Heijmans fortunes hold steady

The Netherlands construction industry is recovering, according to Dutch contractor Heijmans, which saw a jump in home sales for the first quarter of 2014.

Heijmans reported 234 home sales up to the end of April 2014, of which 129 (55%) were to private buyers. This compares to 60 houses sold in the same period last year, all of which were sold to private buyers.

The contractor posted first-quarter revenue virtually unchanged from last year, while its order portfolio as at the end of March was up €200 million on the same period last year.

Bert van der Els, CEO of Heijmans, said, “The market is recovering and Heijmans is focusing on promising tenders and projects. This year can be described as a transition year. In the run up to 2015, the result development is under pressure in the first half of this year, partly due to the lower production levels at residential and the limited margin potential at the current infra projects.”

In residential, Heijmans started the sale of the Fenixloodsen in Rotterdam and, among others, acquired the contract for the construction and development of 39 energy-neutral homes in Son en Breugel. In Belgium, Heijmans won the contract for the construction of 34 apartments in Evere.

In non-residential, Heijmans completed the new concert venue Muziekcentrum Vredenburg in Utrecht. Heijmans also acquired new contracts for a technology centre for DSM and for Lounge 2 of Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.

In addition, the contractor’s infrastructure segment also acquired a number of new projects, including the Kreekrak bridges in Zeeland and the A12 Parallel structure near Gouda.