Co-packing company Diepvries Urk is encompassed by almost a century’s worth of experience connected to the Dutch fishing sector. Now, with the fourth generation taking the helm, the company is rearing to grow. CEO Hendrik van Veen explained more, in an exclusive interview. Report by Imogen Ward.
Diepvries Urk was established in 1928 by the van Veen family in response to the growing needs of local fishermen.
“My great-grandfather started the company in 1928,” said CEO Hendrik van Veen. “Back then, the business was centred around the manufacture of giant ice blocks for cold closets. He made them for households, restaurants and anyone who needed refrigeration. He also produced these blocks for the local fishing vessels so they could keep their produce fresh.”
Building a business
From there, Diepvries expanded production, adding ice cubes to its portfolio, and once Urk became connected to mainland
Netherlands, the company began exporting these cubes across the entirety of Europe.
As time progressed, so did technology. Fridges were invented and the fishing vessels invested in their own cooling systems and ice machines. As a result, Diepvries’ ice production began to dwindle, and the company needed to evolve.
The van Veen family noticed an increasing popularity of frozen fish, worldwide. Inspired by this trend, the company took on a new challenge and began freezing fish products.
“Initially, we were using very basic methods that involved iron plates, trolleys and a freezer,” explained Mr van Veen. “This method took so much work, and it really inspired my family to find a better solution. We became one of the first companies in
the village of Urk to use a freezing belt – this was the first automatic system dedicated to freezing whole and filleted fish.”
From here, the company continued to innovate and improve its freezing process, and today is known as a leading producer of frozen fish products.
Diepvries is also committed to ensuring a sustainable production. As an expert in freezing produce, the company relies on a production line that is consistently and
continuously kept at below freezing temperatures. To accommodate this energy requirement, Diepvries relies on an air source heat pump to capture any heat from its production lines. This energy is then reutilised in its offices and canteens.
A family affair
Each generation of van Veen has left a mark on the co-packing company, adding crucial changes to its capabilities. Now,
with the fourth generation of van Veen officially on board, the company is busy evolving once more.
“The business has always been a big part of our family, and from the moment my siblings and I could help, we would,” said Mr van Veen. “Although we have been involved in the company for many years, the fourth generation was officially integrated into the business in September last year.
“My oldest brother is a truck driver; my youngest brother is Chief of a production
line, and my father is still very much involved in the business. We are a no-nonsense family, and we work hard to get things done. That same sentiment is reflected in all of Diepvries’ employees.
“As the fourth generation of van Veen, we have been keen to leave our mark on the company. From the get-go, I introduced a new logo and branding, which I felt was an incredibly important first step. We were also inspired to expand our co-packing services to other non-fish related products.
As a result, we now package mozzarella sticks, onion rings, chicken products and snacks. This was a great initiative, because it brought in a lot of new volume to our factory – we were no longer relying solely on fish products.”
This strategic portfolio development has had a domino effect on Diepvries’ future plans – inspiring another important growth milestone.
Generational growth
Thanks to Diepvries’ renowned reputation and its ever-increasing capabilities, the company has witnessed several years of impressive growth. Over the last four years, the company successfully doubled its turnover and, as a result, has decided to expand its physical presence.
“We need to accommodate our evolving portfolio and our increased
demand by investing in new operating space,” commented Mr van Veen. “To achieve this, we have developed several potential plans.
“We are really pushing for this development, with construction targeted to begin before the end of this year. The expansion will be completed with our environmental commitments in mind, and we intend to install solar panels on the roof to be as self-sufficient as possible.”
Diepvries anticipates its new production space will be operational by the end of 2025. The new space will be utilised for logistics – primarily storing clients’ pallets – as well as an additional breading line. Already producing for the convenience market, Diepvries has plenty of experience with breading products. So, the company
felt confident in its ability to extend this area of production.
“We have witnessed a growing demand from clients on the production side, asking about breading and pre-frying,” said Mr van Veen. “We are already doing some breading, but it is on a small scale, and pre-frying is an element that we have never dabbled in before, but we were excited to give it a go.
“It was really the most logical next step for us to take and will really enhance our offering as a co-packer.”
As it continues to explore this market further, the company is grateful for the high-quality produce of its suppliers. Without them, it simply would not have any business. The company also relies heavily on its employees, who are dedicated
to ensuring this quality is maintained throughout the entire production process.
“We have a really important role to play in our clients’ value chain,” Mr van Veen said, in conclusion. “So, we must trust our employees in their ability to get the best produce out onto the shelves.
“We are also concentrating our efforts on becoming an all-round production partner for our clients. Being able to successfully handle the production and the logistics is a crucial combination, if you ask me, because a lot of our customers don’t have both a logistics department and their own production space. We will continue provide that assistance, whilst also working hard to implement new processes that will help make the lives of our clients that much easier.” n
