Goudsche Machinefabriek B.V. (GMF-Gouda) receives the designation `Royal`

“Her Majesty the Queen has decided to grant the right to use the designation “Royal” to the Goudsche Machinefabriek B.V. (GMF-Gouda) in Waddinxveen”. Therefore, as from today, the official name will be: Royal GMF-Gouda.

The Queen’s Commissioner for the province of South-Holland (Zuid-Holland), Mr Franssen, surprised Royal GMF-Gouda with this announcement on Monday afternoon 9 February 2009, during the reception at the factory site in Waddinxveen, on the occasion of the company’s 100-year anniversary. By command of Her Majesty the Queen, Mr Franssen presented the official charter to General Director, Hidde Frankena.

Royal GMF-Gouda is a 3rd generation family-owned company, established in 1909 in Gouda by Jan Geurt Hupkes. The advance of the company started in 1916, with the delivery of the first drum dryer to Nutricia in Zoetermeer, the Netherlands. The time of the depression and the war years were difficult, but after that time, there was an opportunity to build up the business by expanding the product range and discovering new, international markets. Over the past decades, Royal GMF-Gouda has developed into a valuable partner for producers in food, chemical and sludge treatment industries throughout the world. Even now, the drum dryer continues to be Royal GMF-Gouda’s most important machine. After many years of being located on the Kattensingel in the centre of Gouda, Royal GMF-Gouda’s head office moved to the Coenecoop business park in Waddinxveen in 1991.

Current activities of Royal GMF-Gouda
Over the years, Royal GMF-Gouda has grown into a company with over 170 employees, based at 8 locations in 3 continents. The mostly self-developed products find their way all over the world: over 90% of the annual turnover is realised through the export of products to more than 55 countries. Royal GMF-Gouda supplies specialised machinery to the chemical and food industry for processes involving drying, solidification and peeling. The machinery is supplied for the most wide-ranging applications in many different capacities. Over the years, Royal GMF-Gouda has gained a state-of-the-art knowledge of processes. New products, applications and processes are tested for its clients in a well-equipped pilot plant. This means that the know-how acquired during the past century is available to its customers.