Since the company was founded in 1974, Hydrex has never stopped looking for new ways to assist shipowners. As our services and capabilities have grown, so have the facilities and equipment supporting our teams. The aim behind these investments has remained the same: to give our staff the best possible working environment and provide customers with fast, safe and high-quality solutions.

This continuous development has been a recurring theme throughout Hydrex’s history. Previous expansions of our Antwerp headquarters included new offices and meeting rooms, refurbished warehouses, additional workshop and training facilities and increased dock space. Later investments further expanded these facilities, ensuring that our teams had the space, equipment and logistical support needed for a swift response to operations around the world.

Hydrex has now taken another step forward with several major additions and upgrades at its headquarters in Antwerp.

Innovative welding facilities

One of the most important additions is a new, dedicated combined welding training and production center for our diver/technicians. The building contains several individual cubicles where they can practice and further develop their welding skills in a controlled environment.

The facility also gives our teams a dedicated location to prepare material for upcoming operations. Steel plates, pipes and other components required for a job can be welded, cut and prepared in-house before mobilization.

The new workshop is state-of-the-art and has been constructed according to strict safety guidelines, with the welfare of our personnel as the first priority. It is equipped with the latest high-quality welding and cutting equipment, giving our diver/technicians the tools and equipment they need both for training and for actual fabrication.

This investment continues an approach that has always been central to Hydrex. Our diver/technicians do not only need technical knowledge and practical experience; they also need the right equipment and an environment in which they can maintain and improve their skills. Hydrex’s facilities have therefore long combined operational workshops with dedicated training infrastructure.

By bringing training, preparation and fabrication together under one roof at our headquarters, we can further improve the efficiency with which our teams prepare for an operation.

Improved communication facilities

The expansion is not limited to our technical and practical facilities. New offices have also been installed for our chief and senior divers as well as our team leaders.

The offices provide them with an improved working environment from which they can prepare and coordinate operations. Large screens have been installed for video meetings with customers and prospects, making it easier to discuss upcoming jobs, technical requirements and possible solutions directly with everyone involved.

Similar screens have been installed in our meeting rooms and technical department. Communication between the different people involved in an operation is essential, particularly when a fast response is required. Our technical department, team leaders and diver/technicians work closely together to prepare jobs and make sure that the correct personnel, equipment and procedures are available.

The new communication facilities also make it easier to involve customers directly in these discussions, wherever they are located. This is particularly valuable for an international company whose teams carry out operations around the world and that is constantly developing new ways to assist shipowners.

Pioneers in innovation

Innovations which help keep the world fleet afloat, in business and out of drydock are very valuable to shipowners and managers. We have been at the forefront of such innovations for over 50 years. Most of these pioneering innovations have become standard practices in the industry.

Innovative standard procedures are developed when a unique situation arises. Hydrex engineers have the necessary training and experience to think on their feet and solve the unusual problems that come up when dealing with underwater repairs on ships. This drives continuous innovation.

Additional warehouse for Subsea Industries equipment

A new plant has also been added to the Hydrex headquarters. An existing warehouse has been completely remodeled and stocked with the tools and equipment needed for the production of cleaning units manufactured by Hydrex’s sister company, Subsea Industries.

The additional facility provides a dedicated location where this production can be housed and organized efficiently. It represents a significant expansion to this vital department of Subsea Industries. It is another example of how the available space at the Antwerp headquarters continues to evolve in line with the requirements of both companies.

Well-stocked depots and readily available equipment have always played an important role in the Hydrex approach. A swift reaction remains one of the key elements of our service, and having the necessary tools and equipment available at our headquarters helps our teams prepare and mobilize without unnecessary delay. Previous expansions were carried out for precisely this reason: combining offices, advanced warehouses, workshops and logistical facilities enables Hydrex to provide customers with fast and cost-effective solutions.

Investing in our people and our service

Every few years our facilities, equipment and fleet are reviewed, refurbished or replaced where needed. Our vans, for example, are regularly updated so that they remain state-of-the-art mobile monitoring stations. The latest expansion of our headquarters follows the same philosophy.

Whether it is a new welding and cutting facility, improved offices and communication equipment or additional warehouse capacity, each investment has a practical purpose. It gives our personnel better tools and working conditions while strengthening the support behind every Hydrex operation.

Our constantly developing range of services requires capable and well-trained staff, from the technical department responsible for planning and engineering to the diver/technicians carrying out the work on-site. Providing them with the best possible working environment helps them deliver the quality our customers expect. This principle has guided previous expansions of the company and continues to guide us today.

Ultimately, the reason for continuing to invest in our headquarters is the same as it has always been: our customers. Hydrex wants to provide the fastest and most cost-effective solution possible while maintaining the highest standards of safety and quality.

The new facilities at our Antwerp headquarters give our teams even more possibilities to train, prepare, communicate and mobilize efficiently. They are the latest step in an ongoing process of improvement that helps Hydrex continue doing what it has been doing for over five decades: keeping ships in business.