50 years of Van Driel. 50 years of craftsmanship
Some milestones say more about a company than a thousand words. This is one of them: our colleague Theo van Iperen is retiring after no less than 50 years at Van Driel.
Friday, July 31st was his last official working day. In fact, Theo could have retired a few weeks earlier, when he reached the retirement age of 67. But anyone who knows Theo knows that stopping just before such a special milestone is not like him. That is why he worked for a few more weeks to achieve something that is almost unique today: 50 years of service at Van Driel.
Theo started as a 17-year-old boy at Van Driel on the Venneperweg. In the fifty years that followed, he saw the company, the trade, and the technology change enormously. Where the work previously consisted largely of hydraulic cylinders and construction work for customers in agriculture and industry, Van Driel grew into a specialist in high-end products for the superyacht construction industry.
And Theo? He just grew along with it.
From construction work and machining to assembly: Theo masters the trade in its full breadth. Yet his heart lies mainly with machining and the lathe. Give him a difficult technical challenge, an urgent job, or a part that makes someone else scratch their head first, and Theo is completely in his element. Precisely that knowledge and experience have been of invaluable worth in maintaining and overhauling products that Van Driel itself built, sometimes decades ago.
But 50 years of Van Driel is about much more than just technology.
Within the company, Theo is above all Theo: approachable, involved, always ready to help, with time for a good conversation and, of course, for a joke. For years, he was active within the staff association and helped organize company outings and parties. And anyone who was ever there knows: those were not easily forgotten.
Theo has also meant a lot for the next generation of craftsmen. Over the years, many interns from technical schools in the region took their first steps in the trade at Van Driel. Theo supervised many of them and passed on not only technical knowledge, but above all the joy and pride of the profession. Some of those former interns are now experienced craftsmen themselves – and still remember their time with Theo.
On Friday, an extraordinary chapter really did come to an end. With cake with coffee, a decorated workspace, and a pleasant drink with colleagues, we closed 50 years of Van Driel together.
And of course, we are going to miss Theo. His professional knowledge, his stories, his humor, and above all, the person behind the craftsman.
At the same time, pride and gratitude prevail above all. Because employees who grow with a company for decades, pass on their knowledge to new generations, and are dedicated to their profession every single day, ultimately form the heart of a company.
Theo, thank you for 50 fantastic years.
