22 | Taranaki - Van Dyck Fine Foods REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Twenty years ago this year, husband and wife team Marcel Naenen and Ingrid Vercammen arrived in New Zealand from Belgium with a brave vision of settling in a country they knew little about, and setting up a crepe making business. Acting on the recommendation of a Kiwi baker met at an international food machinery trade fare, the couple spent a whirlwind week in Taranaki. Land was bought, a building designed and a builder appointed before returning to Belgium to sell everything the couple had — and Van Dyck Fine Foods was born in New Plymouth. With a strong engineering background, Marcel created a highly automated factory — innovative for its day — with high-speed line and freezing capability. Marketing under the brand of Marcel’s and initially set up for crepe manufacturing, Marcel and Ingrid quickly realized Kiwis confused crepes for pancakes, and so converted to a ‘crepe and pancake’ making business. Year-on-year the business grew, expanding the factory, growing its customer base and winning awards as a medium size regional business — before it plateaued and a new direction was needed. With a growing desire to retire from the business they founded, Ingrid and Marcel realized that for the business to grow they had to bring in more expertise in Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG). T T to page 24 Focus on quality underpins success T T Richard Loader The quality of Van Dyck’s pancakes and crepes ensures customers keep coming back for more. Proud supplier to Van Dyck Fine Foods 0800 22 56 56 www.hardypackaging.co.nz info@hardypackaging.co.nz The local company that specialises in all things packaging. In business and operating in a region near you for the last 68 years Proud supporters and suppliers to Van Dyck Fine Foods EC Attwood Ltd 2 Sir William Avenue East Tamaki, Auckland Phone 0800 ATTWOOD sales@attwoods.co.nz www.attwoods.co.nz Excel Refrigeration are proud to support Van Dyck Fine Foods with the installation and servicing of their Refrigeration and Mechanical Services Excel Taranaki Ltd | New Plymouth Branch - 108 Rifle Range Road, Waiwhakaiho, New Plymouth 4312 | Hawera Branch - 40-42 Regent Street, Hawera 4610 info@excel.co.nz | 24 HR SERVICE 0800 392 351 | www.excel.co.nz | Installation Systems Maintenance Solutions
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