On April 6, 1935, Hendrik Willem Ackermans celebrated his 80th birthday. To honor his vision, he was presented with a beautifully crafted, leather-bound manuscript detailing the staggering scale of what the company had constructed between 1888 and 1935.

Representing an extraordinary feat, DEME’s founders had invested over 36 million guilders – the equivalent of more than 300 million euros today - in shipbuilding, equipment, maintenance and employees. To build and maintain this massive fleet, the company called upon 32 different shipyards across the Netherlands.

The milestone caught the attention of the national press across Belgium and the Netherlands. Amid a flood of celebratory telegrams, Hendrik Willem Ackermans was also presented with a stunning Delft Blue piece depicting the shipyards and vessels that defined his life’s work. This commemorative plate paid visual tribute to the vessels and locations that defined his life’s work. Alongside the names of iconic dredging vessels of the era, such as the La Plata or Schelde, names like Le Havre, Pointe-Noire, and Phnom Penh were proudly displayed. Whether these referred to the vessels themselves or to the projects where the founders were active at the time, each one reflected the impressive international scope of an enterprise that had expanded its footprint across multiple continents.