We have to search for Arnold Miedema for a moment when we look for him on Industrieweg in Harlingen. It turns out he isn't sitting at his desk, but is out on the factory floor. We conduct the interview in a small office high up in the production hall. In our view, it is hardly used, and certainly not by Arnold. He prefers to be among his people. That is where the work gets done. And that work is special.
In Harlingen, at the Hermes industrial estate, excavators are being converted from diesel to electric. Serial production, efficiently, and with a growing team of skilled workers from the Northwest Friesland region.
Arnold himself comes from 't Bildt. He lives in Sint Annaparochie and doesn't want to be anywhere else. According to his LinkedIn profile, he is a technical specialist and team leader; he calls himself a working foreman, but immediately adds: “I consider it my own.” That is not an empty statement. It is an attitude.
Staad is a family business from Veghel. Founded in 2013, it has grown steadily since then. The company builds electric earthmoving machines and now also develops electric machines under its own brand and name: STAAD. The history of this company goes back nearly 100 years; you can read more about this on the Staad website .
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Staad was looking for space. Not just physical space, but also room to grow. Several options were on the table. Locations scattered throughout the country. It was no coincidence that the choice ultimately fell on Northwest Friesland. First in Franeker, and six months later, the site of the former Harlingen Shipyard came into view. A beautiful location for a new business premises—though one that still needed to be renovated at the time. Moreover, it turned out there was something in Friesland that was perhaps even more important than square meters: the right people with the right attitude.
Demi Hendriks, a member of the marketing and communications team at Staad and also present at the interview, explains why Northwest Friesland was so attractive: “Technical personnel are virtually impossible to find in the Brabant Brainport region. Competition among employers there is enormous. In Northwest Friesland, however, the situation turned out to be different. Moreover, there are customers in the north who deserve the same service as customers in the south. A permanent production location in the north makes that possible.”
Arnold explains how fast it all happened: “Within six months, the team in Franeker grew from two to ten. All from the region. By now, twenty people are working in Harlingen.” One employee made the switch from Veghel: Anke. She works with full conviction in our beautiful region, but is still looking for a home. The staffing issue and the housing issue really converge here. “We are all looking for a home for Anke!”
“I say it like it is and don’t beat around the bush.” That suits Arnold. It also suits Staad. And remarkably enough, it suits Friesland too. Both Arnold and Demi acknowledge it with a smile. In Brabant, people work down-to-earth and speak straight to the point. In Northwest Friesland, too. The distance between Veghel and Harlingen is about two hundred kilometers. The mentality? It is remarkably similar.
At Staad, there are no hierarchies. The director joins the barbecue on the premises. A conversation with a mechanic feels the same as a conversation with the boss. That sense of family runs deep. It is not a marketing term, but an everyday reality. “I breathe Staad,” others tell me.
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Excavators are being converted in the hall. Diesel out, electric in. That sounds simple, but it requires precision and an overview. Not everyone can see the entire process at a glance. Arnold can. He sees where to start, what needs to be done in between, and when the machine is finished. That is rare. That is why he was tipped off and eventually asked.
The electrification process is described step-by-step in a workshop manual. Arnold calls it a technical Lego book. Every step is included. Anyone with a technical mind who enjoys working with their hands can get started here quickly.
However, growth is reaching its limits. Technical companies in the region are all fishing in the same pond. Demand now exceeds supply. Staad wants to hire another twenty people in Harlingen. Visibility is needed for that. “But advertising here isn't something that can be arranged quickly.” That is precisely why the company already presented itself to two thousand students at the Tech- and EcoWIJZER. “Hopefully, those young people will remember the name Staad when they are looking for an internship or their first job,” says Arnold. “Or later simply because they want to know what is being produced in their own region.”
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When you buy an electric excavator from Staad, you are not just buying a machine. The entire process is included. From charging infrastructure to advice on subsidies. From power solutions to on-site service, or service at the location where the machine is operating. Does a customer have a voltage surge problem on their business premises? Then a stand-alone Powerbox battery pack from Staad can offer a solution. It can be used for multiple purposes simultaneously. Not only in earthmoving machines, but also as a separate energy buffer.
That makes Staad unique in the market. And that makes the facility in Harlingen more than just a factory. It is not only a service point for the region, but for the entire North.
In mid-2026, the first in-house electric excavator will roll out of the hall in Harlingen. The STAAD 17W was developed entirely in-house. The STAAD 23LCR will follow at the end of this year.
In ten years, Arnold wants to start winding down, but he isn't thinking about quitting yet. He wants to bring a successor along in the work then. “That’s how we do it in a family business,” he says, nodding in agreement to Demi.
At the end of the conversation, Arnold and Demi say goodbye with one word: “Houdoe”. That is Brabant dialect for: take care. In Harlingen, it already sounds like home.
This article was published by Het Goud van Noordwest
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