GPW Turbine Support Invests in the Future
What began in a garden shed in Ouddorp has, over the course of twenty years, grown into a specialized and future-proof company in Hellevoetsluis. GPW Turbine Support is the kind of company where you’re just as eager to hear the story behind the numbers as you are to see the end result: a strong team, an energy-neutral facility, and—in 2025—even the title of Entrepreneur of the Year.
Behind that success are Willem de Gier and Arie Prins, two of the company’s founders. Their story doesn’t exactly begin on a well-trodden entrepreneurial path. Willem explains how it all began: “We come from the Rotterdam Dry Dock Company, which went bankrupt in 2004. At the time, I was the maintenance manager, and we handled all maintenance at power plants with a permanent team.”
After the bankruptcy, they suddenly found themselves out of work, but they didn’t stay without plans for long. Willem, Arie, and their third partner decided to start a new company together. That’s how GPW Turbine Support came to be, with the letters GPW standing for the founders’ last names: Gier, Prins, and Waard.
The company officially launched on January 1, 2005. With three owners and five full-time employees, operating out of a sunroom in Ouddorp, and without any regular customers. It was a modest start for a company that would go on to become a specialist in the maintenance and overhaul of steam and gas turbines for major utility companies in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.
“That was quite a challenging start,” says Arie. Still, the first jobs gradually started coming in, the customer base grew, and the necessary certifications were obtained. GPW Turbine Support quickly proved to be a company that served a niche with little competition. Specialized work, requiring a great deal of technical knowledge and responsibility. By 2008, the company already had twenty employees. The backyard workshop was traded in for a building in Stellendam, but that, too, eventually proved to be too small. Ultimately, Willem and Arie settled on the current location at Kickersbloem 3 in Hellevoetsluis, where GPW Turbine Support now has the space it needs for all its operations.
The move to a new building was a big leap, especially since it took place right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was during the pandemic, and prices for all building materials were rising sharply. We couldn’t wait to sign the contract for the land, but it remained to be seen whether we’d be able to secure a mortgage and complete construction. But daring to take risks is also part of being an entrepreneur.”
Apprenticeship Company
In addition to growth and technology, GPW Turbine Support always focuses on the next generation. The company consciously invests in young people and has become a recognized training partner. Willem and Arie are visibly proud of this. “Thanks to our own history with the RDM and our connections with the RDM vocational school, we were able to offer young people an apprenticeship program at our company through them. We also take on apprentices from the Maintenance programs at the Scheepvaart en Transport College in Brielle,” says Arie. According to him, this is especially important because the work at GPW is anything but routine. “What we do isn’t your everyday job. There are almost no companies that specialize in power plant maintenance. That’s also appealing to young people with an MBO 3 or MBO 4 diploma.”
Forward-looking
Willem and Arie have now sold their company to Mourik Industry, a move that feels right for both parties. Arie explains why: “At our age, we also have to think about the company’s future. The most important thing for us was to leave behind a company that is prepared for the future—especially for the young people who work here. We want to offer them security.”
The acquisition feels like a logical and strong combination. “They don’t have our specialized expertise in-house,” says Arie. “They have a lot of knowledge in the areas of cleaning and mechanics—and that’s exactly where we can learn from them.” Moreover, many of Mourik Industry’s clients are similar to those of GPW, which makes the partnership even more logical. And the name will remain the same. “That was also important to us—that they respect the company and what we’ve built,” says Arie.
Far from sitting still
Retirement? Rest? Enjoying life? Anyone who thinks Willem and Arie are already spending their days sitting around with one foot up is wrong. “We’re not even thinking about that yet, actually. If anything, we’re just getting busier and busier,” says Arie with a laugh.
Entrepreneur of the Year
As if twenty years in business and a successful acquisition weren’t enough, GPW Turbine Support also received a special honor in 2025: the title of Entrepreneur of the Year at Voorne aan Zee. “We were really proud of that,” says Arie. “We certainly didn’t expect it, because we were just focused on running our business and didn’t even know the award existed. Even though we’ve been in business for a long time, we’ve only been in Voorne aan Zee for three years. We certainly didn’t expect to not only be nominated but also to actually win the award!”
The win sparked some nice reactions from the community. “We got a box of meat from our neighbor,” Arie says with a laugh. For the employees, the award was above all a sign of recognition. “Our employees were incredibly proud. Of course, we don’t do it alone—we do it as a whole team,” Willem emphasizes. Arie adds, “We’re no different from when we were still employees, and we also think it’s very important to be open and approachable. You do it together.”
What kind of entrepreneur should be named Entrepreneur of the Year 2026? The men are clear on this: “Someone who thinks about the future and who also consciously involves his or her community in that process.”