Starting in 1961 the main fairway was dredged, new shore works and harbour embankments were constructed, areas were heightened and the harbour basin and shores were built. The Royal Company Schelde is the first company to ground in the Sloe area with repair yard Scheldepoort. The strategically located position of the new established yard outside the city of Flushing in the Sloe harbour (industrial area), near the major North Sea shipping routes in the center of the ARA-ports, is for most seagoing vessels easily accessible.
The build took place from spring 1961 until mid 1964. The design was made by engineering agency Ir. F.C. de Weger in Rotterdam, contractor Verstoep and building company Brederos were in charge of construction. Royal Company Schelde was involved in building drydocks, the delivery of materials and the construction of dock doors, pipelines in dock galeries and shore tunnels, stairs and emergency stairs.
From the start The Royal Schelde Group was known for building navy vessels. Due to the economic crisis in the thirties the Schelde was forced to focus on other markets as well. For example they started a division that built airplanes in Dordrecht and Flushing: the sports plane S.12. In 1954 this division was taken over by Fokker whereas the division airplane building in Flushing was closed. Throughout the years The Royal Company Schelde not only focussed on the navy vessels but on the civil ship market as well. The building of particularly big vessels for navy and patrol purposes is the most important activity these days.
Famous all over the world and employer of approximately 4.000 employees. The Royal Schelde Group had many families working there, grandfathers, fathers and sons, uncles and nephews. In the city of Flushing there was a whole area of houses built just for the employees of the company. All companies from the Royal Schelde Group were located in Flushing or nearby. The companies specialized in building generators, boilers, steam turbines, shipparts, engineering and steelwork.
In the nineties the company could barely survive and in the year 2000 Damen Shipyards bought the company for one guilder. Companies were separated and made responsible for gaining profit. Since 2001 Scheldepoort is self-supporting and proved to be able to do business profitably with the knowledge and experience built up in the years before.