Celebrating 60 years of Selmers together

Blue and white balloons flutter in the wind at the entrance. The sky over Beverwijk looks threatening, but for now, it is still dry. Good timing, because on Friday, 28 August, the doors of Selmers are quite literally open. To celebrate its 60th anniversary, suppliers, business partners and other guests have been invited for a look behind the scenes. And, of course, to raise a glass together.

From three o’clock onwards, the first guests start arriving. The afternoon begins with a behind-the-scenes tour of Selmers.

From mini-Selmers to the real thing

And where better to start the tour than with Selmers in miniature? At the scale model created especially for the 60th anniversary, Daan takes the first groups through the different worlds of the company. From Factory Automation to steel pipe coating, pipeline construction and UV, it all comes together in the model.

Then it is time for the real thing. The route through the company is marked out, in true Selmers style, with blue and white tape and arrows. At the first stop, Milan and Khalil show how FUSE Factory Automation helps make factory processes smarter and easier to manage. The interest is immediate, with the first questions coming in before the explanation is even finished.

The tour continues past various coating processes, concrete coating, pipe-in-pipe and testing. At each stop, a Selmers colleague is ready to explain the work from their own practical experience. This gives visitors not only a look behind the scenes, but also the chance to meet the people working on Selmers’ machines, installations and solutions every day.

The tour ends at tube coating, where visitors are introduced to UV LED. This technology uses light to cure the coating extremely quickly, within just one second, while also being more energy-efficient. A good example of how innovation at Selmers continues, even after 60 years.

Time for a toast

After all that technology, something very different is waiting at the exit: a tray filled with glasses of champagne. From there, the route leads outside to the festively decorated partytent, where the tour turns into drinks and conversation.

And then it turns out the timing really could not have been better. Just as almost everyone is safely under the party tent with a drink and something to eat, the heavens open. Not just a few drops, but a proper Dutch downpour. Outside, the rain comes pouring down; inside, the celebration carries on.

The rain certainly does not spoil the mood. Suppliers and business partners who have travelled to Beverwijk for the anniversary have plenty of time to catch up. Some have come from further afield, from Friesland or Brabant, while others are quite literally from across the road. A bite to eat, a glass in hand and plenty to talk about, from projects and partnerships over the years to new opportunities ahead.