About us

Starting in 1913, Sjoerd Wouda made a fresh start with the company NIF, rebranding it as N.V. Nederlandsche Instrumenten- en Electrische Apparatenfabriek (NIEAF). NIEAF produced panel meters, converters, and portable measuring instruments for electrical installations in the industrial sector.

The factory outgrew its original premises and relocated in 1918 to a new site, which was expanded further in 1928 and 1938. Under Wouda’s leadership, the company shifted toward the production of increasingly specialized products and successfully met the demands of a growing market with a continuous stream of new measuring instruments.

NIEAF experienced rapid growth after the Second World War. While the contributed capital in 1918 was still 14,500 guilders, by 1942 it had increased to half a million guilders, and in 1948 the share capital was doubled to one million guilders. This reflected strong confidence in a prosperous future. To handle the increasing workload, the factory was expanded in 1948, 1953, and again in 1962.

The factory outgrew its original premises and relocated in 1918 to a new site, which was further expanded in 1928 and 1938. Under Wouda’s leadership, the company moved toward the production of increasingly specialized products and managed to serve the growing market with a continuous stream of new measuring instruments.

In 1984, Nieaf acquired the company Smitt. Smitt, also based in Utrecht, specialized in the development and production of electrical switching components, such as relays. After the merger, the company continued under the name Nieaf-Smitt.

In 1996, the companies Nieaf-Smitt and Mors merged to form Mors Smitt. The brand name Nieaf-Smitt has been retained to this day. Through various acquisitions, the Nieaf-Smitt brand has been owned since 2019 by the Ede-based company Wabtec Netherlands BV, a subsidiary of the publicly listed American corporation Wabtec.