Obituary
On September 23rd we received the sad news that our founder Mr. Herman Barentz has passed away quietly at the age of 86.
In 1953 Mr. Barentz founded his company Barentz Chemische Grondstoffen in Amsterdam.
During the first 20 years he managed the company and built the foundation of the current enterprise. Since the seventies he has put professional management in charge of the company and throughout the years the company enjoyed steady growth. In 1989 the first foreign subsidiary was opened and since the turn of the century Barentz has continued to execute a truly pan-European strategy.
In 1990 the company moved the head office from downtown Amsterdam to the current location in Hoofddorp.
The company changed its name to Barentz Raw Materials on the one hand to do justice to the internationalization and on the other hand to stress that the company is active in many fields and notably has a leading role in the distribution of food ingredients and additives, as well as ingredients for animal nutrition, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, as well as products for the chemical industries.
At the half century jubilee celebrations of the company Mr. Barentz decided to confine his shares to a foundation that would assure the continuity and independence of the company for the future.
Today there are 23 companies in Europe and China that bear the Barentz name and the company employs over 400 people. Although the company has been managed by independent professionals for many years, Mr. Barentz always followed the company closely until the very end. He had the unique ability to learn from the past, but most of all look ahead. Putting the customer at the heart of our thinking and actions and from there looking for the next possible deal, was the fundamental lesson he had for us.
He will continue to be a lasting source of inspiration to us all.
Hidde van der Wal,
Chief Executive Officer
Barentz Europe BV