Meneba

Meneba is a Dutch grain-processing company whose name is an abbreviation of MEelfabrieken der NEderlandsche BAkkerij (Flour Mills of the Netherlands Bakery). It was founded in 1915 on the initiative of the Nederlandsche Bakkersbond (Dutch Bakers' Association) and the baker J.K.P. Kraan, with the aim of making bakers less dependent on private flour manufacturers who were driving up flour prices during World War I. The first cooperative flour mills, Eerste Nederlandsche Coöperatieve Meelfabrieken, began operating in 's-Hertogenbosch in August 1915, and the company was converted into a public limited company (NV) in 1916. A second factory opened in Middelburg in 1916, and in 1919 the company took over the Meelfabriek "De Maas" in Rotterdam, where it established its headquarters. After the destruction of its 's-Hertogenbosch and Middelburg plants in 1944, Meneba concentrated production in Rotterdam. By 1955 its Rotterdam mill was the largest in Western Europe, with grain silos holding 40,000 tonnes, and it supplied more than a quarter of Dutch flour demand. In 1965 it produced 30% of all flour needed in the Netherlands, with a daily output of 1,000 tonnes and 500 employees. The company expanded through acquisitions, including the Leiden mill 'De Sleutels' in 1964 and a stake in the bakery Odekerken-Marebos in 1967. From 1988 to 1997 Meneba was owned by the Australian food company Goodman Fielder, which paid about €33 million for the company. In 1992 Meneba acquired the grain division of Wessanen for €114 million, raising its Dutch market share to 60%. In the 1996–1997 financial year the group reported a net profit of €10.7 million on a turnover of €683 million. In 1997 Meneba, then employing about 2,000 people, was sold for €200 million to the investment firm CVC Capital Partners. It subsequently acquired two British flour mills, Greens Flour Mills and Robert Hutchison, and issued €33 million in new shares to three financial parties. In 1998 the holding company was renamed Maxeres, based in The Hague, with the ultimate goal of an IPO. However, parts of the business were soon sold off, including the animal feed factory Koudijs-Wouda, a 50% stake in the poultry feed group Plukon, and the bakery chain Quality Bakers (sold to Germany's Kamps). By 2000 only the flour mills remained, the company reverted to the name Meneba, and the Maxeres holding was abolished. In 2003 the workforce had fallen to 670 and turnover to €342 million. In October 2004 it was announced that Meneba would be sold to the Dutch-Belgian private equity investor Bencis, and the two British flour mills were divested. Meneba processes mainly grain, including rice, as well as oilseeds, soybeans and pulses. Its three core activities are food, animal feed ingredients, and industrial applications, the latter including biomass pellets. In 2009 it had production sites in Rotterdam, Wormerveer, Bossuit (Meneba Taelman) and Weert, with sales offices in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. It employed 450 people and had a turnover of €360 million. In December 2010 the Dutch Competition Authority (NMa) fined fifteen flour producers in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany a total of €81.6 million, of which Meneba's share was €9 million, for market-sharing and competition-restricting agreements between 2001 and 2007. On 23 May 2011 the closure of the Wormerveer plant was announced, eliminating about 160 jobs due to structural overcapacity in the Western European market. In June 2011 Bencis sold its stake in Meneba to the management via a management buy-out. In 2018 Meneba was acquired by the Belgian Dossche Mills.

Meneba was founded in 1915 as the Eerste Nederlandsche Coöperatieve Meelfabrieken, an initiative of the Nederlandsche Bakkersbond and J.K.P. Kraan, a former employee of the Stoommeelfabriek "Holland". The goal was to reduce bakers' dependence on private flour manufacturers who were raising prices during World War I. Bakers could buy a type of bond, and the cooperation of 5,000 out of 11,000 bakers was needed. On 5 July 1915 the cooperative was established, and in August a factory in 's-Hertogenbosch began operating. In 1916 the company became an NV (public limited company), with shares restricted to bakers and others who needed the factory's products. Warehouses were set up in Groningen, Alkmaar, Leiden and Zwolle. A second factory started in Middelburg in 1916. In November 1919 the Meelfabriek "De Maas" in Rotterdam, built in 1914, was taken over, and the headquarters was established there. During World War II, the 's-Hertogenbosch factory was heavily damaged in 1944 and the Middelburg factory was destroyed. Production was concentrated in Rotterdam, where the factory was expanded and converted from steam to electric power. By 1955 the Meneba mill in Rotterdam was the largest in Western Europe, with grain silos of 40,000 tonnes capacity. The company was owned by six thousand bakers and bakeries and supplied more than a quarter of Dutch flour demand annually. In 1964 Meneba acquired the Leiden flour mill 'De Sleutels', which was closed in 1988 due to overcapacity. In 1965, 30% of all flour needed in the Netherlands was produced by Meneba, amounting to 1,000 tonnes of flour per day, with 500 employees. In 1969 Meneba donated a tile decoration by Karel Appel to Erasmus University Rotterdam for its 50th anniversary and the opening of the Woudestein campus. In 1967 Meneba acquired a 25% interest in the bakery Odekerken-Marebos in Brunssum, South Limburg; the Treebeek bakery was fully taken over on 1 January 1973. From 1988 to 1997 Meneba was owned by the Australian food company Goodman Fielder, which sought access to the European market and paid about €33 million for the company. In 1992 the grain division of Wessanen was acquired for €114 million, raising Meneba's Dutch market share to 60%. In the 1996–1997 financial year the group made a net profit of €10.7 million on a turnover of €683 million. In 1997 Meneba, then employing about 2,000 people, was sold for €200 million to the investment firm CVC Capital Partners. It soon acquired two British flour mills, Greens Flour Mills and Robert Hutchison. At the end of 1997 Meneba issued €33 million in new shares to three financial parties to finance these acquisitions. Several bakeries also came into Meneba's possession. In 1998 the name Maxeres, headquartered in The Hague, was introduced for the holding, with the ultimate goal of an IPO. However, the sale of business units soon began, such as the animal feed factory Koudijs-Wouda and the 50% interest in the poultry feed group Plukon. The bakery chain Quality Bakers was sold to the German company Kamps. By 2000 only the flour mills remained, the company reverted to the name Meneba, and the Maxeres holding was abolished. In 2003 the number of employees had fallen to 670, and shortly afterwards another 50 jobs disappeared; turnover had dropped to €342 million. In October 2004 it was announced that Meneba would be sold to the Dutch-Belgian private equity investor Bencis. The two British flour mills were divested. Meneba processed mainly grain, including rice, and also oilseeds, soybeans and pulses. Its three core activities were food, animal feed ingredients, and industrial applications, the latter including biomass pellets. In 2009 Meneba had production sites in Rotterdam, Wormerveer, Bossuit (Meneba Taelman) and Weert. Sales offices were in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. The company had 450 employees and turnover of €360 million. In December 2010 the Dutch Competition Authority (NMa) imposed a fine of €81.6 million in total on fifteen flour producers in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany; Meneba's share was €9 million. In varying compositions, the companies had divided the Dutch flour market or made agreements to restrict competition. Due to stagnating flour sales, the millers divided the market between 2001 and 2007; customers were not taken over, price negotiations with customers were obstructed, and a competitor that did not participate in the cartel agreements was bought up and removed from the market. On 23 May 2011 the closure of the Wormerveer plant was announced. The reason was structural overcapacity in the Western European market. A total of about 160 jobs disappeared. In June 2011 Bencis sold its interest in Meneba to the management via a management buy-out. In 2018 Meneba was acquired by the Belgian Dossche Mills.

• 2018

  Meneba acquired by Belgian Dossche Mills.

• 2011

  Closure of Wormerveer plant announced on 23 May; Bencis sells stake to management in June.

• 2010

  Dutch Competition Authority fines Meneba €9 million as part of €81.6 million cartel penalty.

• 2009

  Production sites in Rotterdam, Wormerveer, Bossuit (Meneba Taelman) and Weert; 450 employees, €360 million turnover.

• 2004

  Announced sale to private equity investor Bencis; British mills divested.

• 2000

  Only flour mills remain; company reverts to name Meneba; Maxeres holding abolished.

• 1998

  Holding company renamed Maxeres, headquartered in The Hague.

• 1997

  Sold to CVC Capital Partners for €200 million; acquires British mills Greens Flour Mills and Robert Hutchison.

• 1992

  Acquires grain division of Wessanen for €114 million; Dutch market share rises to 60%.

• 1988

  Meneba comes under ownership of Australian food company Goodman Fielder; Leiden mill 'De Sleutels' closed.

• 1973

  Full takeover of Treebeek bakery on 1 January.

• 1969

  Donates Karel Appel tile decoration to Erasmus University Rotterdam.

• 1967

  Acquires 25% interest in bakery Odekerken-Marebos in Brunssum.

• 1965

  Meneba produces 30% of all flour needed in the Netherlands, 1,000 tonnes per day, with 500 employees.

• 1964

  Acquisition of Leiden flour mill 'De Sleutels'.

• 1955

  Rotterdam mill is the largest in Western Europe, with 40,000-tonne grain silos.

• 1944

  's-Hertogenbosch factory heavily damaged and Middelburg factory destroyed; production concentrated in Rotterdam.

• 1919

  Takeover of Meelfabriek "De Maas" in Rotterdam; headquarters established there.

• 1916

  Company converted into an NV; second factory started in Middelburg.

• 1915

  Eerste Nederlandsche Coöperatieve Meelfabrieken founded on 5 July; factory in 's-Hertogenbosch starts in August.

A major Dutch flour and grain processor, historically one of the largest in Western Europe, now part of Dossche Mills.

• Flour

• Grain-based food ingredients

• Animal feed ingredients

• Industrial grain applications

• Biomass pellets

• Rice processing

• Oilseeds, soybeans and pulses

1. 1Meneba - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Meneba - Wikipedia (Dutch)nl.wikipedia.org