Can you tell us something about C-Job Naval Architects?
C-Job Naval Architects is one of the largest independent ship design and engineering companies in the world. With our multidisciplinary team of over 170 Mechanical Engineers and Naval Architects, we assist Ship Owners and Shipyards during the full design scope from an initial sketch up to Building Supervision. Our office is located in The Woodlands, close to Houston and we also have 4 European offices. Our expertise stretches from Dredgers, Offshore (Wind) vessels, Superyachts, Workboats and Passenger Vessels.
Why did your company choose Texas?
C-Job Naval Architects provides the full design scope of various type of vessels and we have clients all over the United States. Houston is perfect fit for us in a number of ways. It has a maritime character and is home to a number of companies in the industry such as Classification Societies like ABS, DNV GL, Bureau Veritas and Lloyd’s Register and other Dutch maritime companies like GustoMSC, Jumbo, Mammoet and Royal IHC. Due to our internationally diverse workforce it’s important to have a place where all our colleagues would feel at home with their families as well as provide good transport links both nationally and internationally. Compared to many other maritime cities in the US, the cost of living in Houston is quite affordable. After opening the office in the Summer of 2019, we experienced first-hand the ‘Southern Hospitality’ of people who genuinely welcomed us and made us feel right at home.
What kind of advice can you give to Dutch entrepreneurs who want to do business in Texas?
Don’t underestimate the differences in culture, doing business and distances. It seems like a very similar western world, but a lot of things take just a little bit longer or should be handled differently. Keep an open mind and be prepared for delays. During our preparation, we also did a ‘Cultural Awareness’ course with the group of people who would be involved with the Houston office the most. This has helped us work together with clients, partners and new colleagues. One of the reasons we opened a Houston office is to be closer to our clients and create a better understanding of their view and culture, next to be able to answer their questions in the same time zone. To be really able to adapt and learn, we hired local leadership and engineers, completed the team with 2 expat engineers and send a MT member from the Netherlands during the start-up phase to hit the ground running.
