11/2019 Van Tunen 60 years!

This month, Van Tunen celebrated their 60th anniversary!

And wow, have we celebrated! Extremely proud of this exceptional milestone, we took over the Apollo Hotel in IJmuiden on October 26th for a stylish night of festivities. A night that was also in honor of Jan van Tunen, who succeeded his father before him and further built and expanded our company. For 50 years now, he has been putting his heart and soul in our family business. We think the spotlights on him were well deserved! And it definitely unfolded into a memorable event, marked by a fantastic atmosphere, plenty of delicious food and drinks and a great turnout! Between 400-500 customers, suppliers, former and current employees joined us in the party. We thank you all! Not only for your presence, but also for the past 60 years!

Luckily, we captured some of the best moments… Like to relive the festivities? Take a look at our aftermovie:

Read more about our 60 years: 

Van Tunen then and now: 60 years of history

We are Van Tunen, a third-generation family business engaged in international coastal development, earthmoving, rockworks and mining activities. We provide contract, rental and (technical) support services for the dredging, earthmoving and mining industry as well as the maritime/shipping sector.

Built on hard work, dedication and determination, we are as happy now as we were sixty years ago to deploy our knowledge, skills and experience for the benefit of our clients worldwide. We continuously strive to improve and be of optimum service to our clients worldwide, covering all bases and ensuring (cost-)effectiveness.

How it all started

(Grandpa) Jaap van Tunen grew up in a family that worked in construction. In 1959, he decided to change course and started his own business. It was the year he founded Van Tunen B.V. Over the years this construction company grew into a rental company specialized in earth-moving machines, both manned and unmanned and suitable for a wide variety of activities in the Netherlands and abroad.

During the sixties, word of our expertise increasingly spread outside the Dutch borders and Van Tunen carried out its first projects in Germany and Belgium. With equal pleasure and confidence, the company remained available for challenging projects in the Netherlands, too, including for Tata Steel IJmuiden. All these activities, at home and abroad, can be seen as the steppingstones in our development from specialized rental company to the contracting business we lead today, as we facilitate, execute and (help) manage the most diverse, beautiful, sustainable projects both in the Netherlands and worldwide.

Jan van Tunen at the helm

In 1984, Jan van Tunen took over the company from his father. With a keen eye for technical developments he continued to build on our specialty, the focal point of the Van Tunen company from the beginning: the adaptation of equipment to the needs of the customer and its specific projects, from attachments and dumpers to our long-reach hydraulic excavators. Did you know, for example, that our first triple boom was developed as early as 1998?

A common thread in our successful history is providing ideas and smart solutions through customized and new equipment designs. However, we distinguish ourselves primarily through the combination of our expertise, years of experience and close involvement in the implementation of projects. Service, safety, innovation and quality are paramount in this respect. All, to optimally execute our client’s assignment and effectively deal with any obstacles.

Where are we today?

The year is 2019. Van Tunen celebrates its 60th anniversary and the third generation has taken over. We have grown into an experienced and versatile company with, we dare say, worldwide fame and a CV that illustrates consistent quality. And yes, we are proud of our achievements, especially in this industry with only a few top players around the globe, but we also realize that we are only as good as our last project. Fortunately, our passion for guiding large-scale projects in coastal and shore works, dredging, earthmoving and mining still runs through our veins.

“We, as the third generation, will do everything in our power to keep growing and improving as a business for generations of Van Tunens to come (and take over)!”