Douwe Egberts

Douwe Egberts (often abbreviated as DE) is a Dutch corporation that processes and trades coffee, tea, and other groceries. Its full name is Douwe Egberts Koninklijke Tabaksfabriek-Koffiebranderijen-Theehandel Naamloze Vennootschap, which translates as "Douwe Egberts Royal Tobacco Factory - Coffee Roasters - Tea Traders, Plc.". Douwe Egberts is now a subsidiary of the Sara Lee Corporation.

1753 Egbert Douwes starts a grocery shop in Joure, called De Witte Os ("the White Ox").

1780 The company is transferred to his eldest son Douwe Egberts. Its main activities are processing and trading coffee, tea, and tobacco.

1948 Douwe Egberts starts sales in Belgium. France, Spain, and Denmark follow.

1968 A holding company, Douwe Egberts Koninklijke ("Royal Douwe Egberts"), is founded.

1969 Douwe Egberts takes over Kanis and Gunnink, another Dutch coffee manufacturer.

1978 Douwe Egberts is in its turn taken over by the Sara Lee Corporation.

1989 Douwe Egberts takes over Van Nelle, its main Dutch competitor in coffee, tea, and tobacco.

1998 The hand-rolling tobacco business (Drum, Van Nelle, Amphora and Winner) is sold to Imperial Tobacco Co.

2001 The company collaborates with Philips to produce a coffee maker called Senseo.

See Also

• [1] Douwe Egberts website

Sources of Information

• [2] Wikipedia