Family Meilink
Meilink is one of the oldest family-owned businesses in the Netherlands, celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2024. Originally founded by Derk Hendrik Meilink, his son Albert Meilink and son-in-law Frederik van Dassen as Stoomzagerij en Houthandel Meilink & van Dassen in 1874, the Borculo-based company sawed planks of oak from the surrounding estates for local carpenters. The last Meilink was grandson Derk Hendrik who died in an accident in 1945.
Family Burr
In 1946, Frits Braam took over the B. Meilink firm with three people employed at the time, which was joined a few years later by his brother Wim Braam. With the very first packaging job in 1948, the Braam brothers shifted the emphasis from sawing to the production of boxes and packaging of goods. They established contacts with industry in Hengelo. In addition to Stork, Holland Signal, Dikkers and Bamshoeven, Fokker and Werkspoor in Amsterdam also ordered packaging from Meilink. This was the beginning of the development into the Meilink of today. In the late 1960s, Meilink expanded to the Borculo industrial area.
Rikken family
In 1988, Wim Braam and Jacques Rikken took over Meilink, after which Jacques Rikken became sole owner in 1993. In the meantime, the workforce had grown to 140. With the arrival of Jacques Rikken, Meilink began to focus not only on wood but also on cartonage, and in addition to industrial packaging, Meilink increasingly became a logistics service provider and forwarder. From the mid-1980s to the late 1990s, the company grew strongly through acquisitions and expansions in Boxmeer, Schijndel, Raamsdonksveer and Rotterdam. Then another expansion took place in Edam in 2009. Since 2012, Peter Rikken has been director/owner of Meilink after serving on the board with his father Jacques for a number of years.
Sustainability in the chain
Sustainability is a chain-wide concept. It is about the relationship with our employees, our customers, our suppliers and our environment. It is also about energy, the use of sustainable materials and the prevention of waste and unnecessary waste.
Meilink believes in a future with renewable energy, such as wind and solar power, because extracting energy from fossil fuels is finite. And that end is in sight. That is why we are committed to renewable energy on all fronts.
By investing in sustainability now, we realize demonstrably lower costs over time, both economically and socially. Treating people, our planet and our company with care: for us, People, Planet, Profit is chain-wide commitment to continuity and the future.
Locally represented
We are a global player in your neighborhood. With eight offices in the Netherlands, we have extensive expertise in all kinds of fields. But we speak your language when it comes to projects. Local presence also means that you have access to all our services and solutions through your regular advisor. Even if they are not at all local. We are a large but accessible organization. Transparent and approachable, that's what we're all about.