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Dutch Houseflags of Shipping Companies [k]

Other "K" companies:

See also:

Kemperman

image by Jarig Bakker, 8 Apr 2007

Seen several times by Jarig at Amsterdam on a Dutch, then on a Belgian barge a striking inland house flag, yellow, having a red rectangle in the centre bearing a large white initial ‘K’.
This flag can be seen on this Binnenvaart page (vessel named ‘Rina’ since 1987), and identified (the vessel) as belonging to R.J. Kemperman, Rotterdam, private owner. The same boat is shown here, first photo of a series showing that flag (less clearly however).
Further research did not yield very much although a list surfaced of inland navigation fodder transporters, one of which is Kemperman.
Jan Mertens, 8 Apr 2007

Koole

image by Gerard van der Vaart, 8 Apr 2005

Koole (tank shipping company) houseflag currently flown on her ships, and over 20 years earlier as I can remember.
Source: the company's site. (the colors of the company's houseflag are better represented om my image than on their website).
Gerard van der Vaart, 8 Apr 2005

Koole old flag

image by Jos Telleman, 26 Nov 2006

Jos Telleman jus sent me an image the old flag of Koole Zaandam: green, a white disk, black "CKBV".
Some data from the firm's homepage: "The roots of the company lie in Schipluiden, a small village near Rotterdam, where Cornelis Koole sr. set up his business in 1943 with the 'Nooit Volmaakt', a small 40-tonne barge. Since the fifties, Koole transported increasing volumes of oils and fats. In 1957, the company relocated to Wormerveer, on the river Zaan, where the food industry is highly concentrated. The fleet expanded strongly and in 1980 the small office in Wormerveer was exchanged for a large commercial site in Zaandam's Achtersluispolder, ideally situated on the North Sea Canal and close to the main motorways network. By now, the four sons Ton, Kees, Piet and Jaap had all joined the company, each with their own specific responsibilities in the business. In 1980, Koole embarked on a new activity: tank storage, to be able to serve customers even more efficiently. In the nineties, expansion followed in the form of coasters, in order to serve English customers too.
In 1999 with the take-over of Pakhoeds edible oils tankstorage companies in Rotterdam (Pernis) and Nijmegen, Koole extended its activities and clientele beyond Northwest Europe to encompass the whole world. The acquisitions at Pernis and Nijmegen created enormous synergy with Kooles existing activities in shipping and storage."
Jarig Bakker, 26 Nov 2006

Jan Kooren

image by Jarig Bakker, 24 Mar 2006

‘Sleepdienst Jan Kooren v/j Rederij Antonie Kooren & Zonen’ (Towage Service Jan Kooren formerly Shipping Co. Antonie Kooren & Sons” at Rotterdam is featured in “Duwvaart” by Jansen & Van Heck on pp. 48-50.
A brief note tells us that Kooren already maintained tugs in 1911 and that current (i.e. 1988) heavy transport is a job for push navigation vessels, most of them chartered.
Various archived articles on the web mention Jan Kooren’s acquisition by competitor Smit Internationaal late 1998 or beginning (effective?) 1999.
The b/w flag show by Jansen & Van Heck is horizontally divided orange – white – orange with black initials ‘JK’ in the white stripe (which takes up ? of flag height).
Such a flag is shown by Josef Nuesse, (second from top), but I do wish the orange was more orangey, the stripes look red. Another difference is the white stripe which is not wider than the others, and lastly ‘JK’ is not centred but “Duwvaart” shows it so.
Photos of flying JK flags I found on the net are inconclusive, alas.

Please do not confuse with Adriaan Kooren at Rotterdam, the present Kotug.
Jan Mertens, 16 Mar 2006

Ton Kooren

image by Anto'nio Martins-Tuva'lkin, 25 Jan 2008

Featured in ‘Duwvaart’ by Jansen & Van Heck is ‘Ton Kooren / International Marine Services’ at Rotterdam. Shown in b/w, the flag is said to be blue with a white initial ‘K’ the left part or stem of which is voided and transformed into an initial ‘i’ which must be, logically, white. This mark is shown in the centre of the flag taking up about 1/3 of the length and 3/5 of the height.

Recently a Ton Kooren table flag (unidentified however) appeared up on ‘Marktplaats’ (Dutch auction site) under no. 135781141 put up by “flyto26” (site accessed 17 Dec 2007). This version has the logo shifted to the hoist, taking up 1/2 of the flag.

Unfortunately I have not yet found any photo showing this flag in action so the question remains where the logo is, or was, really placed assuming, of course, that only one version exists, or existed.

Briefly mentioned on the Kotug site, Ton Kooren aka International Marine Services is presented as “handling all national and international enquiries in respect of world-wide towages, salvages, dredging-assistances, barge transportations and offshore operations”: This sounds more like an auxiliary service-oriented company than the push boat operator it must have been at one time (the book ‘Duwvaart’ was published in 1988).
Jan Mertens, 24 Jan 2008

Gebr. de Korte

image by Jarig Bakker, 20 May 2006

The Netherlands are a godsend to people who like waterways, and there are lots of navigating brothers, too! At Tholen in Zealand, for instance, we find Gebr. de Korte Handel- en Transportmaatschappij BV (De Korte Brothers Trading and Transportation Co.) which is active in freighting.

The aptly named Vlootschouw (“fleet review”) site shows a flagoid of this firm. Essentially a red flag with blue stylized ‘GK’ initials in the centre, it is horizontally edged by black (outer) and white (inner) stripes. The division seems to be something like 1:2:6:2:1. See it on this page, middle of logo column:
This is a real flag however, and it can be seen waving on the ‘Onderneming II’ (the vessel ‘Enterprise II’ indeed), here, confirmed by the information down the page, that Gebr. De Korte operated this barge between 1979 and 1989. (I do not know when this firm was founded.).
Jan Mertens, 19 Apr 2006

H. van Krieken & Co.

image by Jarig Bakker, 20 Jul 2008

A site dedicated to Rotterdam’s colourful – and partly maritime – past “Rotterdammers” seems to be down again. They had a page titled (Dutch, old spelling) “Maatschappij-vlaggen en schoorstenen der voornaamste Reederijen Rotterdam in 1925” i.e. Company flags and funnels belonging to the most important shipping companies at Rotterdam, 1925. This suggests the house flags had been taken from a chart or some other publication.

H. van Krieken & Co.’ meaning: H. van Krieken & Co., Ltd: White field with black initials ‘HvK’ (no serifs) within a blue orle (inner border).
I am indebted to this weblog for essential information: Ships listed on this page were active between 1917 and 1936:
'Milly’ owned by Skandia at Rotterdam was operated by VK between 1917 and 1919; ‘Hollandsch Diep’, also operated by VK 1918-1922, belonged to Hollandsche Vrachtvaart at Rotterdam; ‘Marsdiep’ operated for same owner 1918-1919; ‘Poeldiep’ owned by Frisio at Rotterdam operated by VK 1924-1936, then owned for two more years.
Further traces seem to indicate existence till 1947 – I have no idea about the year of foundation nor do I know anything about the presumable founder(s).
Jan Mertens, 16 Jul 2008

Krolex Shipping

image by Jarig Bakker, 11 Jul 2008

Another recent Maatstaf (Dutch auction site) feature was the flag of a tiny Dutch company, Krolex Shipping. Image based on the offer (no. 173093584 dated 2 Jun 2008 and put up by “Ghis” from Westdorpe, Zeeland) concerned a flag horiziontally divided red-white-green with the name ‘ROLEX’ in large black letters in the white stripe. Dimensions given as 90 cm x 140 cm.

This page presents Krolex and its founder, Hans Krol: Founded in early 1968, Krolex started out as a clearance agency and developed into a brokerage company for inland and coastal shipping, exclusively so since between 1983 and 1993/ Then the firm turned into a one-man maritime consultancy business (project development and ship construction). A stint with a Dutch shipyard 1993-99 offered Mr Krol valuable insights into the river cruise business resulting in several building orders.
Krolex is established at Delfzijl, a port in NE Netherlands opposite the German Emden.
Jan Mertens, 7 Jul 2008