There are companies and then there are family businesses. The company we are visiting is owned by three brothers and has eleven employees. Only two of them are not part of the immediate family. Welcome to Gebr. Dorrestijn BV on the Amerongsewetering in Amerongen.
Our appointment is with Gijs Dorrestijn and his wife Thea. Gijs, together with his brothers Cor and Bart, is in charge of the management. Thea is responsible for the administration and the VCA. Gijs tells us about the company that his parents built up. “My parents started with contract work in Leersum, close to here, in 1965. Father mainly did agricultural contract work: ensiling, chopping, haymaking, etc. The company grew, first with one employee and later more. That first employee is still a good friend.” Father and mother Dorrestijn have had difficult times. The economic crisis in the 80s and the bankruptcy of a major customer, 22 years ago. But they managed to pull through and were able to earn a living. And the family is proud of that.
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Of the seven sons, four went to work at Gebr. Dorrestijn. As mentioned, three of them form the management; the fourth, Dirk, is on the payroll, as are ten other family members. Gijs joined his father in 1986 as a 16-year-old boy. “We had a towed excavator, which stood in front of the tractor. That's where I learned the machinist's trade. And when I turned 18, I got the first self-propelled excavator, an Atlas.” Bart Dorrestijn started working in his father's company in 1994. Gijs: “Bart now drives the new mobile Develon DX170W-7 excavator. And Dirk has been driving the DX255 crawler excavator for almost 20 years!” When youngest brother Cor (33) joined the management team in 2021, the legal form of the company was changed from VOF to BV on the advice of the accountant. “Since then, we have officially been Gebr. Dorrestijn BV,” says Gijs.
Gebr. Dorrestijn is mainly active in sewer work. The company lays a lot of
infiltration sewer in villages and cities, to prevent flooding. “We also do everything you need an excavator for: demolition, digging construction pits, cleaning ditches or in forestry. We have all the tools in-house to tackle a variety of jobs,” says Gijs. The customers are contractors, farmers and private individuals. The three brothers have a clear division of tasks among themselves, which ensures that the company runs smoothly.
The brothers have a large assortment of Doosan and Develon excavators. There are three crawler excavators (two DX255 and a DX235), a DX140 and two DX170 mobile excavators. Gijs: “Our very first Doosan excavator was a DX140.
We bought it around 2010 and it had 21,000 hours on it when we recently sold it. I don't think we've ever had a better excavator. It was a little faded towards the end, but it worked fine and there was never anything wrong with it.”
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That first machine came from Staadegaard. Gijs and his brothers have always remained loyal to Staadegaard - later Staad. "We had an excavator from another brand that we didn't really like. Coincidentally, a representative from Staadegaard came by. We clicked right away. We liked that first Doosan so much that we never switched brands again." According to Gijs, the relationship with Staad is based on trust. "If there's something, we can always discuss it. Maybe it's the Brabant mentality, but we're very friendly with each other. We mainly know each other from telephone and email contact, but when we see each other, it's as if you've known each other for a long time. I met Sijmen Staadegaard during the open day. He clearly enjoyed talking to us." According to Gijs, what also helps is that Staad, like Gebr. Dorrestijn, is a family business. "Just like us, they do it all together. Alone you're nothing; together you can do anything."
Last autumn, Staad delivered two new Develon excavators to Gebr. Dorrestijn. The DX255LC-7 crawler excavator and the DX170W-7 mobile excavator are now running at full speed and to satisfaction. The powerful but economical 6-cylinder Stage V diesel engine meets the current emission standards. The DX170W-7 is equipped with automatic central grease lubrication, engcon quick coupler, a lifting eye welded to the dipper stick with CE certification, a backhoe, rubble bucket and pallet fork set, overpressure preparation for demolition work, GPS, and a stainless steel clog support on the cabin. The boom of the crawler excavator has been modified, just like the other crawler excavators, to obtain more lifting capacity and to be able to lift higher. Staad has placed the cylinders under the boom for this purpose. Gijs: “Our operators have a say in the equipment of the machine. Often it's about small things, a clog support or extra work lighting, but those extras really complete it. It makes working with the machines and in the cabins extremely comfortable.”
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Gijs and his brothers are happy with their family business. “We grew up working outdoors and with machines. We know each other inside and out and we go for it. Everyone is on the same page. If you have one against you, you have them all against you. And everyone has their own qualities. One is a fire-eater and the other can keep the peace. Together we have a golden team.” Father Dorrestijn passed away six years ago. Mother Lydia, now 77, lives at the company and is still involved. Behind the scenes she keeps an eye on everything and helps where necessary. When the boys return in the middle of the night during harvest time, she is waiting with a plate of food. And on Saturdays she cooks for all the boys. “After work or maintenance, they push the tables together and feast on grandma's spaghetti or macaroni.”
More information about the Develon DX170W-7 and the Develon DX255LC-7 can be found on the product page online. Here you will find specifications, images and the product brochure can be downloaded. If you have any questions or are interested in this or any of the other electric earthmoving machines that we sell at Staad, you can contact one of the representatives, who are also visible on this product page.
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