"We believe in chain collaboration. Without our growers we have no trade and without our trade we have no customers. We do it together and between us we function as 'The Potato Specialist"," said Adrie Kleinjan at the Kleinjan Aardappelhandel Open Day in Goudswaard on Friday. Over 1,000 visitors were present to celebrate the 40th anniversary and to take a look in the new building, which includes cooling cells and a new shipping space with dock shelters.
Adrie took those present into the history of the potato trade, which started in 1962 when 11-year-old Jaap Kleinjan went round houses with fruits and vegetables and the same motto used today: Don't go home until the cart is empty. When he was 18 he started selling potatoes, and started sorting and selling to greengrocers in 1975. In 1976 he sold potatoes intended for export for the first time.
Founder Jaap Kleinjan
In 1977 business was going so well, a location to extend trading was sought together with brother Piet Kleinjan. It was found in Goudswaard at the Zoudoordseweg where multiple expansion followed over the next few decades. The current director recalled all the mile stones of the last 40 years in a nutshell, with all the bad alongside the good, such as the harvest of September 1998, which literally sank after 180 mm of rain over two nights, and the deaths of the co-founder and colleagues.
Adrie Kleinjan
New building
"Luckily we have continued to grow throughout the years. Last we received a permit to extend our company by 3,500 m2. In this new building there is space for loose and box storage, machines and a shipping space. We really needed this space to help along our increasing sales to the domestic market, the export, the chip industry and the speciality market," says Adrie, who thanked both the customers, growers and the employees for the collaboration over the last 40 years.
Those present had the opportunity to look at the company, visit the strands of the suppliers and take a look at Kleinjan's own trial field next to the location, where around 100 varieties are shown. Of course, this was all whilst enjoying the necessary snacks and drinks.
Click here for the photo report
For more information:Kleinjan's aardappelhandel
Zuidoordseweg 6
3267 LW Goudswaard
Tel.: 0031 (0) 186-692900
Fax.: 0031 (0) 186-691491
info@kleinjansaardappelhandel.nl
www.kleinjansaardappelhandel.nl