Our history
The company was founded in 1969 under the name of C.R. Snel B.V. by Rob Snel. There was no suitable warehouse available at that time. The hulls were mostly built in the open air on a site at the Baanhoek in Sliedrecht.
In October 1971, the construction of a new warehouse was started, which was erected on the site of the old warehouse.
Rob’s vision of distinguishing himself from the competition led him to invest in large cutters (for cutting plates) and a large folding press (for bending plates).
In the course of time, the company grew from one employee (in addition to Rob himself) to about four. Business was booming, but Rob wanted the company to remain manageable. Rob’s wife Henny helped out by taking care of the household and the children, as well as the administration.
In 1984, the last ‘vlet’ (flat-bottomed boat) was built, after which the focus shifted mainly to wheelhouses, bollards and entrances in steel, aluminium and stainless steel.
At the end of the 1980s, a site on the Industrieweg was purchased. Rob saw opportunities to focus on the sale of parts for the shipbuilding industry, such as manholes and hinges and locks for doors and hatches, in addition to the production. In 1989, Rob Snel Technische Handelsonderneming B.V. was established.
In 2000, C.R. Snel B.V. moved to the premises next to Rob Snel Technische Handelsonderneming B.V. on Industrieweg. A large warehouse was built with modern machinery such as a water cutter, two shears, two plate cutters and a folding press for bending watertight door frames. Production continued to focus on delivering custom items in steel, aluminium and stainless steel.
In 2003, son Sebastian took over C.R. Snel B.V. and Rob, albeit more in the background, remained involved.
In 2011, the trade names were changed to Rob Snel Metaal & Techniek and Rob Snel Technische Groothandel (Rob Snel Technical Wholesale) in order to create more unity.
Both companies are working closely together to offer the customer a total product package.
In August 2020, founder Rob Snel passed away at the age of 81. Until his death, he could be found in the office almost every day and was still the owner/director of Technische Groothandel.
After his death, the three children (Maurice, Sebastian and Jeanine) decided to jointly continue and further develop Rob Snel Technische Groothandel. Key points in the new policy are close customer contact and being easy to find on the internet.
Meanwhile, the company has existed for more than 50 years and works with a regular, skilled team that always strives for high quality and, above all, a satisfied customer.
