In 1923 brothers Klaas and Willem Visser quit their jobs in Urk to leave for Den Helder and repair wooden fishing vessels. After the Second World War, the brothers started their own shipbuilding business. In 1953 the decision was made to start building steel vessels. Six years later, Willem passed away and his sons Henk and Okke continued the business.

The oil crisis in the early 1970s was not good for business, but in 1978, when the brothers decided to enter the export market, the tide turned. The export market for fishing vessels proved promising. However, during the 1990s, when the demand for fishing vessels decreased, the newbuild activities for the Dutch navy kept the company afloat.