DSM to relocate head office from Heerlen to Maastricht

Announced last week, the firm intend to relocate to Maastricht’s Wyck district in the city centre, where a historic monument and a cinema -will be renovated to give them a new life and a new purpose.

“DSM’s new head office is more than a new building: it’s an inspiring, healthy and open place that will be stylishly integrated in the environment and the community around it,”​ explains Geraldine Matchett and Dimitri de Vreeze, DSM’s Co-CEOs.

“We’re looking forward to providing a positive working environment for employees and visitors, with wellbeing and sustainability at the heart.”​

100 years+ in Heerlen​

Heerlen has been DSM’s home since 1902, where the it has been the head office since 1985. According to the firm, the site was considered for renovation but ultimately a move to the Limburg province’s capital made sounder business sense.

“We are strong in food and animal nutrition in Switzerland and Austria,”​ de Vreeze told netherlandsnewslive.com.

“But the Netherlands is important, because half of our research and development comes from the Netherlands. And we still want to stick to our roots, De Staatsmijnen.”​

Key to their decision not to re-open the Sittard-based office has been the effects of the ongoing pandemic, where DSM said “Building a new head office on the designated plot in Maastricht is a great long-term solution, facilitating the company’s hybrid way of working.​

BREEAM standards ​

DSM added the highest sustainability standards (BREEAM) in the design and construction of the office, which will be energy neutral, would be implemented.

The user experience and DSM’s hybrid working principles form the basis of the design, they said.

With 186 office locations across 46 countries, the new head office will be ‘an integral part of DSM’s connected network of global business and R&D headquarters, regional head offices, (home) offices and manufacturing locations.’​

Mayor of Heerlen, Roel Wever expressed disappointment at DSM’s departure adding, “For more than a century, DSM) has been a beacon of trust for our city and the entire mining region. ​

“The company, for which Heerlen residents have rolled up their sleeves for years under very difficult circumstances, remained Heerlen as location is always faithful and that was something to be proud of. ​

“Frankly, we find the fact that this band is now being broken is very disappointing."​