History in wood

Albert Ensing laid the foundation of current company Schipper Houtbouw right after World War II. Around 1946. With his spar trade, he provided all the mines in Limburg with timber. The required timber was cut down in the woods of Drenthe. When around 1965 the mines were closed for a larger part, Ensing took to manufacturing sheds and garages. In 1976 son-in-law Harm Schipper became partner in business and the company continued under the name of Houthandel Ensing-Schipper, set up in Nieuw Buinen. In an unpretentious production hall Ensing and Schipper, accompanied by their wives, put sheds and garages together manually, virtually day and night.

In 1978 they decided to expand the firm. In Nieuw Buinen, approximately 5000 square metres of ground were bought. Shortly after, the present storage buildings rose on these grounds. Personnel grew to ten employees.Due to health reasons Albert Ensing withdrew from the firm in the early eighties, after which he set himself to starting a smaller timber business.
Harm Schipper continued business, but to preclude confusion, he did so under the name of Houthandel Schipper.

In the following years Houthandel Schipper has an explosive growth. Yearly hundreds of garages are manufactured and tenths of houses are built in Germany. Also the sale of timber and later on the building materials have a steady growth. Something special are the large number of track sleepers, purchased in shiploads by Harm Schipper.
At the end of the eighties about thirty-five people work for Houthandel Schipper. The company has built a reputation of trust in the northern part of the country.

1992 is a year of changes. The old formula of Schipper is abandoned and the sons of Harm Schipper, Eddy and René enter the firm. Eddy, the eldest and the commercial one, focuses on the purchase of a diversity of products. He also introduces the sell of pavement materials. A network of suppliers and supply industry expand far abroad.
René, the youngest, initially concentrates on timber, but ultimately specializes in quality and financial management and planning.

In the course of the nineties a new period of growth sets in for Schipper. The company has specialized in three activities: woodworks, garden and building grade, and ornamental pavement. Presently the woodwork department designs and produces wooden sheds, barns, garages, log-cabins and garden stores for the Dutch and German consuming market. The department of  building and garden grade sells all sorts of wood and plating for housing and do-it-yourself. Finally, the department of ornamental pavement delivers a diversity of ornamental paving for different applications.

In 1997 it is decided to expand activities on the private market. For this purpose Schipper opens a new business in Coevorden: Schipper Coevorden. To keep a general view on the overall business, Schipper relegates her activities to the Gihabo Group. A group that guarantees a good administrative and qualitiy controle.

In the beginning of the new millennium, over forty people work for Schipper. It owns more than four thousand square metres of storage buildings and  production halls. The outdoor storage is expanded up to twenty-five-thousand square metres.
In May 1997 Schipper receives the NEN-EN-ISO 9002 certificate for all our activities.

On 12 September 2001, Schipper opens a brand new showroom in Stadskanaal, on De Steenhouwer 20. The company has a large covered and heated show site at its disposal with beautiful models, many different kinds of ornamental paving and garden timber. The building and garden grade and the total production stay in Nieuw Buinen.

Next to the sales department, Schipper opens a brand new garden centre. However, in the following years the company specializes more and more in timber. The total of designs expand largely. Nationwide Schipper is one of the biggest players in the field. So, in order to be able to concentrate completely on the still strongly growing woodworks, Schipper sells the garden centre and building grade is almost shut down.

The core business of Schipper was processing timber, working with timber and building with timber. The extra attention and dedication for woodworks brings the desired results.

During the year 2007 about 70 people work for Schipper. Location Nieuw Buinen is only operative for production, locations Stadskanaal and Coevorden are operative for sales. In 2007 the show site in Stadskanaal is again adjusted and filled with new models. There are, next to the traditional models, also large Oak and Larch barns, summerhouses, garages and house extensions. Coevorden, specializing in stabling, gets a brand new showroom early 2008.

Schipper, anno 1946. A solid, all-round company, specializing in building in and with timber. Schipper, since 1946. Thanks to the tremendous dedication and involvement of all employees, we are ready for the future!