HUDIG, The Company

It’s all started in 1795…

The history of Hudig Veder & Dammers dates back to 1795, when mr Jan Hudig and his brother-in-law Mr Blokhuyzen founded Hudig & Blokhuyzen.  The company served originally as a liner agent, but by 1829 was in possession of ships of its own.  Mr Jan Hudig was well-connected internationally, as is seen by his 1818 appointment to be Lloyd’s agent in Rotterdam.  John Hudig & Son still holds this agency, but is since 1993 not longer related to Hudig Veder & Dammers.

Mr Jan Hudig decided that his grandson Pieter Dzn would not become a partner in Hudig & Blokhuyzen, because he had just become an insurance broker and therefore had other means of income.  Pieter Dzn still wanted to get involved in shipping and therefore founded his own shipping company, Hudig & Pieters in 1856, together with the head of administration of Hudig & Blokhuyzen, Mr Pieters. This company was a competitor of Hudig & Blokhuyzen and the action of Pieter Dzn was not appreciated by the family. In reaction, and to strengthen its own base further, Hudig & Blokhuyzen joined forces with Mr J.R. Veder in 1857. Mr Blokhuyzen had in the meantime retired.

Starting in 1903 the firm traded under the name of Hudig & Veder. Hudig & Veder grew in proficiency in the new century and pursued a wide range of activities, including ship owning and agency, forwarding, travel and chartering. Eventually new partners were added: the Fontein family.

Hudig & Pieters also enjoyed success as liner agents and forwarders. In 1970 Hudig & Pieters was aken over by Dammers (founded 1945), a company focused on ship owning. In 1989 the well-know, reefer-pool operator Seatrade of Groningen bought out the Dammers group. This new conglomerate embraced two main activities: the reefer trade business (Seatrade) and the agency and forwarding business (Dammers). In 1994 Hudig & Veder and the Dammers group merged into a new company called Hudig Veder & Dammers. Via this merger Hudig & Pieters had compe back to its original founding company.

HUDIG FREIGHT SERVICES TODAY

In the beginning of 2006 the group was divided in two holding companies, Hudig & Veder, for the (Maritime) activities Bulk Forwarding/Chartering/Agencies and Hudig Freight Services Nederland for the activities Forwarding/NVOCC/Logistics & Warehousing.

Followed by the participation of the "Van der Helm Transport Groep" in Hudig Freight Services Nederland. Reason for the cooperation is the mutual wish of both companies to anticipate on today's consolidation battle in the logistics market. Both companies focus on worldwid transportation of products by all available modalities, completed by direct related activities such as: warehousing, NVOCC, value added logistics and customs facilities.

By combining both groups, the company strengthens itself through the direct connection on the well-developed worldwide network of own offices and partners and the European road transport activities as well as the combined warehousing capacity, resulting in a stronger position in the market of European Distribution activities.