Amefa
The 'Apeldoornsche Messenfabriek' (Knife Factory Apeldoorn), was founded by Eugen Hollaender in 1931. At the age of 25 he came to Apeldoorn (The Netherlands) from Germany and started his own business in razor blades. Growing competition in the forties made Eugen Hollaender decide to aim at developing and producing table cutlery, in addition to razor blades. At the end of the forties, the production of razor blades came to a full stop.
Rudi Hollaender, the eldest son in the Hollaender family, took over the management of the company in the seventies. Under his leadership, Amefa grew into an international manufacturer and trading company of cutlery and kitchen knives. With a European network of companies the sales and service continued to develop.
Erik Hollaender, Rudi's younger brother, concentrated on new production opportunities in other regions, with focus on Asia. Offices in Hong Kong and more recently in China were opened.
Fred Hollaender, the youngest of the three sons, took charge of the production company in Apeldoorn. Through the years, the production activities were reduced and the company transformed into an international distribution centre.
In the early nineties, production in Apeldoorn was shut down all together. In 2006 the Dutch branch moved to a new location in Apeldoorn.
