Waterman Onions 25 years based in Emmeloord

Waterman Onions is celebrating its 25th anniversary in Emmeloord, Flevoland. Erik and Wim Waterman look back on the past 25 years and ahead to the future.

 “25 years ago, we started to make our own dream come true from Emmeloord, with a vision, passion and determination,”- Wim Waterman, co-owner Waterman Onions.

Looking back

Over 90 years ago, Andries Waterman started trading in onions, potatoes and carrots from a small shed in Waarde, Zeeland. In the 1950s Adriaan Waterman, Erik and Wim Waterman’s father, took over the trading company. As the third generation, in 1998 Wim and Erik decided to relocate the company to Emmeloord and focus entirely on onions.

“25 years ago, we started to make our own dream come true from Emmeloord, with a vision, passion and determination and a handful of committed people. And look where we are today: a thriving company with a quarter of a century of successes, challenges, forgettable moments and, above all, lots of very hard work behind us, and now, in 2023, a large team of fantastically engaged employees”, says Wim Waterman, co-owner of Waterman Onions.

Gratitude

This anniversary isn’t only a milestone in the history of Waterman Onions, but also a perfect time to express gratitude. Our gratitude for the commitment of every team member, the support of our family, friends, partners, and the trust of our suppliers and customers. “Together, we have overcome obstacles, achieved success and growth and we have also built a wonderful organisation, and we are extremely proud of that,” Wim continues.

Over the past 25 years, Waterman Onions hasn’t only processed and sold lots of onions, but also established very valuable relationships. We have learned a lot, performed fantastically, but we have also had to overcome setbacks and, above all, we have celebrated many successes.

Passion for the onion

The love, passion and knowledge for and about onions was part of our upbringing. Waterman Onions has evolved into more than just a wonderful company. Waterman Onions is now well-known and has become a household name in the onion sector, not only in the Netherlands, but globally too. At Waterman Onions, passion, quality and commitment are paramount. “We have a great team of dedicated employees, partners and customers who believe in us and where pleasant teamwork is of prime importance. As we look back on our journey, let’s also look forward to the future. Let’s continue to strive for the Waterman Excellence, and embrace innovations and seize opportunities. Pioneering 2.0 in Flevoland,” says Erik Waterman, co-owner of Waterman Onions.

Sustainability and climateneutral

One of the many important topics in the sector is sustainability. “I believe that, in the years ahead, many more partnerships will arise within the sector in relation to sustainability. This will allow us to maintain our strong market position and achieve the sector’s climate targets. Our company already helps to achieve these by transporting a large percentage of our sea containers via inland navigation, such as via the Port of Flevokust in Lelystad, to the larger seaports. We have participated in this project since its inception. We also use recyclable packaging and the nets used for our onions are manufactured sustainably. We also generate 90% of our energy needs sustainably,” says Erik Waterman. In short, at Waterman Onions, efficiency, quality and sustainability go hand in hand.

Toon Hermans Huis Emmeloord

In the light of its anniversary, Waterman Onions plans to support a local charity. The choice fell on the Toon Hermans Huis Emmeloord Foundation. The Toon Hermans Huis Emmeloord is a center for living with and after cancer. Before and during the 25th anniversary celebration, guests had the option to donate. Waterman Onions supplemented this amount. Erik and Wim Waterman presented the cheque in the amount of €7,500, – to Helga Brenninkmeijer, chairman of the Toon Hermans Huis Emmeloord Foundation. “We thank Waterman Onions, their staff, customers and suppliers who contributed to the donation to the Toon Hermans Huis Emmeloord very much for their generous gift. We are super happy with the wonderful donation and can use it to organize beautiful and creative activities and discussion groups for the guests of our center.” Erik Waterman tells “As we have been in the Noordoostpolder for 25 years, we would like to give something back to the polder. The Emmeloord-based Toon Hermans Huis foundation is a perfect choice. The foundation offers people living with cancer, or who have had cancer, the opportunity to share their experiences and we would like to help the foundation by donating to them.”

Read more about the foundation.