“The inland shipping customer is a completely different customer than the seagoing customer,” says Peter van Veen, General Manager Inland Shipping at Alphatron Marine and a child of inland shipping skippers. “In inland shipping you often deal directly with the owner on board. When you do it right, it goes around quickly. But also if you don't do it right, because everyone knows each other and talks to each other. The bottom line is: don't sell nonsense. Do what you agree, make it happen.” 

First color radar

In the 29 years that Peter van Veen has been working at Alphatron Marine, he has experienced a lot when it comes to innovations. “For example, I remember well that in 1998 we introduced the river radar JMA-608 that was made at JRC in Japan. It was the first color radar for inland shipping! Most nautical radars at that time already had a color screen, but with the high demands placed on river radars, it had not been possible to find suitable picture tubes until that time," he recalls. “Our introduction of the JMA-608 was an instant hit. We received praising reviews, but the 'Course on Color' advertising campaign was also a hit!” 

Alpha Bridge Inland

“And how about the AlphaBridge Inland, introduced in 2018?” Peter tells with pride about a much more recent innovation. “With this bridge, the control panels can be electronically shifted to a lower level if the wheelhouse has to be lowered due to the low bridges on European waters. In just 15 seconds, the panels are down, so the captain never loses full control.” 

Listening

Over the years, Alphatron Marine has proven to be a leading supplier for inland shipping in the Netherlands and beyond. According to Peter van Veen, this success is not only due to the successive innovations: “There is something that precedes this. Listening to the customer has been Alphatron Marine's creed for three decades. After all, every ship is different, and so are the owners, operators and shipyards. Ultimately, it is about personal contact. After all, if you have a request or a problem, you need to know who to turn to; have confidence that it will be taken care of. That is where the challenge lies.”