Once started as a one-man business, HICE has grown into an innovative machine and construction builder with dozens of employees and a good reputation in the international offshore industry. 'We achieve more turnover outside the Netherlands than within the Netherlands'
At the beginning of the narrow Vierburenweg in Westeremden is a road sign saying: dead end. But whoever drives on for a moment sees on the left, about two kilometers outside the village center, a farm and a few small factory buildings. A windmill towers above the buildings. In the yard are cars, company buses and here and there a container.
There is activity, that much is clear. Although it is quite hard to imagine that here, in the middle of the beautiful mound landscape, machines are being built that find their way all over the world: from Germany to Saudi Arabia and from South Korea to the United States. Yet that is exactly what happens at this location at Hulst Innovation Cable Equipment (HICE).
Cable installations
HICE specializes in designing and building cable installations for spooling, storing and transporting large cables. 'Our core business is developing machinery for the offshore industry,' explains founder and owner Tjark Hulst. 'And particularly equipment for the storage of spare cables and installations for shallow water.'
Tjark refers to the design and manufacture of so-called turntables and accessories, including loading arms. A turntable is a large turntable, a rotating platform, used to store and unwind large quantities of cables or pipelines during offshore operations. A loading arm is a mechanical system that guides cables from a turntable to the installation site.
Sound equipment is usually large and relatively heavy. That makes it difficult to carry cabling to and from land via shallow water. 'That's why we are designing lighter and more efficient equipment without losing strength,' Tjark explains. 'In other words, we make the machines suitable for transport through shallow water. That's what we're good at. Our strength lies in a combination of creativity and years of experience. Moreover, we really develop the machines together with our customers and offer fully customized solutions for their specific challenges.'
First steps
Tjark started the company in the summer of 1994 as a sole proprietorship in Garsthuizen, then under the name Hulst Innovation, Construction & Repair. In the early years, he built recumbent bicycle structures, machines for milling tree trunks, wood stoves and a 3C (milk) carousel. Tjark was also involved in the construction of the Sea Spider, an unusual cable-laying vessel commissioned by Van der Stoel Cable of Haren.
Van der Stoel Cable, active worldwide in the infrastructure cable works market, went bankrupt at the beginning of this century. Says Tjark, "The people I knew there left for other companies around the world. In 2006, I was approached by one of them to develop a machine to store and unwind submarine cables. I started designing, building, testing and optimizing. With a satisfied customer as the final result. From that moment on, numerous requests came in, mostly from reputable parties active in the offshore industry worldwide.'
Operating worldwide
Meanwhile, HICE has grown into a company with 49 permanent employees and about ten permanent freelancers, spread over four locations in Westeremden, Appingedam, Oldenzijl and Nieuwolda. This, incidentally, also includes the people of Hulst Wind Energy (HWE), a business unit engaged in the design, production and installation of small wind turbines.
'We get more sales outside the Netherlands than within the Netherlands,' says Berdien Stoker, responsible for sales at HICE. 'Even if we make a machine for a Dutch customer, it still goes all over the world. I love the dynamics that international business brings. You meet people from all kinds of cultures and learn how things are done elsewhere. In Japan everything is about precision and respect, while Americans get straight to business. But it is precisely this diversity that makes this work so fascinating. It's not just technology and trade, it's getting to know the world.'
Content conversation
During a networking meeting, Berdien met Wessel de Vries, theme specialist International Entrepreneurship at Ynbusiness and GroBusiness. Wessel explained that he advises and informs companies with international ambitions about opportunities, possibilities and pitfalls. He indicated that he would like to visit HICE one day. Not much later, at the office in Westeremden, there was an extensive discussion about where the company stands, where it wants to go and what the company encounters.
'Over the years, of course, we have built up a great deal of international knowledge,' Berdien emphasizes. 'We are not easily faced with surprises and can quickly anticipate changing circumstances. Still, the support and network of GroBusiness can certainly be of value to us as well. Among other things, Wessel came up with some handy tips about subsidy possibilities. You immediately notice that he has a wealth of international experience and knows very well which questions and challenges companies are facing. He also has a practical approach, which is how he acts and advises. It is not just theoretical knowledge, he has experienced it himself. That quickly creates a pleasant and substantive conversation.'
Personal contact
An important part of HICE's international strategy is participation in trade fairs. Berdien: 'Of course, you never know in advance what you will get out of it. But the personal contact simply works well. You get just that bit more information and can ask just that one question that you don't ask through email or during a team meeting. It's a great way to meet your customers in a short time.'
What would Tjark like to give other entrepreneurs who also want to go international? "Just try. Don't be too scared," he answers immediately. He comments on overly theoretical approaches to international business. 'If I rely solely on stories from agencies, I would say: we stop exporting. That's never going to work. I think you just have to experience it yourself. And if you have a question or can't figure something out, there is always a party like GroBusiness.'
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