Groningen Shipyards B.V.
Corporate brand
UnclaimedGroningen Shipyards B.V. (GS Yard) was a Dutch shipyard in Waterhuizen, Groningen, building inland vessels and coasters, with roots dating to the 19th century and declared bankrupt in 2024.
Last updated September 26, 2026
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Overview
Groningen Shipyards B.V., widely known as GS Yard, was a shipyard located in Waterhuizen in the Dutch province of Groningen, situated on the Winschoterdiep canal. Its history reaches back to the 19th century, when Jan Hinderikus Moolman operated a yard building small covered barges, schooners and wooden tjalken. After his death in 1859, his son-in-law Jan van Diepen continued the business, and the yard remained in the Van Diepen family for generations, later trading as Gebroeders J. en H. van Diepen and then Scheepswerf van Diepen B.V. from 1995. The modern company went through several ownership changes and bankruptcies. Scheepswerf van Diepen failed on 21 December 2001 with 98 employees. Maas Onroerend Goed acquired the site and operated it as Maas Shipyard Waterhuizen from 2002, but it went bankrupt in 2005 and again in 2008. In 2008 the German shipbroker Christian Hochbein and shipowner Daniel Gausch, through Hogau Scheepsbouw B.V., took over the yard and established Waterhuizen B.V. and Groningen Shipyard B.V. The activities were later placed in Westerbroek Scheepsbouw, founded in June 2013 and renamed GS Yard. GS Yard specialised in the design and construction or outfitting of standard inland vessels of 86 and 110 metres, as well as dry-cargo ships, push boats, barges without propulsion and chemical tankers, including double-hulled inland and sea-going vessels. It could launch ships up to 135 × 15.80 metres and built roughly ten vessels per year. During the COVID-19 crisis the German owners shifted toward coasters, a market that quickly collapsed. On 5 April 2024 the company was declared bankrupt again. Persistent debts after the pandemic and continuing losses, which could not be repaid, forced the owners to file for bankruptcy themselves. The yard's long history thus ended in insolvency, after nearly two centuries of shipbuilding activity at Waterhuizen.
History
The yard's origins lie with Jan Hinderikus Moolman (1806–1859), son of ship's carpenter Hendericus Theodorus Moolman. In the first half of the 19th century he built small covered barges, schooners and wooden tjalken, having gained experience as a live-in shipbuilding apprentice at Scheepswerf Pattje Waterhuizen. After his death, his son-in-law Jan van Diepen (1844–1905) continued the yard in 1859. In 1884 the estate was divided and Jan and his wife Annechien acquired ownership. They built, among others, the 34-ton covered praam Hoop op Zegen in 1876, and thereafter mainly tjalken of 57 to over 80 tons for inland navigation. From 1 January 1902 two sons, Jan (1874–1938) and Henderikus (1879–1932) van Diepen, took over as Gebroeders J. en H. van Diepen. Their three sons continued the yard until 1960. Until 1978 ships were launched sideways; that year Van Diepen built a longitudinal slipway. Jan Menze van Diepen, born in Groningen in 1905, led the company; he was an avid art collector and died in 1994. In 1995 the yard's name was changed to Scheepswerf van Diepen B.V. On 21 December 2001 the yard, under the fourth generation (also a Jan van Diepen), went bankrupt with 98 employees; 37 jobs had already been cut in October. In its final period it mainly built new coastal vessels. Maas Onroerend Goed from Kolham, with director Wolderdina Sarina (Diette) Doesburg-Maas, took over the company, operating as Maas Shipyard Waterhuizen (2002–2008), partly from the Damen shipyard at Foxhol acquired on 1 January 2004. The yard went bankrupt in 2005 due to financial problems after that acquisition but made a restart, taken over jointly by Maas Shipyard Hoogezand, D. Maas Beheer and W.S. Doesburg-Maas. Downsizing from 90 to 30 employees did not help, and the company went bankrupt again in 2008; before that bankruptcy about 180 workers were employed. In 2008 Hogau Scheepsbouw B.V., of German shipbroker Christian Hochbein and shipowner Daniel Gausch, took over the yard and established Waterhuizen B.V. and Groningen Shipyard B.V. there, with 40 and 0 employees respectively. From the restart the yard used workers who were not employed by the yard itself, in total about 120 Romanian nationals in executing roles such as welders, pipe fitters, sheet-metal workers and, to a lesser extent, carpenters and painters — some sixty Romanian metalworkers. The Inspectie SZW (former Labour Inspectorate) already found in 2009 insufficient working conditions for that group, and the FNV union that the collective labour agreement was not observed. On 21 March 2013 the legal BVs of Groningen Shipyard were renamed WS and WSY in Groningen (with a further empty factory hall). The reason for this split was a threatened fine from the Inspectie SZW and a claim by the FNV. On 7 May 2013 the Inspectie SZW imposed a fine of €1,336,000.00 on Waterhuizen and Shipyard, and on BMS Protowin Ltd, a Cyprus-law company based in Limassol, for violation of the Foreign Nationals Employment Act and the Minimum Wage and Minimum Holiday Allowance Act. The activities of Groningen Shipyard were placed in Westerbroek Scheepsbouw, founded in June 2013 and renamed GS Yard. GS Yard (2013–2024) continued shipbuilding. A subdistrict court judgment of 4 March 2015 also awarded the FNV's claim of €40,000. In 2017 agreement was finally reached between FNV, GS Yard and Den Breejen Works, which hired out the Romanian shipyard workers under Dutch employment terms and paid according to the collective agreement. The yard specialised in the design and construction or outfitting of inland vessels of 86 and 110 metres, standard ships. Besides dry-cargo ships, push boats and non-propelled transport units, it also built chemical tankers — double-hulled for inland navigation, but also sea-going vessels. About ten ships were built per year. GS Yard could launch ships up to 135 × 15.80 metres (L×B). During the coronavirus crisis, however, the German owners switched to coasters, a market that quickly collapsed. On 5 April 2024 the company was declared bankrupt again. The cause lay in debts that remained after the COVID-19 pandemic and could not be repaid due to continuing losses. Setting up a separate BV to take orders and have them executed by GS Yard proved insufficient. The owners themselves were forced to file for bankruptcy.
- 2024
Declared bankrupt on 5 April after post-pandemic debts and continuing losses.
- 2017
Agreement reached between FNV, GS Yard and Den Breejen Works on Dutch employment terms and collective agreement pay.
- 2015
Subdistrict court judgment of 4 March awards FNV's €40,000 claim.
- 2013
Legal BVs renamed WS and WSY; activities placed in Westerbroek Scheepsbouw, renamed GS Yard.
- 2013
On 7 May Inspectie SZW imposes a €1,336,000 fine for violations of foreign labour and minimum wage laws.
- 2009
Inspectie SZW finds insufficient working conditions for Romanian workers; FNV notes collective agreement not observed.
- 2008
Bankruptcy again; Hogau Scheepsbouw B.V. takes over and establishes Waterhuizen B.V. and Groningen Shipyard B.V.
- 2005
Bankruptcy after the Damen acquisition; restart follows.
- 2004
Acquisition of Scheepswerf Damen at Foxhol on 1 January.
- 2002
Maas Onroerend Goed takes over; operates as Maas Shipyard Waterhuizen.
Products and positioning
Dutch inland-shipbuilding yard specialising in standard inland vessels and chemical tankers, with a long regional heritage at Waterhuizen.
86 m and 110 m standard inland vessels
Dry-cargo ships
Push boats
Non-propelled transport units
Double-hulled chemical tankers (inland and sea-going)
Coasters
Sources4 sources
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