G.J. Nijhuis started his career as a folder at a steam bleaching plant in Boekelo, the Netherlands. But his technical passion soon led him to become a mechanic-fitter at a machine factory and foundry in Enschede. On April 5 1904, he co-founded Machine Factory Wolf & Nijhuis with Th. De Wolf, before establishing his own machine shop in Winterswijk in 1912. During the First World War, he pioneered the suction gas engines and ventured into the production of lightweight combustion engines. In 1917, his shop expanded with the addition of a foundry, and in the 1920s, he began production of slaughterhouse equipment and gas oven fittings for gas plants.

A year later, Nijhuis Pompen clinched another substantial contract from Egypt. The Alexandria water utility urgently required thirty vertical pumps and spare parts to address issues in their water supply system. Valued at 7 million Dutch guilders, this order marked a significant milestone.

In 1989 we started with our service activities in Winterswijk, leading to the opening of our first service center in Beverwijk. The expansion continued In 1991, with the establishment of Nijhuis Fire Protection, marking our entry into the realm of major contractors, sprinkler contractors and oil & gas companies.

In 1992, we secured a multimillion-dollar contract for firefighting units for Elf Oil Company, followed by a record-breaking order in 1995 from China for a water purification plant in Nanchang. By 1998, we had secured an order for a testing basin in Wageningen, where we produced our largest propeller pumps to date. Moreover in this year, we invested in a new foundry equipped with three electromagnetic ovens boasting higher efficiency. This move doubled our company's casting capacity.