Gebr. van den Eijnden in the Netherlands is 125 years old this year. The current owner and CEO, Peter Lauret, took over the business from the third generation of the family in 2007.
“We are very proud to achieve this milestone,” Peter said. “We are proud of our people and organisation and proud of our loyal customers and partners. Without them we would not be where we are today.”
The business was started in 1898 by Hendrik van den Eijnden in Eindhoven, moving goods for people from the local streetcar station to the railway. It invested in its own premises in the early 1920s and its first moving vehicle in 1927. This, however, was requisitioned by the Germans during World War II and transported to Germany.
The company really began to prosper in the 1950s and parted, in the 1960s, with its last horses. In the mid 60s the third generation took over the company: the brothers Ad, Frans and Henk. Henk left the company in 1972 to start his own business.
In 2007 Peter Lauret took over the company from Ad and Frans. In 2009 Peter also bought Henk’s company from him.
The business today
Today the turnover is split 50/50 between transport and removals. Peter said that, in the past the company was dependent on a small number of customers, but that has now changed. “During the last 15 years we have spread this out over many more ‘new’ customers,” he explained. “We have seen removal volumes decrease in recent years with new activities, such as warehousing, taking its place.
The company still uses the family name, as it is a well-known name in the region. “But although it is no longer a real family business, we do try to pursue the security and safety of a family business,” said Peter. “For me it is very important that all employees enjoy their work, and that we also give them responsibility. Core values within the company are respect and integrity, which is also very important between employees. In addition, we have an ‘open’ culture, in which everyone is accountable for his or her discipline.”
Asked what makes his company special, Peter acknowledged that it’s hard for a company to stand out in the moving business ...
Photo: Peter Lauret.