History
Molenbergnatie
On October 1st 1867, Antwerp notary Alphonse
Balthazar Pauwels officially signed Molenbergnatie’s 'birth act' in the presence of the organization’s 22 members. From that day on, Molenbergnatie
has been statutorily recognized as a cooperative company for “the loading and unloading of ships, the
transport and processing of merchandise and goods, the exploitation of
warehouses and the performance of all other activities, demanded by trade and
industry and which the nations of Antwerp charge themselves with”. Twenty years before this official act,
however, Molenbergnatie had already been mentioned in the yearly statistics
list as "the Meulenbergnatie, domiciled behind the city hall". In
addition, it had signed a manifesto together with 19 fellow ‘Antwerp nations’ in defense of their common interests. This was
the start of what would become a rich and impressive history, closely linked to
that of the port of Antwerp and many international producers of various soft
commodities such as coffee, cocoa, rice, nuts, herbs and spices.
In 1873, Molenbergnatie built its first warehouses. Since then, it has developed into a successful, ever-growing company with a knack for entrepreneurship, innovative solutions and practical opportunities. In 1923, it was the first ‘nation’ to purchase a Chenard-Walker tractor, which was used to transport products to locations outside the city. This initiative led to some unexpected, very special assignments, such as the transportation of the complete volume of iron needed to build Antwerp’s one and only skyscraper in 1927, as well as the transport of a number of large buoys of 9 tons each, a few years later. A true top performance at a time when ‘nation horses’ were still being used and industrial transport was still in its infancy.
In 1934, Molenbergnatie took another important step forward when the General Assembly decided to stand as a guarantor for customs, thus enabling the company to start clearing their clients’ goods. After World War II, Molenbergnatie fully entered modern times by expanding its warehousing capacities and seriously increasing its activities and services. Under the leadership of a number of enterprising ‘nation bosses’, whose vision surpassed the short term, Molenbergnatie grew into a true world player in the coffee industry. With a hub in Spain and a current warehousing capacity of over 335 000m², the company now leads the way in supply chain management of soft commodities, with the same enthusiasm as 150 years ago
In 1873, Molenbergnatie built its first warehouses. Since then, it has developed into a successful, ever-growing company with a knack for entrepreneurship, innovative solutions and practical opportunities. In 1923, it was the first ‘nation’ to purchase a Chenard-Walker tractor, which was used to transport products to locations outside the city. This initiative led to some unexpected, very special assignments, such as the transportation of the complete volume of iron needed to build Antwerp’s one and only skyscraper in 1927, as well as the transport of a number of large buoys of 9 tons each, a few years later. A true top performance at a time when ‘nation horses’ were still being used and industrial transport was still in its infancy.
In 1934, Molenbergnatie took another important step forward when the General Assembly decided to stand as a guarantor for customs, thus enabling the company to start clearing their clients’ goods. After World War II, Molenbergnatie fully entered modern times by expanding its warehousing capacities and seriously increasing its activities and services. Under the leadership of a number of enterprising ‘nation bosses’, whose vision surpassed the short term, Molenbergnatie grew into a true world player in the coffee industry. With a hub in Spain and a current warehousing capacity of over 335 000m², the company now leads the way in supply chain management of soft commodities, with the same enthusiasm as 150 years ago
