AmChamNews - American Chamber of Commerce in the Netherlands

An AmCham Member for Fifty Years
JOS vAn Der tAk
There are several companies who have
been a member of AmCham since its first
hour. But there is only one individual
representing a member company who
has been on our mailing list since our
first year. That man is jos van der
Tak. jos was recruited to be a member
of AmCham in its first year by Henk
Poutsma, AmCham's General Manager.
Background
Jos was born in Rotterdam in 1922. His
family just survived the bombing of
Rotterdam in May 1940. Their home - to
which they moved from a more central
location a few months earlier - was just
outside of the perimeter of the bombed
area. To escape the arbeidseinsatz (forced
labor in Germany), instituted in 1942, Jos
went into hiding for the remainder of the
war. During the war years Jos completed
both HBS-A and HBS-B qualifications for
university study. In early 1945 - just before
the war's end - Jos took a clandestine
examination to qualify for the accelerated
university program at the Nederlandse
Economische Hogeschool - the predecessor
of the Erasmus University. Within
a year Jos passed his kandidaatsexamen
(earned a Bachelor's degree).
Jos then continued his studies at a more
moderate pace - enjoying his time as a
student and also working part time at an
accountant's office for the not very princely
remuneration of 25 cents an hour. He earned
his academic title of drs (Master's degree)
in 1950. As a qualified accountant with an
academic degree - this was considerably more
prestigious than one without - Jos was ready
to go out on his own. Jos took the opportunity
to take over an accountant's office in The
Hague in 1951.
Van Lessen & Punt International
One of the clients of his new practice was
Van Lessen & Punt - an importer/distributor
of nautical instruments and equipment. The
company came into crisis when the founder
and CEO of the company suddenly died.
Jos was asked by the widow of the CEO
to take over the running of the firm. This
he consented to do on condition that he
would also be able to continue work on his
accounting practice. It was Van Lessen & Punt
that became the AmCham member company.
As director of Van Lessen & Punt, Jos began to
spend half of his time selling nautical instrumentation
and equipment in Scandinavia,
Germany, UK and the Netherlands. In the
1960s he clocked some 60-80,000 kilometers
a year visiting clients - buying a new car
every 18 months or so to stay on the road.
In time the company's activity declined and
Jos concentrated his efforts to develop a very
successful accounting practice.
The company today has no successor, has
been in abeyance and has ceased trading for
some years now. With just some financial
administration to conclude the company will
formally close next year - and thus cancelling
its membership in AmCham. Jos takes
pride in having met the fiftieth anniversary
as a member of AmCham.
Jos van der Tak Today
Jos still comes into the office of Van der
Tak Accountants & Belastingadviseurs on the
Koninginnegracht in The Hague on most
working day afternoons - driving in from his
home in Wassenaar in style in his Porsche
Cayenne. At 89 years of age Jos is finally
thinking of fully retiring. One of his two
sons - Jos also has a daughter and six grandchildren
- is now running the accounting
practice.
Jos and his wife are looking forward to celebrating
their 60 th anniversary in 2012 and
welcoming the mayor of Wassenaar into
their home at that time with his traditional
congratulatory message to couples meeting
that milestone.
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