Where it all began
Handerie Kusters opens a forge on the Zuidsingel in Venlo, laying the foundation for what would become Royal Dutch Kusters Engineering. From these early beginnings, a strong family business takes shape, built on craftsmanship, entrepreneurship, and a long-term commitment to innovation.
The development of the Venlo Greenhouse
During the 1920s, Handerie developed the Venlo Greenhouse, a heated greenhouse designed for cultivating crops under glass. This innovative concept is still widely used today for growing vegetables and cut flowers.
Growth despite the crisis
Despite the global economic crisis of the 1930s, the forge continued to operate at full capacity. During this period, Handerie's youngest son, Harrie Sr., joined the family business.
Planning for expansion
Demand for forged products and greenhouses continued to grow. By the late 1940s, plans were made to build a new 1,000 m² production facility to support the company's expansion.
A new generation takes over
In 1950, Handerie Kusters is succeeded by his son, Harrie Kusters Snr., marking the start of a new generation of leadership. As the family legacy continues, Kusters builds on its strong foundations with the same commitment to craftsmanship, progress, and long-term vision.
A new foundation for growth
Kusters inaugurates its new premises in the Veegtes industrial area in Venlo, creating a strong foundation for the company’s next phase of growth. The new location supports continued innovation, operational development, and closer collaboration as Kusters strengthens its position for the future.
The third generation
Harrie Kusters Jr., Wiel, Martien, and George Kusters take the helm, leading Kusters into a new era of growth and development. As the third generation steps forward, they build on a strong family legacy while shaping the future of the company through innovation, trusted partnerships, and a continued commitment to engineering excellence.
Entering the security industry
Kusters supplies its first machine for the secure destruction of banknotes, postage stamps, and similar security documents, marking an important step into the security industry.
This milestone highlights the company’s growing expertise in developing reliable, purpose-built solutions for highly sensitive applications where safety, precision, and trust are essential.
First Coin Crusher
The first Kusters Coin Crusher is put into operation at De Nederlandsche Bank, marking an important step in the company’s growth in currency processing. This milestone highlights Kusters’ ability to deliver reliable, secure, and purpose-built solutions that support the evolving needs of national banking operations.
Expanding beyond Europe
Kusters India is established as the company’s first major office outside Europe, marking an important step in its international growth. This expansion brings Kusters closer to customers in the region and strengthens its ability to provide trusted support, local expertise, and smart engineering solutions.e.
Expanding into the US
Kusters opens an office in Washington to strengthen its presence in the United States and provide closer support to customers in the intelligence market. This step reflects the company’s commitment to trusted partnerships, local service, and smart, secure solutions tailored to the needs of this specialized sector.
A century of growth
Kusters celebrates its 100th anniversary, marking a century of family heritage and engineering excellence, and receives the Royal Dutch title from Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands.
115 years of engineering
In 2026, Kusters celebrates 115 years of family entrepreneurship, innovation, and trusted partnerships. This milestone reflects more than a century of engineering expertise, long-term customer relationships, and a continued commitment to building smart, secure, and sustainable solutions for the future.
