Balk Shipyard, a refit and repair service provider based in the Netherlands, has been acquired by a Dutch entrepreneur, who now controls 100 per cent of the company's shares.
Back in 2022, the yard revealed it had signed a strategic partnership agreement with Chinese investment holding company Zhongying International, bringing 224 years of family ownership to an end. Then CEO Dan Balk told BOATPro at the time that the move was necessary to help fund the yard's global growth strategy.
According to Balk Shipyard, its new owner intends to be actively involved in the yard's daily operations, sporting a committed, "hands-on approach".
"We are pleased to see Balk Shipyard return to Dutch ownership," CEO Evan Kortmann said of the transition. "Our focus remains on delivering high-quality refits and rebuilds while preserving the craftsmanship that has defined us for generations. Our Dutch heritage is something we are proud of, and this change allows us to underline it even further."
Balk Shipyard specialises in the refit, rebuild and repair of superyachts ranging from 25 to 65 metres, and was recently in the news following an extensive, 18-month refit of the 30.5-metre Ursus. Originally a sub-24-metre Acico yacht, the newly refurbished "pocket explorer" is currently undergoing sea trials in IJsselmeer, a lake in the Netherlands.
Read More/31m "pocket explorer" Ursus on sea trials following major rebuild