Katoen Natie: a valuable addition to Dutch Limburg

LIOF and Katoen Natie

Kristof Geraerts (commercial director) and Marc Rompelberg (transport manager) of Katoen Natie say:

"We provide our customers with customized solutions. For a chemical company, for example, we can not only transport the products, but also add value by packaging, grinding or compounding them. In addition, we build our own specialized warehouses. This allows us to set them up as efficiently as possible for our customers. This allows us to relieve our customers. It allows them to focus completely on their own primary process." 

Katoen Natie stays with the times
Founded in 1854, the company has no trouble keeping up with the times. "We continuously look at what our customers need. For example, we focus on niche markets, including bulk and liquid transportation, and we take over parts of the production process. 

But we also focus on sustainability. We recently renewed our fleet of trucks. All our trucks meet the Euro 6 standard. And our warehouses are equipped with solar panels. As a result, our forklifts run on electricity that we generate ourselves."  

Katoen Natie and Dutch-Limburg: a perfect match
Since 2013, Katoen Natie has established itself in Dutch-Limburg. And in 2015, Katoen Natie acquired the Limburg transport company Langen. But why Dutch-Limburg in the first place? Kristof explains, "We are mainly in Antwerp. But the possibilities for expansion there are limited and the traffic jam problem is growing rapidly. In Dutch Limburg we now have a branch in Born, among other places. The water connection between Antwerp, Rotterdam and Born is excellent. So we can avoid the roads around Antwerp. We still get to our customers quickly, creating the ideal gateway to the east." 

The Dutch-Limburg market is also perfect for Katoen Natie. "We have 14 hectares of land on the Chemelot site. We are big in the chemical industry. By establishing ourselves on this site, we can help our existing customers even better and support their production even better. And we are also more attractive to new customers this way, of course."

"The cooperation with LIOF was fast and accurate. Bert knows and manages his files very well."
 

LIOF helped Katoen Natie settle in Dutch Limburg
Bert Roona, Foreign Investment Manager at LIOF, introduced Katoen Natie to Dutch-Limburg. Kristof and Marc: "Bert brought us into contact with the local authorities and other important organizations in Dutch Limburg. So we quickly learned which laws and regulations we had to comply with."

Bert also says: "Katoen Natie is an important player in Dutch Limburg in the field of chemistry and logistics. And all in a sustainable way. Sustainability is an important theme for LIOF. It is part of the major social challenges we face regionally, but also nationally and internationally. Katoen Natie contributes to the social impact we want to make. But Katoen Natie is also an important economic player in and outside Dutch Limburg. That's why we think it's important that the company gets more exposure in the region."

"Connections are necessary"
Want to expand your business into new territory? Then Kristof has a tip: "It is important to build contacts. For example, with local authorities and other companies. After all, every area has its own culture, rules and laws. The better you know these, the better you can establish yourself as a company." 

A valuable addition for Dutch Limburg
LIOF's support has been successful, because Katoen Natie is getting more and more face in the province. Marc says: "We show companies in the area what we have to offer. And they are often pleasantly surprised. We can do much more than they expect of us. I notice that because of this we are gaining a bigger name in Dutch Limburg. And I expect that to only increase in the coming years."

This testimonial is from October 2020.
Photography: Ron Wiersma, Maastricht (ronwiersma.nl)