Stork: the first 180 years
Stork is the overall name of today's technology company, but its earliest history dates back to the formation in 1827 of the Nederlandse Fabriek van Werktuigen en Spoorwegmaterieel (Dutch machine and railway equipment works), in brief: Werkspoor, which later also became the official name.
This originally Amsterdam-based company merged in 1954 on an equal basis with the engineering works Gebroeders Stork & Co., which was founded in Hengelo in 1868. This means that 1827 is the earliest date to which the company's roots can be traced. Stork concentrated mainly on (industrial) production equipment (steam and other engines, boilers, pumps, sugar refineries), while Werkspoor's main activities were means of transport (ship components, steam locomotives, diesel trainsets, carriages, buses and bridges).
In the fertile post-war years the combination (which for a long time worked under the very well known name Verenigde Machinefabrieken/VMF) grew strongly in the sector which can best be described as heavy capital goods. The vulnerable nature of this market (completion of the post-war rebuilding, large projects, long decision-making processes) led the company's management to initiate a far-reaching - and with government support successful - turnaround in the 1970s and 1980s. This led the company into new (niche) markets for (lighter) industrial production equipment, concentrating on primary needs: clothing, food, energy, water/air and transport, as well as technical services for the maintenance of industrial and building-related installations.
Aerospace activities were added to this list in 1996, thanks to the acquisition of the Fokker companies specialising in the building of aircraft components and integrated aircraft maintenance services. A strategic reorientation at the beginning of 2000 led to a structure with 5 groups, focusing on digital (textile) printing technologies, poultry processing/fast food, aerospace, industrial components and technical services. In 2008 there are two groups left: Stork Aerospace and Stork Technical Services.
The 'blood groups of the company
The company's most important historical 'blood groups' are: Werkspoor, Stork, Bronswerk, Nolte, Comprimo and Fokker.
- Werkspoor was founded in 1827 by P. van Vlissingen, with support from King William I, supplying among other things steam installations for ships. See Werkspoormuseum
- On 4 September 1868, Charles Theodoor Stork started his first engineering works under the name Gebr. Stork & Co. (Stork Brothers & Co.) At first, the company served the local textile industry.
See also foundation, first products, social benefits and the 2nd generation - In 1954, Stork and Werkspoor merged on an equal basis, creating the Verenigde Machinefabrieken (united engineering works).
- In 1968, Bronswerk - the land-based arm of the Wilton-Fijenoord shipbuilding company - was added.
- In 1989 In 1989, the electrical engineering company Nolte joined Stork.
- In 1994, the Comprimo engineering firm entered the Stork fold.
- In 1996 In 1996, the four viable parts of the bankrupt Fokker company joined Stork, under the name Fokker Aviation.