Little has been retained from the A. de Jong B.V. business’s past. Yet the general outline is known of how the business developed over the years. In 1877 Albert de Jong (born in 1854) came into the possession of part of a long-existing shipyard on the Torenstraat in Scheveningen. At that time in Scheveningen they built flat-bottomed fishing vessels, known as ‘bomschuiten’, which were able to load and unload on the beach. The construction of a 'bomschuit' took approximately eight to ten weeks, approximately five such vessels a year. Up to 1895 approximately 70 were built at De Jong.

In 1882 A. de Jong also started a shipping company, which had expanded to a fleet of 15 vessels by 1917. During the great storm of 1894 a large part of the Scheveningen ‘bomschuit’ fleet was destroyed. Scheveningen urgently needed a harbour, which was constructed in 1904. New ‘bomschuit’ vessels were then no longer needed. De Jong foresaw the arrival of a harbour in Scheveningen and hence the end of the ‘bomschuit’.
 
In 1895 Mr De Jong had already acquired a Vlaardingen shipyard in order to build steel luggers. In 1914, 1928 and 1935 shipyards were also purchased in Vlaardingen. The founder had a good eye for things. Of the four Scheveningen ‘bomschuit’ yards A. de Jong was the only one to succeed in ensuring the continued existence of the business. In addition to switching from ‘bomschuit’ to luggers the business started producing steam capstans for hauling in the drift nets. These were produced in-house. The capacity of the yard was expanded during the period in which fishing was enjoying its heyday. De Jong established another shipping company. With fifteen luggers in operation they already required crews totalling more than 220 men. In that period the business became a kind of one-stop shop for the fishing sector. Incidentally the steel lugger ‘BALDER’, which nowadays lies in front of the entrance to the fishing museum in Vlaardingen, was also designed and built at our company. They tackled all manner of things, following new paths. The business no longer operated solely in shipping. The most non-core products were designed, including an aircraft, a talking clock (which can be viewed in the Teylers Museum in Haarlem) and a washing machine! Air heaters and burner installations also made their entrance as serious products, the last of which are currently still part of the firm’s product range.

Late 40s a branch is opened in Cape Town (SA). Beginning 50s this branch is passed into the hands of Thompson, a firm that nowadays still exists. In 1955 a branch operation was established in Schiedam with an engineering works and a construction workshop. When natural gas became available in the Netherlands at the end of the fifties, gas burners for industrial applications were successfully designed and manufactured. At the beginning of the sixties a department was started for the production and installation of heating installations and air-conditioning units for non-residential construction. This installation department is still active to this date although the equipment is no longer manufactured in-house. A sound choice in view of the fierce competition between suppliers.

In 1973, under the name De Jong-Coen B.V., a joint venture is established with Coen Company (USA). This substantially increased the product range delivered by the department Industrial Burnertechnology. The joint venture appears to be crucial. One is allowed to say that without this form of collaboration the chance of survival in the productrange would have been very small. In 2010 the joint venture ended after 37 years. De Jong Combustion (subsidiary of A. de Jong B.V.) took over the activities with highly improved products.

The shipyard was disposed of in 1974. This market has suffocated and the purchaser (Boele) went bankrupt within a few years.

In 1976 the business moved with all its product groups to a location in the 's-Gravelandsepolder in Schiedam. The company now still has four businesses (six business units), which are involved in the field of environmental and power technology. It is apparent from the above that in the past A. de Jong Group has always adapted in time to changing circumstances. On a much smaller scale this appears to correspond with a group such as SHV, the Netherlands’ largest family company. Begun as a coal trading company and transferred to Makro stores and power. The firm appears to reincarnate itself each time by switching activities. When the once so untrodden market segment becomes full the business changes form and begins a new life. It appears that over its life every business has to take very radical decisions once every so many years. To stop or to continue in another form or with another product. At De Jong sound strategic decisions have been taken in the past. Switching to steel luggers at the start of the twentieth century, the joint venture with the American business and the disposal of the shipyard in the seventies bear witness to this.

Our firm is one of the just over three hundred oldest firms in the Netherlands. Together we strive to enable the company to become even older.