Nobel launches: own unique puzzle.

Every year, A. Nobel & Zn. looks for a creative way to convey its services, capabilities, and stories through a product, with the aim of putting a smile on the face of its relations. This year, Nobel has developed a product that literally tells the story of the company, piece by piece.

In previous years, one department often took center stage. With this puzzle, multiple parts of the company now come together in a single image. The illustration shows the broad scope of Nobel’s activities — from filtration to ship bunkering, with the diversity of the quay, to the ship equipment department and its ship store.

With this puzzle, Nobel aims to create a moment in which relations can pause for a moment. The gift reflects what Nobel is like in practice: a family-owned business that is service-focused, technically skilled, well stocked, hardworking, relationship-focused, reliable, and of course, creative. Those who start the puzzle are not just working toward a single completed picture, but gradually discover Nobel in its entirety.

The idea for the puzzle originated on the working floor itself. Initially, a modest version was considered, but the plan soon grew into a 1,000-piece puzzle — a size that allows room for details you really have to take the time to sit down for.

The images above show the first sketches that were made. Together with an Italian illustrator from Rome, Nobel worked step by step toward an illustration in which the core of the company would be clearly recognizable.

The final puzzle incorporates Nobel’s three main departments, along with the outlines of the building, the quay with its ISPS fencing, the Tubantia (the bunkering station), and one of the two bunker vessels. Several employees can also be found in the puzzle, as well as a selection of products from the assortment. Even the delivery van has been included.

Circle A:
At the bottom center, you see part of the Tubantia, Nobel’s bunkering station. On the bow, there is a small space depicting Aart Sr. Nobel. Aart Sr. is the founder of A. Nobel & Zn. He lived with his family on top of the Tubantia, although at the time the bunker station was moored at a different location. As you can see, Aart Sr. is painting — something he greatly enjoyed, preferably in his own studio at the bow of the Tubantia. This part of the puzzle takes you back in time, which is why this section has been created in black and white.

Circle B:
At the upper left of the quay, you see carts, stacks of boxes, and fully stocked shelving. This section represents, on a small scale, the logistical heart of Nobel, where thousands of filters, ship supplies, and lubricants are in constant motion every day to ensure vessels are supplied on time with what they have ordered. The warehouse itself covers more than 4,500 m², but of course there was not enough space to depict it in its entirety in the puzzle.

‍Circle C:
At the upper right of the building, behind the large windows, you see the Filtration & Separation department, where many years of expertise in everything related to filtration are brought together. There is also a table tennis table, where the team enjoys playing together during breaks, even amidst the daily hustle and bustle.

‍Circle D:
In the center of the puzzle, on the ground floor of the building, you see the counter of the ship store, where many customers stop by every day. Next to it are products that represent the ship store on a small scale. The ship store itself covers more than 500 m², but this too could not, of course, be fully represented in the puzzle aswell.

The large technical area, the LNG quay, and the inland and seagoing vessels that berth weekly had to remain outside the illustration. Within Nobel, this omission is received with a wink: who knows, perhaps a “Nobel Puzzle 2.0” will follow, giving even more of the Nobel world a place.

For everyone familiar with the location, the puzzle feels like a scaled-down version of what they see in real life. For those less familiar with the location, it offers a wonderful introduction to everything that can be found at Uilenkade 100 in Zwijndrecht. What once began as a small family business has grown over more than fifty years into the partner that fully empowers maritime organizations. The puzzle captures that development in a single image.

Would you like to receive your own puzzle and immerse yourself in Nobel's diversity for a good amount of hours? Please feel free to contact the Marketing Department via: marketing@anobel.nl

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