Foreword

Strong Feelings About Miller Trade

For centuries on end, mulls have managed to stand their ground with the wind as their driving force, Wind force was and still is the energy source with which one of our most fundamental necessities of life energy can be produced. In the course of time, mills started producing an ever more varied range of products. Sniff and tobacco mills, saw mills and hulling mills emerged. each being a small factory in itself and offering employment to tens of people.

Most of Schiedam's city mills were distiller or malt mills and ground corn for the jenever industry. They were built in the vicinity of the distilleries and malt houses, without taking the wind out of each other's sails. Tens of mills surrounded the city centre to supply the raw materials for a complete industry. The old city walls were crammed!

Slowly but surely, the number of mills decreased, other sources of energy threatened their existence. In the 19th century, steam engines were often used to keep the mills turning on windless days. Electric grinding was the next step in history. Unfortunately, it was partly due to these developments that many mills disappeared from the Dutch landscape. Schiedam's city centre and the surrounding polders lost tens of mills as well.

Fortunately, a large number of Schiedam mills has been preserved. Even at several miles' distance. the city can still be recognised from the five wind giants marking the borders of the old city centre. We are proud of these highest mills of Europe, which in the heydays of the jenever past made many overtime hours to supply the distilleries with raw materials.

At the end of the 20th century, the energy industry started seeing wind-force as an increasingly suitable energy source. The age-old mills driven by wind-force proved they had stood the test of time: Since a couple of years the malt mills are running again for bakers and distillers, just like in the days of old.

Although ONS made its entry into Schiedam later than the mills did, the company has been linked to the distiller's city for three centuries, providing ONS with an equally rich history in the field of Industrial activities. And although we have taken a great many steps forward, no real fundamental changes have taken place sustainable energy sources like wind-force have been part of an industrial concept for quite some time. We hope we will at least have as many years ahead of us as we already spent in the illustrious city of Schiedam.

Read and enjoy!

Henk Eikenbroek (CEO ONS Groep)