Van Gelder Zonen

Van Gelder Zonen is the historical Dutch paper-making house whose mill at Velsen-Noord, on the North Sea Canal, became Crown Van Gelder B.V. The site has produced paper since 1896, when Pieter Smidt van Gelder founded a newsprint factory as part of Van Gelder Zonen. Over the twentieth century the operation added pulp and wood-pulp plants, a sulphite cellulose plant, new paper machines and, in 1974, a paper-recycling facility. After the parent company's bankruptcy in 1981 and the loss of 540 jobs, Crown Van Gelder was formed in 1983 from the bankrupt estate of Van Gelder Papier with 260 employees, initially producing uncoated, wood-free fine paper on one machine and, from 1987, on two. Crown Van Gelder was listed on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange from 1985 until 2015. In 2014 the foreign investment group Andlinger & Company made a €24 million offer for the company, and the takeover was completed in 2015, ending the stock listing. The mill employed 280 people and produced 208,000 tonnes of paper in 2014, making specialty papers for graphic and industrial uses. Since 2009 annual production hovered just above 200,000 tonnes, and while revenue was fairly stable, the company did not always close the financial year with a profit. On 23 January 2023 Crown Van Gelder filed for bankruptcy, citing higher raw-material and energy prices combined with a fall in orders and a shortage of liquid funds. More than 250 employees worked at the company, and 90% of turnover was earned outside the Netherlands. Its specialty papers included ice-cream packaging, paper for luxury shopping bags and inkjet printing. Within two weeks of the bankruptcy ruling, the trustees reported several serious candidates, Dutch and foreign, interested in taking over CVG. On 10 February 2023 it was announced that the American company EPAC Technologies would take over the paper producer in Velsen, willing to invest in the factory and retain all CVG employees. The name was changed to Crown van Gelder International, with EPAC as largest shareholder holding 80% and the trustees the remaining 20%. Today the successor brand, trading as Crown Van Gelder, presents itself under the slogan "Changing the world of paper" and markets papers for publishing, promotional, transactional, packaging and technical specialties. Its portfolio includes Crown Native, a paper made with sugar-beet pulp from Dutch soil, and the Crown Letsgo inkjet range. In November 2025, Bol.com chose Crown Native for a special activity section in its Grote Speelgoedboek, printed on paper made with sugar-beet pulp, a residual stream from sugar production.

The site at Velsen-Noord on the North Sea Canal has been producing paper since 1896, when Pieter Smidt van Gelder founded a newsprint factory as part of Van Gelder Zonen. A cellulose plant followed in 1901, a wood-pulp plant in 1908 and a sulphite cellulose plant in 1911. After the crisis of the 1930s, a new newsprint machine was commissioned in 1937. The factory suffered damage and looting during the Second World War and had to be restarted in 1945; only in 1948 was the supply of raw materials back to normal. A new paper machine arrived in 1956, and the cellulose factories closed in 1958. In 1963 the company entered a collaboration with the American Crown Zellerbach Corp. in the field of punch-card board. In 1974 a paper-recycling plant was opened (Van Gelder Recycling). Numerous restructurings followed, and in 1981 the parent company went bankrupt; 540 people were dismissed. Newsprint production was transferred to Renkum, a paper mill that became the property of Norske Skog. Crown Van Gelder was formed in 1983 from the bankrupt estate of Van Gelder Papier with 260 employees, producing uncoated, wood-free fine paper. Initially this was done on one paper machine and from 1987 on two. In 1985 the company was listed on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange. As a small producer, Crown Van Gelder explored possibilities for cooperation with other market players. In early October 2014 Andlinger & Company, a foreign investment group, made an offer of €24 million for Crown Van Gelder; at the same time it was reported that 39% of the holders of depositary receipts already supported Andlinger's offer. Andlinger had more interests in the paper and board industry, owning Eska Graphic Board in Sappemeer. In 2015 the takeover was completed and the stock-exchange listing was terminated. On 23 January 2023 it was announced that Crown Van Gelder had filed for bankruptcy. Higher raw-material and energy prices combined with a fall in orders had caused a shortage of liquid funds. The company employed more than 250 people, and 90% of turnover was earned outside the Netherlands. It made specialty paper such as ice-cream packaging, paper for luxury shopping bags and inkjet printers. Less than two weeks after the bankruptcy ruling, the trustees were able to report that there were several serious candidates wanting to take over CVG; both Dutch and foreign interested parties had come forward. On 10 February it was announced that the American company EPAC Technologies would take over the paper producer in Velsen. EPAC was prepared to invest in the factory and to keep all CVG employees in service. The name was changed to Crown van Gelder International, with EPAC as largest shareholder with an 80% interest and the trustees holding the remaining 20%. Since 2009 production had been just over 200,000 tonnes of paper per year. Revenue was fairly constant, but Crown Van Gelder did not always manage to close the financial year with a profit. Today the successor brand markets papers for publishing, promotional, transactional, packaging and technical specialties, including Crown Native made with sugar-beet pulp and the Crown Letsgo inkjet range.

• 2025

  Bol.com chooses Crown Native paper for a special section of Het Grote Speelgoedboek.

• 2023

  Crown Van Gelder files for bankruptcy on 23 January; on 10 February EPAC Technologies agrees to take over, renaming it Crown van Gelder International with 80% ownership.

• 2015

  The takeover by Andlinger & Company is completed and the stock-exchange listing is terminated.

• 2014

  Andlinger & Company makes a €24 million offer; 39% of depositary receipt holders already support it.

• 1987

  Production expands to two paper machines.

• 1985

  The company is listed on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange.

• 1983

  Crown Van Gelder is formed from the bankrupt estate of Van Gelder Papier with 260 employees.

• 1981

  The parent company goes bankrupt; 540 people are dismissed and newsprint production moves to Renkum.

• 1974

  A paper-recycling plant (Van Gelder Recycling) is opened.

• 1963

  Collaboration with the American Crown Zellerbach Corp. in punch-card board.

• 1958

  The cellulose factories close.

• 1956

  A new paper machine is installed.

• 1948

  Raw-material supply is back to normal.

• 1945

  The factory must be restarted after damage and looting during the Second World War.

• 1937

  A new newsprint machine is commissioned after the 1930s crisis.

• 1911

  A sulphite cellulose plant is built.

• 1908

  A wood-pulp plant is built.

• 1901

  A cellulose plant is built.

• 1896

  Pieter Smidt van Gelder founds a newsprint factory at Velsen-Noord as part of Van Gelder Zonen.

Specialty paper producer focused on publishing, promotional, transactional, packaging and technical specialty papers, with an emphasis on inkjet performance and sustainable, sugar-beet-based paper innovation.

• Crown Native

  Paper made with sugar-beet pulp from Dutch soil, positioned as a sustainable packaging statement.

• Crown Letsgo

  Inkjet paper range boosting inkjet performance, described as a new standard in inkjet.

• Publishing papers

  Uncoated paper with the look and feel of coated offset, chosen by educational publishers worldwide.

• Promotional papers

  Papers for promotional material with powerful colours, sharp details and just-in-time printing.

• Transactional papers

  High-speed, high-productivity papers with excellent runability, including preprint papers for transactional printing.

• Packaging papers

  Uncoated, sustainable papers for packaging that tell a product and brand story.

• Technical specialties

  Solutions for labels and other technical specialties, with custom solutions for challenging projects.

1. 1Crown Van Gelder - Changing the world of papercvg.nl
2. 2Van Gelder Zonenwikidata.org
3. 3Crown Van Gelder B.V.nl.wikipedia.org