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How It Started
In the 19th century, the now Indonesia was a Dutch colony, named Nederlandsch Indië, or Dutch East Indies. Since the 16th century the Dutch had been there, and the VOC, the Verenigde Oost-Indië Compagnie (United East India Company), akin to the British East India Company, was “trading” strongly in that area. Many Dutchmen went there to make their fortune. And so it was with Siebe Leistra and Jelle Kuipers. They met in Batavia (now called Jakarta) in 1841 and decided to join forces in trade. Kuipers had a partner in the Netherlands, Albertus Jonkman, who sold the goods Kuipers sent him. Leistra had been in Nederlandsch Indië already 20 years when they met, so he had a larger network there. In other words, the partnership brought strong assets to the table. After a few years they decided to incorporate, and they formed Jonkman, Leistra en Kuipers en Zonen. The Zonen were the sons who started to work with their fathers. The company flourished and started to sell the imported goods (tea, pepper, tobacco, spices) in neighboring countries. During the war of 1914 – 18 the Netherlands was neutral, so trade continued at the same pace. As time went on, demand for other products from other countries increased: cocoa, coffee, silks, cotton, sugar….. So Jonkman, Keistra en Kuipers en Zonen continued on the path of expansion, setting up partnerships in Brazil, the USA, India etc. And now the group is headquartered in the United States, and has partnerships around the world. The name has shortened to JLK Trade Inc and has become a fixture in the commodities trade. With a sales figure over USD 3 billion annually, Siebe, Jelle and Albertus would be proud to see the metamorphosis of their small company. Our Present Operations We are one of the world’s leading independent commodity trading and logistics houses. We have created a global business based on service and performance. We move physical commodities from where they are plentiful to where they are most needed – reliably, efficiently and responsibly. We rely on a network of storage facilities, crushing and processing plants and mills, port terminals. We add value to the supply chain at every stage. We go to hard-to-reach locations. We operate at scale through state-of-the-art terminals. We deliver on time, on-spec commodities wherever they are needed. We have customers around the world –the processing industry (food, animal feed and consumer products), importers, and government organizations. Since we started as a trading company in Nederlandsch Indië, we have grown to become a major producer and seller of commodities - employing 1794 people around the world. We manage the supply chain and maintain strong relationships with growers and farmers, our suppliers. We ensure that all products are consistent, reliable and of high quality. Food safety and quality management procedures help ensure products meet international standards, and van be Halal and/or Kosher certified. Our business model is of an increasingly interconnected world in which commodities pass seamlessly from points of origin to where they are needed. We connect producers and end-users of commodities. We use our market knowledge, logistics and infrastructure. We negotiate buying agreements with producers, refiners and agricultural companies. We invest in logistics that improve market access for our suppliers. We store our commodities at strategic locations. And then we move the commodities around the world by barge, truck, rail, pipeline and vessel in support of our trading activities. 
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