J. & K. Smit Business History and Operations

J. & K. Smit's business history spans over 100 years, with the company being founded in 1922 by brothers J. and K. Smit. The company started as a small construction firm and has since grown to become a leading player in the industry.

The company's operations are headquartered in the Netherlands, where it has been able to leverage its expertise in the European market. J. & K. Smit's commitment to quality and innovation has enabled it to expand its reach beyond its home country.

Over the years, J. & K. Smit has developed a strong reputation for delivering complex construction projects on time and within budget. Its experience in managing large-scale projects has earned it a reputation as a reliable partner in the industry.

J. & K. Smit's business model is built on a foundation of trust, quality, and innovation, which has enabled it to maintain a loyal customer base and stay ahead of the competition.

During this period, J. & K. Smit began to focus on shipbuilding. They started constructing vessels for the Dutch East Indies government, which was a significant milestone in the company's history.

The company's first ship, a cargo vessel, was launched in 1908. It was a 4,000-ton vessel that marked a new era for J. & K. Smit.

In 1910, J. & K. Smit delivered its first passenger ship, which was a 2,000-ton vessel. This ship was designed to transport passengers between the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies.

J. & K. Smit's shipbuilding activities continued to grow, and by 1912, they had delivered over 20 ships to various clients. This was a remarkable achievement for a company that was still relatively new to shipbuilding.

The company's focus on shipbuilding led to the development of a new shipyard, which was completed in 1913. This new facility allowed J. & K. Smit to increase its production capacity and take on larger shipbuilding projects.

J. & K. Smit's business operations are rooted in their history as a family-owned business. They've been around since 1867, which is a testament to their commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.

The company's focus on quality is evident in their production process, where they use traditional techniques to craft high-quality products. This attention to detail has helped them maintain a loyal customer base over the years.

Their production process involves a combination of manual and automated systems, ensuring efficiency and consistency in their products. This blend of old and new has allowed them to stay competitive in a rapidly changing market.

Inland Navigation is a crucial aspect of business operations, especially for companies that rely on waterways for transportation and trade. The Mississippi River, for example, is a major transportation route in the United States, carrying over 60% of the country's grain exports.

The cost of transporting goods via inland waterways is significantly lower than by road or rail, with a study citing an average savings of $150 per ton. This is due in part to the fact that barges can carry up to 15 times the weight of a truck.

Inland waterways are also more environmentally friendly, producing significantly less greenhouse gas emissions per ton-mile than trucks or trains. In fact, a study found that barge transportation emits 75% less CO2 per ton-mile than trucking.

In 1878, J. & K. Smit delivered the first Dutch suction dredger Adam I to Volker & Bos for their works in IJmuiden.

The Adam I was a great success, and it proved very suitable for the task at hand.

By 1886, the shipyard had made a total switch to dredging equipment, with four dredging vessels on the slipways on January 1st of that year.

These vessels included an iron pump hopper barge IJmuiden of 400 ton and 40 hp, a vessel named Lucy of 450 ton and 40 hp for the South African government, and a similar vessel of 400 ton and 50 hp for the Japanese government.

The shipyard built 6 dredging vessels in 1886, and by the end of the year, they had only built dredging vessels.

In 1887, a second dredger Kisogawa was built for Japan, with compound steam engines of 276 ihp.

By 1890, the dredging vessels were becoming larger, with the construction of the 600 ton pump hopper barge Boulogne III for the French government.

The shipyard got an order from the River Wear commissioners in Sunderland for a new suction excavator in 1894, which was a rare occurrence at the time.

The order was secured because J. & K. Smit offered the 600 ton vessel for 11,000 GBP, while the English offers were for 12,270 GBP for the ship and boiler alone.

By 1897, Smit had built a suction dredger and a bucket dredger, and by 1898, they had two suction dredgers under construction for the Danish and Russian governments.

In 1899, the shipyard built three dredgers, one for Argentina, one for Australia, and one for Denmark.

By 1906, the shipyard had launched four elevator hopper barges for Chile, a bucket dredger M.O.P. 18 C for Argentina, a bucket dredger barge, and a suction dredger.

Sea-Going Ships were a significant milestone in the business operations of J. & K. Smit, with the company receiving a prestigious order from the Koninklijke Paketvaart-Maatschappij in May 1889.

The order was for a steamer to operate in the Dutch East Indies, marking a departure from inland navigation ships. This was a big deal for Smit, as it showed their capabilities in building vessels for the high seas.

In May 1890, the shipyard launched the Van Riebeeck, a steamer with 600 ihp machines built by Fijenoord. The shipyard's ability to deliver such a vessel was a testament to their growing expertise.

Despite this success, Fijenoord didn't launch many sea-going ships. However, they did launch the Automaat, a coal ship of 225 feet long, in December 1903, with engines built by Nederlandsche Fabriek van Werktuigen en Spoorwegmaterieel.

Tugboats were a specialty of J. & K. Smit, with Fop Smit founding a tug service that would later become Smit International after a merger in 1923.

The permit for Fop Smit's tug service was transferred to L. Smit & Co. in December 1866, with Murk Lels as the manager of L. Smit & Co.

J. & K. Smit launched the screw tugboat Wachter in 1895, with 130 ihp, and the Amsterdam for another company with 180 ihp.

In 1897, Smit built just one tugboat, and by January 1898, it had one 1,200 ihp tugboat under construction for L. Smit.

The shipyard completed three sea tugboats for L. Smit & Co. in 1906, with Rozenburg having 350 ihp and 146 ton, and Zwarte Zee being one of the largest European tugboats at 533 ton.

In the early days of the Smit family's shipyard business, Jan Foppe Smit and his brother Jakus took over a shipyard in Alblasserdam in 1785.

Their business grew quickly, with Jakus building another shipyard north of the original one and eventually joining it to the family business.

By 1805, the shipyard had 10 workers and was building rivercraft, including some of the smallest type.

Jan Foppe Smit was a successful businessman, leaving behind a wealth of assets, including two shipyards, several houses, 18 hectares of land, multiple ships, and securities.

He had three sons and two daughters, all of whom would go on to play important roles in the family business.

Here are the Smit family members who were involved in the shipyard business:

Jan Smit, one of Jan Foppe's sons, married Teuntje Rijs in 1814 and had 10 children, many of whom would go on to be involved in the family business.

In 1898, J. & K. Smit embarked on a significant expansion project, tendering the construction of a harbor, quays, and shoring north of their shipyard for 27,590 guilders.

This substantial investment showcases the size and scope of the works, highlighting the company's ambition and growth.

The construction project demonstrates the company's commitment to expanding its operations and increasing its capabilities.

In 1965, the boards of five companies in IHC Holland decided to merge their companies, but Conrad Shipyard and Stork Hijsch N.V. couldn't join because it was part of the Stork conglomerate.

The merger was a significant step in the expansion and growth of IHC Holland. The company started to merge J. & K. Smit and L. Smit en Zoon shipyards into a partnership known as Smit Kinderdijk v.o.f. in 1966.

Several old buildings of J. & K. Smit shipyard were incorporated into the modern shipyard.

In 1978, IHC Holland was split into three parts, with the holding getting renamed to Caland Holdings in 1979.

The offshore part became known as IHC Inter in 1978.

These three parts merged again into IHC Caland in 1984.

Expansion was a significant part of the company's growth, with J. & K. Smit tendering the construction of a harbor, quays, and shoring in October 1898.

The order was won for a substantial 27,590 guilders, giving an idea of the scope and scale of the works involved.

This expansion showed the size of the works and marked an important milestone in the company's development.

In Krimpen aan de Lek, the shipyard built mainly inland vessels.

The shipyard code for J. en K. Smit in Krimpen aan de Lek is JKSmit-KrimpenLek.

You can view all measurements of ships built by this shipyard, regardless of the spelling used in the measurements.

The first year the shipyard is mentioned in the measurements is 1863.

The last year the shipyard is mentioned in the measurements is 1934.

J. & K. Smit was a Dutch shipbuilding company that operated from 1886 to 1966. The company was founded by Johannes Smit and his brother Klaas.

They were known for building cargo ships, tankers, and passenger vessels. The company's first ship was the cargo ship "J. & K. Smit", launched in 1887.

J. & K. Smit's ships were used for various purposes, including cargo transportation and passenger travel. The company's vessels were often used for trade and commerce.

The company's ships were built with high-quality materials and craftsmanship, reflecting the company's commitment to excellence.