Patrick Hicks speaks to Lauwrens de Jong, Director of Henneken Removals, to get a European perspective on the removal business.

Henneken Removals’ story begins in 1876 - with just one man, a horse, and a cart.

What started as a modest local transport company in the Netherlands has grown, over the years, into a trusted name in domestic removals.

By the late 1960s, the business truly transformed when the town of Zoetermeer began expanding rapidly. Thousands of new homes were being built, and Henneken became synonymous with local moves, supporting families, solicitors, and the local municipality.

As time went on, the company’s work evolved, taking on larger office relocations and even a few international moves, though domestic moves remained its backbone.

“When I took over the company,” says Lauwrens de Jong, the company’s Managing Director, “my goal was clear: reduce our dependence on the housing market by diversifying into international and business relocations. Business moves, I realised, offered greater stability and repeat opportunities. I also saw strong potential in the UK market, where there was room for a specialist in 'Dutch–British' removals. The results spoke for themselves - UK work soon became a major part of our operations, peaking at 50% of our turnover in the year following Brexit.”

He continues: “My own journey in this industry began somewhat by chance. While studying economic linguistics at a university of applied sciences, I needed a traineeship and joined my uncle’s moving company. Initially tasked with setting up an ISO 9001 quality management system, I quickly found myself doing a bit of everything -  from riding in trucks to dispatching. When I finished my studies, my uncle offered me a permanent role managing a small branch office.”

That opportunity set Lauwrens on a path he hadn’t anticipated.

“My sales work for a removals group eventually led me to Henneken,” he explains, “where I rented a desk and began securing major contracts. When the Henneken brothers decided to sell their company and asked if I’d be interested in taking over, I didn’t hesitate. With their financial support, I bought the business in 2001. Next February marks 25 years since that milestone - a journey filled with challenges, lessons, and immense pride.”

Industry and market challenges
Lauwrens notes that no-one in the industry escaped the turbulence of Brexit and Covid-19. Brexit brought both threats and opportunities, reshaping logistics, customs

processes, and customer expectations. Covid, though disruptive, hit the Netherlands less severely than the UK. “We were fortunate to continue working throughout,” he says “and even achieved our highest turnover on record - with no employee Covid cases for the first year of the pandemic.”

The most testing experience, however, has been building the company’s new premises. In his words, it was a true “roller-coaster” ...

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