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‘Building for the future’ is more than just a figure of speech at Damen Schelde Marine Services (DSMS). It is something that is literally happening right now. Since October, construction has been underway on DSMS’s new offices and warehouse facilities at the Souburg II business park in Vlissingen. The company hopes to be fully operational at the new location by this summer.
Text: Tom Scott
DSMS Managing Director Arnold Suykerbuyk sees the new location as a major step forward for both the company and its people. From the very start, DSMS has been actively involved in the design and layout of the new building. “Together with the Damen Shipyards Group real estate team, the project developer and the municipality of Vlissingen, we selected a location that really ticked all the boxes,” Arnold explains.
Construction of the new DSMS offices and warehouse facilities at the Souburg II business park in Vlissingen are progressing well.
The warehouse will consist of two halls, each with a clear function. One hall has been designed for picking, packing and heavy lifting, while the second focuses on pallet racking and bulk storage. “The entire setup is tailored to our logistics flows – both inbound and outbound – so that we will be able to work as efficiently and as safely as possible,” Arnold says.
Compared to DSMS’s current situation, this is a major difference. “At our current location, we adapted our way of working to the building. Now, the building is adapted to how we work.”
DSMS Managing Director Arnold Suykerbuyk (r) shakes hands with with Vlissingen Deputy Mayor Geoffrey Sips.
Room to grow
The new warehouse significantly expands DSMS’s logistics capacity. With more pallet positions, a dedicated loading and unloading dock and improved workflows, the company is future-proofing its operations. Today, DSMS already handles more than 4,000 deliveries per year. That number is expected to increase by around 2,000 deliveries in 2026; growth that the new location can easily accommodate.
While full automation with robots is unrealistic due to the highly varied nature of DSMS’s service-oriented logistics, the digital foundation is in place. “We are working towards further digitalisation and paperless processes,” Arnold explains. “And in terms of import and export, we are ready for digital trade.”
An artist impression of the new head office and warehouse.
People at the centre
The new premises also bring a modern technical setup. From heating and air treatment systems to IT infrastructure and LED lighting, insulation and energy performance, everything meets the latest standards.
Ergonomics have played an important role too. “This is someone’s workplace for 40 hours a week, possibly for 40 years,” Arnold notes. “Now we can design it properly, in the interest of the employee.”
Beyond logistics and technology, the new building also strengthens the human side of DSMS. A central canteen will bring colleagues from different departments together, while the warehouse team will benefit from new changing rooms with showers and lockers. “It’s about creating a pleasant, shared environment,” Arnold says. “It’s exciting; we’ll be working in a very nice environment.”
The ground-breaking of the DSMS office and warehouse was attended by the DSMS team and representatives from Damen Maritime Ventures, the Municipality of Vlissingen, and construction company J.P.G. Groeneweg Bouw.
Looking ahead to 2026
While 2025 did not reach the exceptional levels of the previous years, DSMS still closed the year positively. “We ended with a plus,” Arnold says. “And we are looking forward to 2026.”
With the new building coming online and several interesting projects already in view, DSMS expects to have its hands full in the year ahead. The combination of modern facilities, growing logistics capacity and a continued focus on service, reconditioning and onboard support puts the company in a strong position.
As Arnold sums it up: the new DSMS location is not just a move: “it’s a statement that DSMS is ready for the future”.