26 februari 2024
I recognize the smells of the harbour
Pelger de Jong is the passionate operational director of Rederij de Jong, a maritime family business that has been part of the port of Rotterdam for more than 100 years. In this edition of Onze Haven, Pelger shares his personal story, highlights Rederij de Jong and emphasizes his love for the port of Rotterdam.
Pelger de Jong, 36 years old and from Rozenburg, is the fifth generation of De Jong to leave their mark on the family business. He has been involved with Rederij de Jong since 2008, where he held various roles before becoming operational director in 2019. As a child, Pelger often went into the harbor with his father, without fully understanding what was happening. “It didn’t mean much to me at the time, except that it was interesting,” Pelger remembers. His original idea about the future was not in port activities; he was thinking about a career as a general practitioner. It took a while before the spark flew and Pelger realized that his heart belonged in the maritime world.
The best there is
The smells and sounds of the industry always stayed with Pelger. “I recognize the smells of the port. Now when I am on board a ship and sitting on the deck at night, I hear nothing except the noise of the industry and the occasional bell from a crane. I think that is really the most beautiful thing there is,” he says with a smile. His love for the port grew over the years. Now he also realizes the enormous impact of the port of Rotterdam on global shipping. This passion may be passed on unnoticed to the next generation, who also likes to get into the car when Pelger goes out.
Function
Pelger describes his different roles within the company; from assistant quality manager to his current role as operations director. His early duties as assistant quality manager included handling claims, maintenance, insurance work and legal matters. In that position he visited shipyards and ships, where he gained valuable experience. “At one point I also started helping in the planning department. Soon I was doing more planning tasks than maintenance,” he says.
As operational director, Pelger is mainly concerned with planning all vessels and checking schedules for customer agreements and (cost) efficiency. He emphasizes the importance of keeping agreements and proactively solving problems. His days are anything but predictable: “I don’t have a typical working day. No day is the same. I also never know in advance what my day will look like. I make a to-do list every day, but I usually don’t even get around to it,” he says laughing.
Rotterdam harbour
Rederij de Jong’s involvement in the port of Rotterdam goes much further than just serving business interests. As the largest player in the Netherlands in the field of barges, Pelger recognizes the important role the company plays in the transport chain. “A quarter of the fleet really belongs to us, three quarters we hire. So we are much more than just a shipping company, everything we do is important in the entire transport chain,” he says proudly. “The port of Rotterdam is not just a location, it is part of our identity and our success.”
Short lines
Pelger values independence: “We do not have to be accountable to external parties, which gives us the freedom to work with everyone. Although not everything goes smoothly, we think it is important to continue doing business.” Personal values, such as being open to collaboration with a blank mindset, regardless of the past, are of paramount importance to Pelger. According to him, the strength also lies in the short lines. Matters are arranged quickly, without the hassle of extensive meetings and difficult calculations. “If something feels good and sounds logical, then we go for it. This flexibility comes from working with skilled people in all kinds of areas.”
To succeed
Last year, Rederij de Jong celebrated its 100th anniversary, a milestone that Pelger looks back on with pride. The company’s growth is remarkable. The office staff almost tripled between 2018 and 2024. “I think it is great to continue everything that the family business has achieved so far. At the same time it is scary: of course I don’t want to fail, although that keeps me sharp and eager. I am proud to be part of this growth.”
Despite all the successes, Pelger remains focused on the future, with numerous ambitions and opportunities that he wants to take advantage of. He sees potential everywhere to grow the company even further. “For me this only feels like the beginning. I am only now starting my entrepreneurship,” says the operational director. He has clear goals in mind: expanding the sailing area, continuing to explore fuel options and expanding the fleet. “I want us to always have the solution when a potential customer calls.”
Source: onzehaven.nl
25 september 2023
100-year-old family business Rederij de Jong wants to focus on semi-autonomous ships
Rederij de Jong from Maassluis will be celebrating its 100th anniversary on September 25, 2023. Anyone who thinks this family business is conservative is wrong. Rederij de Jong wants to focus on semi-autonomous ships. Just as the company became successful in 2000 with its own barges, De Jong believes it will continue to be successful.
The beginning of the second millennium was a special year for Rederij de Jong. ‘A turning point.’ Under the leadership of Willem de Jong Jr., the company started building its own barges in Poland. This led to a steady growth of the fleet of barges. In 2006, the name was officially changed to ‘Rederij de Jong’.
In recent years, the shipping company has also purchased four coasters. ‘This makes our chain of water transport complete. These investments in maritime shipping have also led to growth in inland shipping,” says Willem de Jong.
Family atmosphere
‘We owe the success of the shipping company mainly to the efforts of everyone around us: motivated colleagues, close family ties and great partners and customers. For Rederij de Jong, “family” is a broad concept. It stands for all those people who care about the company and have contributed to its success. We would like to thank everyone for the great cooperation and achieving this milestone.’
As a family business, Rederij de Jong focuses on the long term. Operational director Pelger de Jong: ‘We are actively involved in automation and digitalization. In a few years I can see ourselves piloting ships remotely with a joystick. Because with semi-autonomous sailing you can meet the desire of the younger generation to spend less time away from home.’
Wessel de Jong, head of technical services, emphasizes the family atmosphere within the company: ‘Despite the growth in recent decades, everyone knows each other. The culture is still flexible, warm and personal.’
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary, an anniversary book will be published later this year entitled ‘100 years of sailing – the story of a family business’, a tribute to the rich history of Rederij de Jong.
Source: schuttevaer.nl
10 februari 2023
Rederij de Jong is expanding with French barges
Rederij de Jong has expanded its fleet with five barges. The third coaster, RDJ Maasstroom, was also put into service at the end of January.
Source: schuttevaer.nl
29 juli 2021
Rederij de Jong is the first owner of a coaster
Rederij de Jong in Rotterdam is, after inland vessels, barges, push boats and work vessels, now also the owner of a coaster. The seagoing vessel will sail under the flag of C-Shipping & Logistics.
Source: schuttevaer.nl
Rederij de Jong continues to expand
At the end of September, Rederij de Jong moved from its cramped office on Montrealweg in Rotterdam to a new spacious building on Buitendijk in Maassluis. From this beautiful viewing location, Pelger de Jong sees a push boat from his shipping company passing by with agricultural bulk on the Nieuwe Waterweg, which flows directly into the North Sea. “Just this morning, one of our barges sailed past with rings for offshore wind foundations to the Second Maasvlakte,” says the 33-year-old operations director. At the same time, it indicates that the shipping company, originally strong in the transport of coal, is moving along with the energy transition.
After the Leuvehaven and the Delftse Vaart, Rederij de Jong moved to the Montrealweg in Rotterdam in 1999, but the company also outgrew its premises in the Botlek. “That was especially noticeable during corona. It was difficult to keep a distance of 1.5 meters. We literally couldn’t fit a desk.” Pelger has already welcomed five new colleagues to the office in Maassluis.
Passing work by
“We can see our work passing by again in the new building. In the Botlek, the view slowly disappeared after the demolition of the Maassilo. We are very happy with the new visible location, absolutely. We stopped in the Botlek. The new accommodation is confirmation of the fact that we have grown into a major player in inland shipping and push tow shipping. In addition, we have also been active in maritime shipping through our subsidiary C-Shipping & Logistics for several years. This allows us to provide chain management and offer one-stop shopping from A to Z.” Despite spreading its wings, the family atmosphere at Rederij de Jong has always remained. Thanks to the flat organizational structure, the lines are and remain short.
Dry bulk
The family business has been specialized in the water transport of dry bulk for more than a century, particularly in the energy and agricultural sectors. With Pelger de Jong and his brother Wessel as technical man, the fifth generation is now at the helm of the family business. Father Willem de Jong (65) is general manager. Grandpa Pieter de Jong (now 94) still comes by three times a week to catch up. The coaster RDJ Johanna, purchased last year for C-Shipping & Logistics, is a memorial to grandmother Johanna de Jong.
Core business
The company has been operating as an independent shipping company for more than 100 years and has an extensive fleet for inland shipping and push-towing. Even in 2021, transport and (floating) storage of biomass (wood pellets), project cargo, fertilizer, rice, grains and raw materials for animal feed are still core business, but diversification is also taking place with, for example, minerals and construction raw materials.
Expansion
The new building in Maassluis has paved the way for further expansion of the company. “Growth is motivated by ambition, but also because we want to spread the risks so that we are less vulnerable. For example, we want to be less dependent on power plants. The closure of the power stations in Nijmegen and Geertruidenberg has cost us millions of tons of freight per year from 2017 onwards. That was a big blow, causing us to write deep red figures for two years. At the same time, it also offered new opportunities,” Pelger de Jong explains.
Old level
Partly due to diversification, the cargo volume in 2020 totaled 7.5 million tons and will even reach 8 million tons this year. This means that Rederij de Jong has even improved on the previous level of 2016, before the closure of the power plants. “We have started transporting more and more wood pellets for the generation of new energy in biomass power stations. One container of coal is equivalent to one and a half wood pellets for the same amount of energy. In addition, the transport of agricultural products such as fertilizer and raw materials for animal feed has also increased.”
Animal feed
For example, Rederij de Jong supplies a number of factories in the animal feed industry. “We ensure that the raw materials go to the factories and the warehouses are filled. In turn, the factories supply products to farmers for their animals.” After energy, agricultural bulk is the most important sector for Rederij de Jong. For convenience, Pelger summarizes his company’s cargo as anything that is not liquid, including breakbulk and large structures for the offshore wind energy market.
Rejuvenation on board
While a number of new young people are already working in the office, rejuvenation on board the Rederij de Jong team remains a challenge. “Originally there were sailing families, but the new generation is increasingly opting for life on shore. It sounds crazy: we have no shortage of cargo, but we do have a shortage of new skilled personnel such as skippers, helmsmen and sailors. That is why we started training sailing personnel ourselves years ago. We are also trying to renew our fleet, partly to be attractive to new people. For example, last year we purchased the new(er) push boats Aquarius and Leo,” says the operational director.
C-Shipping & Logistics
With its subsidiary C-Shipping & Logistics, Rederij de Jong has successfully taken the big step towards sea transport, allowing a complete chain of transport to be offered. From the European hinterland to every seaport and vice versa. This often concerns European coastal shipping, but the shipping company now also handles import and export loadings from and to the other side of the ocean.
Chain management
With the recent move to Maassluis, Rederij de Jong is ready for the future. Including the now seven employees of C-shipping & Logistics, 26 people work in the new building. This subsidiary specializes in sea chartering, shipping agencies, inland shipping and storage and transhipment. These services offer shippers chain management.
Unburdening
“We can now offer customers a broad service package. We assist cargo stakeholders with all their transport needs. We offer them all services in an A to Z story. It saves a lot of time and effort if you have everything in one hand, with one point of contact for the entire chain,” says Pelger.
Founder
Rederij de Jong was started in 1889 in Krimpen aan de IJssel by ‘grandfather’s grandfather’, Pieter de Jong senior. The founder of the company, whose beautiful image immediately catches the eye upon entering the new building, transported freight independently but also as a skipper with a small ship on the Hollandsche IJssel. Pelger’s great-grandfather (Willem de Jong senior) took over and bought a motor ship to transport the increasing quantities. Transport was expanded to include minerals, grains, sugar and rice.
Tjalk
Small ships such as a tjalk became larger ships of 300 tons for grandfather Pieter de Jong and his brother Jan, the Rijnstroom 1 and 2. The official name of the company was therefore Gebroeders P. en J. de Jong B.V. for a long time. The service package was expanded to include chartering of other hired ships. At one point the shipping company had six of its own ships, mainly from Kempen, which was quite a lot for an inland shipping company at the time.
Barges
The family business was also one of the first shipping companies in the Netherlands to sail with push barges, for which father Willem de Jong purchased a first push boat in 1985. Rederij de Jong also developed in the storage of grains and animal feed or raw materials for these. The transport and storage expanded to supply the power stations for which coal was supplied from the large bulk terminals from the major ARA seaports. In the past, they were often brought in by coasters from England, which was later replaced by the large bulk carriers with coal from the United States and South America.
Network
With the establishment of the maritime shipping subsidiary C-Shipping & Logistics, Rederij De Jong’s order book has been significantly expanded. The arrival of Wouter Kleiss and Mathijs van Schaik, well-known names in the shipping and transport world for years, also meant a significant expansion of the network. They lead C-Shipping & Logistics and meet the market’s need for one-stop shopping. The customer is completely relieved by arranging everything for them. Kleiss and Van Schaik bring all their experience in sea freight and space chartering to the maritime shipping industry.
Field
Today, Rederij de Jong B.V. one of the largest Dutch shipping companies for inland shipping and the largest for tow shipping. Rederij de Jong’s operating area is typically that of the ARAG (Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp-Ghent) area, Northern Netherlands and the Dutch and Belgian Meuse.
Fleet
Rederij De Jong has its own fleet of 42 push barges, eight push boats, a motor ship, three work ships and a coaster. In addition, there are almost 100 barges available for long-term rental and twenty inland vessels that sail on a contract basis for Rederij de Jong. When other cargo stakeholders ask for more space, charterers go to the market to rent the right ship at the best conditions.
Coasters
In addition to its own coaster RDJ Johanna, Rederij de Jong also has three smaller coasters between 1,700 and 2,500 tons of loading capacity on charter for sea transport. These concern chartered ships for which C-Shipping & Logistics provides the commercial management. This type of ship is ideal for the transport of agricultural bulk from the Baltic states, where a lot of grain is grown and supplied. The chartering of ships, the search for the right shipping space for the transport of the offered cargo, will remain a core activity of C-Shipping & Logistics.
Mate
The vast majority of the cargo that Rederij de Jong has to transport already came from by sea. General manager Willem de Jong previously sailed as a helmsman on short sea shipping. That is why there has always been an interest in maritime shipping. A lot of livestock feed is transhipped in Amsterdam and Rotterdam for transport by smaller ships to Sweden and Denmark. For other companies, for example, grains are shipped from the Black Sea, the United Kingdom and the countries around the Baltic Sea.
Combined package
Rederij de Jong and its subsidiary C-Shipping & Logistics can offer a combined package of services to arrange door-to-door transport for shippers. With the collaboration under the flag of C-Shipping & Logistics, customers are relieved of their worries about the transport of their cargo. By arranging the transport from the quay where it is offered to the buyer, there is a reliable point of contact for the entire chain.
Grain
The customers of C-Shipping & Logistics are cargo stakeholders (owners or shippers) in grains and animal feed. For example, a consignment of 3,000 tons of grain from the countries around the Black Sea that has to go to a buyer in Belgium. C-Shipping & Logistics arranges the sea transport from the Black Sea to Rotterdam, the agency for the ship, the transhipment at the terminal in the barges or inland vessels of Rederij de Jong and the delivery to the customer’s quay in Belgium.
Hydrogen
Innovation and sustainability are also important policy priorities for Rederij de Jong. “Sailing on hydrogen or ammonia offers many possibilities in the future. Autonomous or semi-autonomous sailing is also on the way, with less or no crew. Fortunately, we do not think in terms of threats but of opportunities,” Pelger de Jong emphasizes. This positive attitude is evident from the renaissance of the family business after the closure of the above-mentioned coal-fired power stations. And with the brand new building in Maassluis, all signals are green for further expansion of Rederij de Jong.
source: seaport magazine
2 may 2020
Full power ahead!
Despite the corona virus we keep on building towards the future.
Since the beginning of April, the first works have been done for the construction of our new office. An office that we need badly to continue to grot and now even harder with the colleagues from C-Shipping & Logistics.
Also our fleet will get our intention, at the time of writing no less than 6 hatch covers are being made to convert our open push barges to covered. We want to continue responding to the energy transition and the opportunities we see.
The new office is desperately needed to keep up with our growth. In addition, we are working on accelerating and improve our work processes in the office. The monitoring of all movements of our push barges is monitored even more accurately. Fixing cargo and motorized vessels is accelerated for our charterers and also the associated documents can be send at the touch of a button. An improvement for us that also benefits the customers. Together we play on the ball even shorter!
29 oktober 2019
PORT OF AMSTERDAM
Digitisation, how do we do it in the Port of Amsterdam? In the film ‘Digital Solutions, the Amsterdam way’ we show what digital solutions have been devised to make the port faster, smarter and cleaner.
Unlike numerous other ships in the port, barges do not have an Automatic Identification System (AIS). This makes it difficult to keep track of them. However, with the Poseidon tracking system, we now have a handle on where the barges are located and can offer additional services. So how does that system work? Our colleague Ruud will explain in this film.
Click on the image for the video.
8 oktober 2019
ALGEMEEN DAGBLAD
Transporting goods by ship, this is what his father, grandfather, great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather have done. But the sea, that was something the other De Jongens did not venture into: ‘This is a great opportunity for further growth.’
Pelger de Jong (fifth generation) in interview with the Algemeen Dagblad.
Click on the image for the PDF.
Nummer 7, jaargang 2019
MAINPORT MAGAZINE
Rederij de Jong is a well-known player in the inland shipping sector. The family business, which has been in existence for more than a hundred years, transports a lot of freight for power stations, among other cargoes. De Jong has been a member of the Rotterdam Port Promotion Council (RPPC) for many years. Now it’s time for the RPPC director Albert Straatman to drop by for a visit.
Click on the image for the article.
25 september 2019
DE BINNENVAARTKRANT
Rederij de Jong is now also going out to sea. The Rotterdam inland shipping company has established the new company C-Shipping & Logistics for this purpose.
Wouter Kleiss and Mathijs van Schaik, who previously worked for the Steder Group in Rhoon, have been hired as operational directors. They bring a large network with them.
Click on the image for the article.
10 mei 2019
MAINPORT MAGAZINE
In de binnenvaart kent vrijwel iedereen Rederij de Jong. Het familiebedrijf dat al meer dan honderd jaar bestaat, vervoert onder meer veel voor energiecentrales. De Jong is al jaren lid van Rotterdam Port Promotion Council (RPPC). Tijd voor RPPC-directeur Albert Straatman om eens langs te gaan.
Klik op de afbeelding voor het artikel.
26 november 2017
DISCOVERY, HEROES OF THE PORT
Every Dutch citizen knows that the Port of Rotterdam is one of the largest in the world. But how exactly this mega-conglomerate operates is less well known. Until now. Because in its new series The Port of Rotterdam, Discovery takes a close look behind the scenes of this fascinating workplace that, with 90,000 employees, is a world to itself.
Each episode literally zooms in from above on the various facets of the imposing port that stretches over a length of 40 kilometres and welcomes and processes 128,000 vessels every year. The series follows the men and women who make this all possible.
In this episode, Henk Otto speaks while at the helm of the pusher Virgo.