^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Dutch Houseflags of Shipping Companies [a]

A2B-ONLINE Shipmanagement BV
Abeko Shipping BV
Abis Shipping Co.
Acta Marine
Bevrachtingskantoor Gebr. Aerts
Afrikaansche Handelsvereeniging
Agritrans
AIMK
J. Van den Akker Bergings en Transportbedrijf
AkzoNobel
Alphatron
Rederij Amstelland - B&R flag
Amsterdam
Amsterdam-Londen Lijn "Starintex"
Amsterdamse Ballast
ANSM
ARPA
Stoomvaart Mij. "Atlas"

Other "a" companies:

See also:

A2B-ONLINE Shipmanagement BV

image by Martijn Nekkers, 20 December 2021

A2B-ONLINE Shipmanagement BV, is homebased in the Dutch port Moerdijk in the southern part of the country. The company offers a container and shipping service for loads from and to different ports in Great Britain and vice versa. They offer a daily service based on trailers and containers. The company operates several vessels with names like A2B Comfort, A2B Spirit and A2B Spirit.
Source: photographs taken by Koos Goudriaan and Kees Torn plus internet
Martijn Nekkers, 20 December 2021

Funnel Markings

images by Martijn Nekkers, 20 December 2021

Abeko Shipping BV

image by Martijn Nekkers, 22 December 2021

Abeko Shipping BV was the owner of the 'Contender' a hopper suction dredger flying these colours in 2012. The parent company Abeko Marine BV is specialised in all kinds of land and hydraulic engineering and construction work. The company was set up in 1987 and the headquarters are in Beverwijk, Holland.
Source : magazine De Blauwe Wimpel May 2012
Martijn Nekkers, 22 December 2021

Funnel Marking

image by Martijn Nekkers, 22 December 2021

Abis Shipping Co.

image by Martijn Nekkers, 9 November 2021

Abis Shipping, BV was founded in Harlingen (Friesland) in 2007. They operated in its heydays a fleet of freighters under the Dutch flag for river shipping, short sea shipping, project (heavy-lift) cargo and the offshore industry. Abis specialised in transporting heavy cargo for oil and gas companies and offshore wind farms. Sad enough in 2016 the company was forced to file for bankruptcy with the Dutch court. Continuing difficult market conditions forced the company to take this step. The complete fleet was sold to other parties
Sources: private observation, internet and magazine Seabreezes 2006
Martijn Nekkers, 9 November 2021

This is what the logo looked like in the Leeuwarder Courant: https://lc.nl/economie/Einde-voor-reder-Abis-Shipping-is-definitief-21815593.html.
A bit more detail, if not showing exactly a separate logo is in: https://foursquare.com/v/abis-shipping/4e6a1dd21f6e1e74e4120365
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 19 November 2021

Funnel marking

image by Martijn Nekkers, 9 November 2021

Acta Marine

image by Martijn Nekkers, 9 November 2021

Acta Marine BV of Rotterdam operates globally with a fleet of multipurpose vessels, survey vessels and barges. The company is supporting clients working on coastal infrastructure, offshore wind and oil & gas projects in a broad range of maritime sectors. The company started in 1970 and was established as a merger of several smaller ventures.
Sources: private observation. Magazine Sleep en Duwvaart 2018/06

Martijn Nekkers, 9 November 2021

Funnel marking

image by Martijn Nekkers, 9 November 2021

Bevrachtingskantoor Gebr. Aerts

image by Jarig Bakker, 20 May 2006, artwork by Mark Sensen.

The choice of house flag is rather surprising. See this website, the modest web presence of a freighting agency named after the Aerts brothers, situated at Ridderkerk to the SE of Rotterdam, Netherlands.
As the name says, this company arranges transport i.e. in inland navigation, shipment by tanker excluded. Vessels are chartered or owned (number not given, but between 500 to 3000 metric tonnes).
The house flag is the Zeeland provincial flag partly obscured, or defaced, by a vertical white panel near the hoist bearing in black the name AERTS. The letters are arranged vertically. I suppose the Aerts brothers hail from Zeeland, as Ridderkerk is in Zuid-Holland province.
The Aerts flag can be seen on a vessel ‘MVS Fewi’ (photo) and further down the page (drawing) here.
The choice of flag may very well express pride and local patriotism.
Jan Mertens, 17 Apr 2006

Afrikaansche Handelsvereeniging

image by Martijn Nekkers, 9 November 2021

The Afrikaansche Handelsvereeniging, NV (AH) (African Trading Association) of Rotterdam, established in1866, traded in Central Africa. They owned three steamers and several schooners. Founders where two business men of Rotterdam, Pincoffs and Kerkdijk. In 1879 the company went bankrupt as the result of fraud. The company was, with financial support of the city of Rotterdam, reorganized as Nieuwe Afrikaansche Handels-Vennootschap (AHV) (New African Trade Association) by another Rotterdam businessman Hendrik Muller Szn. In 1890 the NAHV owned 75 trading-posts in Africa. The company ended her activities as a trading company in 1982.
Sources: flag sheet Nederlandsche Assuradeuren 1870; Amsterdamsche Almanak 1920; Lloyd's House flags and funnels 1912.

Martijn Nekkers, 9 November 2021

Funnel marking

image by Martijn Nekkers, 9 November 2021

Agritrans

image by Jan Mertens, 25 Feb 2008

It is always nice to encounter an inland shipping company site with the house flag in a prominent place. Shown as a drawing and on a photo as well (one of the items in the photo carrousel, at least), this Dutch firm flies a striking flag: blue bearing a red lion rampant and the company name ‘AGRITRANS’ over all in white serifed letters. Situated at Numansdorp on the Hollands Diep, a river arm linking Zeeland and the big rivers, GVR Agritrans was founded in January 1997 as a freighting company for inland vessels between 560 and 3500 metric tonnes transporting various kinds of bulk loads. As stated on the site, these barges ply the Benelux waterways and the main rivers and canals in Germany.
Employing three, the firm is located in a building prominently displaying the flag – see ‘Route’ (left menu).
An article in ‘Binnenvaartkrant’ (i.e. Inland Shipping Journal) is reproduced in the ‘Nieuws’ (i.e. News) section but I went the other way – seeing the article (12 Feb 2008) first, then looking up the company: a nice flag is seen through the window!
We learn that about thirty barges regularly do business with Agritrans, apparently named after the main bulk goods transported in the first years: various kinds of grain and fodder (no clue as to what ‘GVR’ actually means however).

As the firm was relocated from Zierikzee it might be the Zeeland lion we see here - safely above ground!
What I take to be an earlier flag of Agritrans… merely a tiny drawing, alas… is found here: Blue field, large white initials GVR with ‘AGRITRANS’ (also in white) in a bow above them.
Jan Mertens, 25 Feb 2008

AIMK

image by Jarig Bakker, 2 Apr 2007

Yesterday there was a stiff breeze in the "Oude Houthaven" in Amsterdam, and the flag had "AIMK" in center. It is a horizontal red-black-red flag (Amsterdam), in center "AIMK" in white; in the canton the Dutch flag.
It is the flag of the Amsterdams Internationaal Motor Kantoor (Amsterdam International Motoring Office (AIMK). It was founded in the 1950's and has 20 ships ranging from 300 to 1200 tonnes, and a list of c. 25 "hausparticulieren" (whatever that may be)..
Jarig Bakker, 2 Apr 2007

J. Van den Akker Bergings en Transportbedrijf

J. Van den Akker Bergings en Transportbedrijf, NV (Salvage and Transport Co) was established in 1929 by Johan v.d. Akker a former fisherman, born in Maassluis in 1892. His first salvage vessel had the name Jacomina. Johan died in 1968. For the bigger part the company's home base was Rotterdam. Hence the colour white and green for the flag and funnel livery. After 1971 the home base was changed to Flushing (Vlissingen). The company had the practice to change the company livery regularly. In 2003 the company stopped its activities.
Sources: private observations from Joachim Hahn, Heinrich Fischbach, John Styring, Louis Loughran, Martijn Nekkers
Company history details in 'Slepen op de Schelde' by Nico J. Ouwehand.
This publication was the official exhibition guide of the Nationaal Sleepvaart Museum, Maassluis (Dutch National Towage Museum Maassluis)
Martijn Nekkers, 9 November 2021

image by Martijn Nekkers, 9 November 2021

Funnel markings

images by Martijn Nekkers, 9 November 2021

Alphatron

image by Gerard van der Vaart, 17 Apr 2005

Gerard van der Vaart has been involved in a project for the preservation of a tugboat in Maassluis (Zuid-Holland province). He took several pictures of flagged tugs (mostly signalling flag), with in the center houseflags of tugging companies.
Alphatron, a company supplying nautical instruments, one of the main sponsors of the event - white field black "ALPHATRON" the "O" filled red.
Jarig Bakker, 17 Apr 2005

Rederij Amstelland

image by Jarig Bakker, 6 Sep 2008

‘Rederij Amstelland’, named after the famous river in Amsterdam, was a Dutch shipping company featured in “Duwvaart” by Jansen & Van Heck (1988). This firm
was active in push navigation and consequently merited inclusion – p. 16 presents the ‘NV Brandstoffenhandel en Rederij’ (i.e. Fuel Trading and Shipping Co. Ltd) at Amsterdam as a subsidiary of the famous German ‘Braunkohle’ company at Cologne.

Shown in two b/w versions, the house flag is described as the Dutch one with a white diamond in the centre, bordered in orange, bearing black initials ‘R’ and ‘A’ and the well-known crossed black hammers in between. If my notes are correct, these versions only differed in the first having a thicker border – the initials remain the same.
Image recently found on German eBay: no. 200204562058 (end 12 Mar 2008), table flag put up by “freschkall”.
A ‘Binnenvaart’ page dedicated to ‘Oranje 1’ shows a similar flag (predecessor) as a drawing whereas the photo shows the emblem of the second version painted on the funnel: ‘Similar flag’ indeed as the initials (in orange; no hammers) read ‘B&R’ which surely refer to the longer company name.
Vessels listed on ‘Binnenvaart’ were active for these companies 1923-1986
PS: the above are not to be confused with ‘Rederij Aemstelland’ operating tourist vessels in Amsterdam.
Jan Mertens, 3 Mar 2008

Rederij Amstelland - B&R flag

image by Jarig Bakker, 6 Sep 2008

Amsterdam

image by Jarig Bakker, 29 January 2001

Houseflag of N.V. Reederij "Amsterdam", Amsterdam.
Image from Flagchart of houseflags of Dutch shipping companies, attached to the magazine "De Blauwe Wimpel", April 1956.
Jarig Bakker, 1 Feb 2001

Amsterdam-Londen Lijn "Starintex"

image by Jarig Bakker, 8 July 2004

Blue with a narrow yellow hoist; on blue in top capitals "A. L. L."; in bottom "Starintex". Starintex is a Swedish quick-delivery firm. Ship: Jean E.
Source: flagchart "Vlaggen in de haven van Amsterdam" (flags in the harbour of Amsterdam)
Jarig Bakker, 8 July 2004

Amsterdam-London Lijn "Starintex". "Starintex" N.V. which operated as the Amsterdam-London Lijn in the late 1960s-early 1970s was a Dutch company based in Amsterdam.
Neale Rosanoski, 12 Jan 2005

Amsterdamse Ballast

image by Jarig Bakker, 23 Sep 2005

Amsterdamse Ballast Bagger en Grond B.V., Amstelveen - white over blue flag; in the center the firm's logo.
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95].
Jarig Bakker, 23 Sep 2005

ANSM

image by Jarig Bakker, 1 Jan 2005

Algemeene Nederlandsche Scheepvaart Maatschappij, Rotterdam - blue flag, white diamond, black "ANSM" in black.
Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels of British and Foreign Steamship Companies, compiled by F.J.N. Wedge, Glasgow, 1926 [wed26]
Jarig Bakker, 1 Jan 2005

ARPA

image by Jarig Bakker, 27 Oct 2003

Dov Gutterman spotted this website of ARPA Shipping, Roosendaal, Netherlands - houseflag: White with black (?) circle, charged with an eight-pointed star countercharged red and blue (the image is rather dim, so I could have seen it wrong)
Jarig Bakker, 27 Oct 2003

Stoomvaart Mij. "Atlas"

image by Jarig Bakker, 20 Jul 2008

A site dedicated to Rotterdam’s colourful – and partly maritime – past “Rotterdammers” seems to be down again. They had a page titled (Dutch, old spelling) “Maatschappij-vlaggen en schoorstenen der voornaamste Reederijen Rotterdam in 1925” i.e. Company flags and funnels belonging to the most important shipping companies at Rotterdam, 1925. This suggests the house flags had been taken from a chart or some other publication.

‘Stoomvaart Mij. “Atlas” (i.e. Steam Shipping Co. “Atlas”): a green field bearing a large red initial ‘A’without serifs.
Essential information was found here: As the German shipping company OPDR (‘Oldenburg-Portugiesische Dampfschiffs-Rhederei’) was not allowed to resume its line linking Rotterdam and Antwerp to Morocco - a French protectorate - after WWI, a deal was made with the Dutch firm Wambersie & Zoon (i.e. Son) to operate a few ships under the Dutch flag. Period: 1921-1927.
A first ship, ‘Lukkos’, perished during its first year of operation, 1923. ‘Sebu’ and 'Tanger' sailed for Atlas between 1923 and 1927 when OPDR took over the ships.
Surely the company name refers – in an oblique way – to Morocco (Atlas mountain range); this could even be extended to the house flag colours: red-on-green alluding to the green-on-red of the protectorate’s flag.
Jan Mertens, 15 Jul 2008