As is so often the case, it all started with a small, self-constructed boat. Dirk Mulder senior first built small wooden sailing boats in 1938. In the 1940s and 1950s, larger wooden sailing yachts and steel motorboats were added. The smaller motorboats were the forerunners of the famous "Favourite Kruisers", which rolled out of the shipyards in the late 1950s to 1980s.
In 1984, his son Dirk Robert Mulder took over the reins. Under his leadership, the "Favorite Superior" and "Futura" models were added to the range. In the early 1990s, he then launched "Mulder Custom Motoryachts", which helped him to finally make the leap into the large yacht sector. "We have never regretted this step," says the shipyard boss.
But he didn't lose sight of his smaller fleet either and relaunched the Favourite series in 2010 with five models between 13.60 m and 18.60 m. He was supported by design specialist Guido de Groot and Vripack Naval Architects. He was supported in this endeavour by design specialist Guido de Groot and Vripack Naval Architects. The Favorites not only feature conventional propulsion systems, but also modern systems such as Volvo Pentas IPS, which was installed in a Favorite 1400 belonging to a German owner. "There is hardly anything that is not possible," explains Mulder.
Most boats today are made of aluminium (around 90% of production). The hulls are assembled in Friesland and then taken to NL-2251 XJ Voorschoten, Frans Halsplantsoen 6 for further finishing. We were able to see for ourselves that good work is not only done here, in the halls at home, but that the colleagues from the "welding department" also do this beforehand, as we were able to see for ourselves on an aluminium boat under construction. Shiny aluminium can fascinate the observer!
But it is also fun to watch the furniture being built in a separate area a few kilometres away from the headquarters. The same applies to the technology, from the drive system to the various entertainment systems and sophisticated navigation electronics. So that future owners can experience the joy of watching, they are allowed to visit their boat at every stage of construction. In total (including the outsourced hull construction), Mulder employs around 70 people.
The shipyard had its best year just before the banking crisis in 2007. "We also clearly felt the effects of the 2008/2009 crisis," muses Dirk Robert Mulder. "But fortunately we still had enough orders to bridge this period. Since last year, business has picked up again. Customers come from all over the world, but the majority are owners from the Netherlands, followed by Germany."
In addition to the construction of new yachts, the overhaul of so-called "pre-owned yachts" is planned for the future. These will be restored to pristine condition so that they remain competitive on the market and find a new owner as quickly as possible. Special conversions according to the wishes of the new - or, of course, old - owner who wants to keep their boat are also no problem: "We want to offer our customers a complete all-round service."
If you ask the shipyard owner about further plans for the future, he has big plans: a new shipyard hall, with two docks and hangars, very close to the current shipyard site, is currently under construction and is due to be completed in 2012. There is plenty of space here for large new buildings and overhaul work. In the company's brochure, you can read that almost nothing is recognisable today from the shipyard that Dirk Robert Mulder once took over. If you look at the illustrated new building plans, all you can say is: it's true.
