Big Dutchman Anniversaries: Company Hosted 450 Guests from Around the World

GERMANY - The company's recent 5th International Agents’ Meeting celebrated the double anniversary of 70 years of Big Dutchman worldwide and 50 years of Big Dutchman in Germany and Europe.
calendar icon 23 July 2008
clock icon 4 minute read

"To share experiences with people from all over the world has really been rewarding. The long journey was certainly worthwhile!" Their minds full of positive memories, approximately 450 representatives of Big Dutchman agencies and subsidiaries from more than 70 countries recently returned to their home countries. They had come to Germany for an intensive exchange of information and ideas on the occasion of the 5th International Agents' Meeting held by Big Dutchman.


Group picture at the Big Dutchman premises in Vechta-Calveslage: Big Dutchman CEO Bernd Meerpohl welcomes guests from all around the world.

To accommodate the large number of participants, the company held the two-day work meeting at the International Congress Centre in the city of Bremen in north-western Germany. Not only was this the largest event ever hosted by the world-market leader for pig and poultry equipment from Vechta-Calveslage but guests and staff were also able to celebrate the double anniversary of 70 years of Big Dutchman worldwide and 50 years of Big Dutchman in Germany and Europe.

True to the conference motto 'Designing the future', specialists from within the company as well as renowned experts from all around the world gave lectures on product developments, company strategies and up-to-date practical experience.

"However, the main purpose of the conference is not only to have you take back home as much information as possible," said Big Dutchman chief executive officer Bernd Meerpohl to the agents in his welcome speech.

"It is much more important to hear your ideas about market requirements. We need your feedback in order to be able to continue to offer customer-oriented products and services in each and any of your sales areas."


The conference in full swing: bird’s eye view of the participants of the 5th International Agents’ Meeting in Bremen

Agents and speakers as well as part of the Big Dutchman staff who also participated in the conference used the various workshops and discussion groups for a worldwide exchange of information. The agents’ spouses who had also been invited to come to Germany were treated to a varied partner programme, organized by Big Dutchman staff.

The Agents' Meeting finished off with a large party at the Big Dutchman headquarters in Vechta-Calveslage. Also invited to the big anniversary party was the entire staff working at the Big Dutchman headquarters in Germany together with their spouses.

The first international agents’ meeting of the world's largest supplier for modern pig and poultry equipment was held in 1987. According to Bernd Meerpohl, the company has experienced an increase of turnover of 79 per cent since the last agents' meeting took place in the summer of 2002. Big Dutchman is active in more than 100 countries and achieved a turnover of €450 million in the last financial year.

In the last couple of years, the company has grown to 1,500 employees worldwide with 550 employees alone working in Vechta-Calveslage.

"We look rather optimistically into the future: our distribution network has never been as tight as it is today and we have on offer an incredibly broad range of products and services. Our staff are the best in their field, which makes us very proud — you can only be number 1 when working with the best staff in the world," concluded Mr Meerpohl in his closing address.

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