Nivoba

Nivoba is a Dutch industrial brand and manufacturer of equipment and complete plants for the production and processing of starch, based in Veendam in the province of Groningen. Its roots go back to 1883, when Theodorus Henderikus Holthuis bought an iron smithy on the Oosterdiep in Veendam and expanded it into a machine factory. The company, long known as Holthuis Machinefabriek, initially built steam engines, dredgers, locomotives and machinery for the peat, timber, brick and shipping industries of the northern Netherlands. In 1958, after three-quarters of a century, it moved to a new facility at Industrieweg 1 in Veendam and adopted the name Nivoba, an acronym for Nederlandse Industrie Voor Baggerwerktuigen (Dutch Industry for Dredging Equipment). From the mid-twentieth century onward, Nivoba concentrated on machinery for the potato starch industry and became an international supplier. It delivered its first equipment to Japanese potato starch factories in 1959 and subsequently equipped all Japanese starch factories, making it one of the first Dutch machinery exporters to Japan. In 1970 it introduced the Ultra-Rasp, capable of milling 25 tonnes of potatoes per hour, and two years later added hydrocyclones for concentrating and washing starch. From 1974, with support from the Dutch government, Nivoba supplied complete cassava starch extraction plants to several African countries for more than a decade. In the 1980s it did business in the Far East, delivering potato and mainly cassava starch plants to Indonesia, China, India, Vietnam and Thailand, and equipment for extracting starch from sago palm trunks in Malaysia. In the 1990s it began supplying starch recovery installations for the potato processing industry, separating starch from wastewater at the source. After 114 years as a family business, the shares were sold to a private entrepreneur in 1997. Under the new owner, Nivoba built a potato starch factory in Maine, United States, in 1999, acquired a potato flake factory, held a short-lived interest in the American grain milling equipment producer Entoleter LLC, and delivered potato starch factories in China, Turkey and Vietnam as well as its first wheat starch factory near Belgorod in Russia. In 2017 Nivoba acquired the competing Veendam firm Hovex B.V. from the German GEA group and changed its name to NivobaHovex. In 2018 NivobaHovex, including all starch-related activities, became fully owned by the Danish company SiccaDania. SiccaDania describes NivobaHovex as the world's oldest still existing producer of equipment and installations for producing and processing starch, supplying the global potato, cassava, wheat and corn starch industry from Veendam.

The history of Nivoba begins in 1883, when Theodorus Henderikus Holthuis (1850–1928) bought an iron smithy on the Oosterdiep in Veendam and expanded it into a machine factory. At the start of industrialisation, Holthuis delivered its first steam engine with boiler in 1888 to Biscuitfabriek J. Branbergen in Musselkanaal. Steam engines followed for timber sawmills and brickworks in the northern Netherlands, and for the rapidly developing potato starch factories. In 1902 the first bucket dredger was delivered; dredgers were used in Groningen, Friesland and across the border in German East Frisia to deepen waterways in the newly reclaimed peat areas. The company also built portable steam engines for peat extraction and for driving threshing machines, as well as steam anchor winches and steam steering engines for shipping. Two steam-powered dredgers built by Holthuis, De Friesland and De Vooruit, are held by museums, and Holthuis steam engines run in various museums including the open-air museum in Arnhem. In 1903 almost the complete interior of the cooperative potato flour factory Oostermoer in Gasselternijveen was supplied. In 1916 IJzergieterij Joh. Hillen in Blerick (Limburg) was taken over; two of the four sons took charge of the foundry while the other two continued to run the Veendam factory. During the war years the foundry was separated and continued in 1942 as an independent company under the name GEHO Pompen (Gebroeders Holthuis Pompen), which today is part of the Scottish company Weir Minerals. In 1950 the last dredger was launched, and the factory concentrated on machinery for the potato starch industry, increasingly for customers in Germany, Scandinavia and France as well as regional clients. After three-quarters of a century, in 1958 a completely new building was occupied at Industrieweg 1 in Veendam, and as a lasting reminder of its dredging activities the company name was changed to Nivoba, or Nederlandse Industrie Voor Baggerwerktuigen. In 1959 Nivoba delivered equipment to Japanese potato starch factories for the first time; in subsequent years all Japanese starch factories were equipped by Nivoba, making it one of the first Dutch exporters of machinery to Japan. In 1970 Nivoba introduced the Ultra-Rasp, responding to the need for ever greater milling capacity in the potato starch industry; one machine could mill 25 tonnes of potatoes per hour, two and a half times the capacity of the largest machines until then. Two years later the hydrocyclone arrived, used both for concentrating extracted starch milk and for washing starch, a cost-effective alternative to the separators used until then. With support from the Dutch government, from 1974 Nivoba supplied complete installations for extracting starch from cassava to customers in various African countries for more than a decade. In the 1980s Nivoba did business in the Far East, delivering potato and mainly cassava starch installations to Indonesia, China, India, Vietnam and Thailand, and equipment for extracting starch from sago palm trunks in Malaysia. For the potato processing industry, the 1990s were characterised by increasing demand for equipment to separate starch from wastewater; because starch burdens wastewater treatment and largely determines discharge costs, Nivoba began supplying simple starch separation installations. As the price of clean water and thus wastewater rose, and a lucrative market emerged for the separated starch, French fry and potato chip factories began separating starch at the source, under the cutting machines; Nivoba became a supplier of starch recovery installations. After 114 years in the family, the company's shares were sold to a private entrepreneur in 1997. Under the new owner, Nivoba built a potato starch factory in Maine, United States, in 1999, acquired a potato flake factory, and for a time held an interest in the American company Entoleter LLC, a producer of milling equipment for grains. Potato starch factories were also delivered in China, Turkey and Vietnam, and Nivoba built its first wheat starch factory near Belgorod in Russia. From 2017 developments followed rapidly: first Hovex B.V., a competing firm in Veendam founded in 1974 by former Nivoba employees, was acquired from the German GEA group, and the company name was changed to NivobaHovex. Not long afterwards the Danish company SiccaDania showed interest; this young company, then mainly active in the dairy industry and in product drying and liquid evaporation, also had affinity with the starch industry, particularly in protein extraction from plant material such as potato. In 2018 NivobaHovex, including all starch-related activities, became fully owned by SiccaDania.

• 2018

  NivobaHovex, including all starch-related activities, becomes fully owned by SiccaDania.

• 2017

  Acquires Hovex B.V. from GEA and changes its name to NivobaHovex.

• 1999

  Builds a potato starch factory in Maine, United States, and acquires a potato flake factory.

• 1997

  After 114 years in the family, the shares are sold to a private entrepreneur.

• 1974

  Begins supplying complete cassava starch extraction installations to African countries with Dutch government support.

• 1972

  Introduces the hydrocyclone for concentrating and washing starch.

• 1970

  Introduces the Ultra-Rasp, capable of milling 25 tonnes of potatoes per hour.

• 1959

  Delivers equipment to Japanese potato starch factories for the first time.

• 1958

  Moves to a new building at Industrieweg 1 in Veendam and changes its name to Nivoba.

• 1950

  Launches its last dredger and focuses on machinery for the potato starch industry.

• 1942

  The foundry is separated and continues as GEHO Pompen (Gebroeders Holthuis Pompen).

• 1916

  Takes over IJzergieterij Joh. Hillen in Blerick (Limburg).

• 1903

  Supplies almost the complete interior of the cooperative potato flour factory Oostermoer in Gasselternijveen.

• 1902

  Delivers its first bucket dredger.

• 1888

  Delivers its first steam engine with boiler to Biscuitfabriek J. Branbergen in Musselkanaal.

• 1883

  Theodorus Henderikus Holthuis buys an iron smithy on the Oosterdiep in Veendam and expands it into a machine factory.

World's oldest still existing producer of equipment and installations for producing and processing starch, supplying the global potato, cassava, wheat and corn starch industry.

• Ultra-Rasp

  Introduced in 1970, a mill capable of processing 25 tonnes of potatoes per hour, two and a half times the capacity of the largest machines until then.

• Hydrocyclones

  Introduced in 1972 for concentrating extracted starch milk and washing starch, a cost-effective alternative to separators.

• Starch recovery installations

  Supplied from the 1990s to separate starch from wastewater at the source in potato processing.

• Complete starch plants

  Complete installations for potato, cassava, wheat and corn starch production delivered worldwide.

1. 1Nivobawikidata.org
2. 2Holthuis Machinefabriek (Nivoba)nl.wikipedia.org
3. 3Nivoba official websitenivoba.com