| Catz
International has been trading in raw materials for the food industry since 1856
when the Catz brothers opened their first shop in Groningen, The Netherlands.
In subsequent decades their activities expanded rapidly. A branch was opened in
New York in 1916 and the following year the Dutch headquarters moved to Rotterdam,
a major commercial centre.
Spice
trade with the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) was always a major focus for
the company. So in 1918 the Catz Java Trading Company was established in Batavia
with branches in Padang, Macassar and Teluk Betung. Trade in canned goods and
dried fruits also continued to grow. This led to the opening of an office in San
Francisco in 1927. Shortly after World War II yet another office was opened in
Singapore, a major trading hub for Indonesian produce.
The
mid-sixties saw a strategic decision to centralise all trading, logistic and administrative
activities in Rotterdam. In 1982 Catz International joined forces with the Acomo
group and has been its most profitable subsidiary for many years.
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