now, the crane does all the lifting work.
In conversation with
Nijborg Staal At Nijborg Staal, we make everything related to steel. We only leave once the customer is satisfied. Nijborg Staal employs over 40 people. The company started 40 years ago as a blacksmith in Renswoude and has grown significantly over the years.
The start with Hoeflon "We had already been regularly renting a Hoeflon crane through another Hoeflon customer. As a result, we increasingly used the mini crane. At some point, we wanted to buy one ourselves. The work where we could use a Hoeflon crane was increasing. We did look at other brands, but when it came to load tables, we found Hoeflon to be the best. In July 2021, the C6e was delivered. This C6e can also be transported on the trailer; it's a very compact machine. We also have a TC1."
Rising demand "The demand for our services is increasing. Customers now know that we have the mini crane. They often call us for jobs they used to do themselves with a forklift or a small lift and now do exclusively with the Hoeflon. This crane works faster and makes the job easier. In the beginning, it took some getting used to, and the crane would sometimes sit idle for a few days. At this point, it’s being used every day. We use our machines for jobs all over the Netherlands. We have a lot of projects where we install stairs and fences."
What more could you want? It's a fantastic machine to work with. You get to go to places you wouldn't normally reach.
**Electric ** "We immediately purchased the electric machine, so I don't know how the diesel version was. This C6e works great! It does everything it's supposed to do. I don't really notice a demand for the crane because of its sustainability aspect. It's more about the quiet operation. You can hear each other better. Usually, we work with two or three people on a job, and communication is much easier now."
**Service ** "We opted for a service contract. The C6e was recently inspected for the first time. The service is good. Whenever we had an issue, we were helped quickly. Once, the crane stopped working, but 45 minutes later, we were back to work."
The future of Nijborg Staal "We continue to grow. You can see that you're more involved with crane work. We plan to take new steps in 2023 through new construction to prepare our business for the future."
The future with Hoeflon "I am very satisfied with the machine and the contact with Hoeflon. We're also conveniently located nearby. The machine is electric. We don't have anything to compare it with, but what more could you want? As far as we're concerned, it's a fantastic machine to work with."
The best Job John really enjoys working with the C6e. "The best job was the first job we did with the C6e. We were in the middle of the Gazelle factory. We had to remove existing columns and replace them with new ones. We built a walkway through the whole factory. It was a big job, three weeks of work. And on top of that: when do you stand in the middle of a Gazelle factory? You get to go to places you wouldn't normally go."