30 years of successful cooperation in partnership
Technisch Bureau Hazewinkel, Netherlands, and Grothe Rohstoffe GmbH & Co. KG, Germany, are celebrating 30 years of their cooperation in partnership.
Their cooperation was sealed on 1 April 1984 with a handshake between Martin Grothe, Managing Director at Grothe Rohstoffe GmbH, and Herbert Jander († 2002), the then owner of Technisch Bureau Hazewinkel.
At that time Grothe was already making a range of products under the name Redox for the surface finishing of clay bricks and roofing tiles. The core business then, however, was the sale of various ceramic raw materials, which also included the European representation for manganese clay from the Schottenbach pit. This material was regularly supplied to several customers in the Netherlands so that Martin Grothe, as managing director of the company, travelled to the Netherlands at least twice a month to look after his customers there. Trade with raw materials thrived but when it came to Grothe’s own products, there lacked the spark to ignite demand in the Netherlands. More by chance, during a visit to the Kleidakpannen Nederland BV brickworks in Woerden in early 1984, Martin Grothe was introduced to name of Herbert Jander from Technisch Bureau Hazewinkel.
Herbert Jander was already representing two well-known German manufacturers, Keller and Händle, and was known in the industry as a reliable contact, sufficient reason for Martin Grothe to arrange a meeting with him. The two got together in Utrecht and soon came to an agreement. So on 1 April of the same year, the foundation was laid for this cross-border success story, which continues to this day.
To begin with, Technisch Bureau Hazewinkel supported Grothe in the sale and distribution of raw materials. In the course of the following years, however, the partnership grew to include the Redox and Gronat products for clinker products. Grothe developed and produced a steadily wider palette of colours, and Technisch Bureau Hazewinkel stewarded every step, beginning with the first presentation of the products to the customers, through industrial trials up until the products were ready for production.
Sharing its in-depth know-how, Technisch Bureau Hazewinkel remains an indispensable partner for Grothe. In the meantime, the cooperation between the two companies is continued in the second generation. The customers in the Netherlands really appreciate the on-site serve and hands-on mentality of Heike Claus-Jander, who is skilfully running the business founded by her father.
