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......Ulrich...NV...(Holland)........

De Zwitsere Patisserie Ulrich NV

(The Swiss Pastisserie Ulrich NV)

The company's founder Christoph Ulrich, was born in Switzerland in 1759. As a young baker he worked in many countries before buying a bakery and making his home in Rotterdam in 1786. In the early years of the twentieth century his firm established more bakeries in the centre and west of Rotterdam and in 1923 on the Straatweg at Hillegersberg.

Ulrich continued producing high quality cakes for over 30 years. In 1956 the company became part of the Sitos, the largest bakers and confectioners in the Netherland's. Nine years later (1965) the group decided to separate its different functions and Ulrich became specialists in the mechanised cake market operating from their factory in Rotterdam. In June 1969 J. Lyons acquired 51% holding of Ulrich NV who by now had become Holland's leading brand in the mass cake market. Lyons had not chosen Ulrich because of its size but because it had great potential, offering a springboard into Europe for the Lyons branded cakes. It also had an excellent distribution system. Of Ulrich's 22 salesmen, 6 were based in Rotterdam. Ulrich also had depots in Den Haag and Amsterdam. The Company was renamed Lyons Bakkerijen NV.

In March 1973 a 99 per cent stake was obtained in Hooimeijer en Zonen NV whose factory and offices were located at Barendrecht to the south of Rotterdam. Founded in 1905 the small bakery had grown through the years into a modern factory with three plants and a capacity of a million packets of rusks a week. At this time, approximately 55 per cent of production was exported with one of the major markets being the UK. The company was one of Holland's largest producers of rusks. In 1959 Hooimeijer had acquired the Royal Haust Factories (they had received their Royal Warrant in 1924). After acquisition Haust specialised in various types of toast and were brand leaders in the Dutch market. The brand Haust was retained and used by Hooimeijer, not only because it was easier to pronounce than Hooimeijer, but because the brand had a well-established reputation.

In May 1973 Lyons acquired the very old Dutch cake business of Jb. Bussink's Koninklijke Deventer Koekfabrieken BV which celebrated its 400 year history in 1993. Bussink was world famous for its Deventer honey cake. The company was founded in 1593 in the city of Deventer from which the cake takes its name. Johan Schutte and his brother Gerrit had been admitted to the Dutch baking guild at this time and set up their bakery in 1593. The business prospered during the next 300 years and continued to be owned and operated by succeeding generations of the family. In 1886 the Schutte bakery was bought by another Deventer baking business which had been founded in 1820 by Jacob Bussink. At the time it was owned by Lyons, it was the only company making the famous Deventer cake and one of the few companies in Holland which could justifiably lay claim to a 400-year history.

In June 1973 Hooimeijer bought the entire issued share capital of Koek-en Banketfabrieken A. H. O. BV and so another Dutch bakery came into the Group. A. H. O., Haust and Bussink were the major brands of the Dutch baking companies.

'See European Companies also'.

 

© Peter Bird 2004


Courtesy: De Blikkenparade website 

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