The History of Renmar Curacao.
Dick Jan Schipper (2.01 meters) was born in the Netherlands in 1946
and belongs to the generation of ‘baby boomers’.
and belongs to the generation of ‘baby boomers’.
He knew he could play a role in the international trading business.
Schipper: “From my generation everyone went abroad and travelled to country’s like Canada,
Egypt, Australia and Israel. I had a cousin in California who asked me to come and work with him.
Not soon after that, I saw a job as a management trainee in South Africa. It sounded good and I left for South Africa “.
Schipper: “From my generation everyone went abroad and travelled to country’s like Canada,
Egypt, Australia and Israel. I had a cousin in California who asked me to come and work with him.
Not soon after that, I saw a job as a management trainee in South Africa. It sounded good and I left for South Africa “.
Schipper arrived in 1968 in South Africa. Despite the “apartheid”, the Dutch government had even sponsored his trip …
“When I got there, of course, it was all strange to me. You have to adjust and the first year is a matter of survival.
I worked in Johannesburg for a company in lighting fixtures. I loved it.
That space and the environment! I felt not at all unsafe. I got married and we had two children.
They went to a mixed school. One day my son who was then 16 years old came back from school
I had to fill out a form that he should join the army at 18. My son absolutely didn’t want to go, because the army was only
for whites and he did not want to run to be used. Against his black friends at any risk He said he would like to leave the country.
I worked in Johannesburg for a company in lighting fixtures. I loved it.
That space and the environment! I felt not at all unsafe. I got married and we had two children.
They went to a mixed school. One day my son who was then 16 years old came back from school
I had to fill out a form that he should join the army at 18. My son absolutely didn’t want to go, because the army was only
for whites and he did not want to run to be used. Against his black friends at any risk He said he would like to leave the country.
That was the moment we decided together to leave the country. We started building a yacht that was adapted to my height.
We decided to go around the world to sail. The trip would take 5 years. We left from Cape Town to Brazil.
In February we made the crossing in 30 days. We arrived in Venezuela where the children went to school.
However, we got the impression that progress at school wasn’t that good. We then sailed to Bonaire and Curacao eventually.
It was 1989 and I was immediately sold.
We felt that this was the place where we had to settle. I made my boat charters with tourists, but we wanted some continuity on the island “.
We decided to go around the world to sail. The trip would take 5 years. We left from Cape Town to Brazil.
In February we made the crossing in 30 days. We arrived in Venezuela where the children went to school.
However, we got the impression that progress at school wasn’t that good. We then sailed to Bonaire and Curacao eventually.
It was 1989 and I was immediately sold.
We felt that this was the place where we had to settle. I made my boat charters with tourists, but we wanted some continuity on the island “.
Schipper traveled in his time in South Africa often to the Cape in order to buy wines.
The hobby got out of hand and the cellar under his house in Johannesburg was soon too small for the many wines that he bought.
He knew how to select the right wine producers in the Cape and on Curacao the idea to import South African wines grew.
The hobby got out of hand and the cellar under his house in Johannesburg was soon too small for the many wines that he bought.
He knew how to select the right wine producers in the Cape and on Curacao the idea to import South African wines grew.
Schipper: “At that time there were only a few Curacao wine importers.
My specialty is South African wine, but soon there was a demand for Chilean wine and so I made contact with Undurraga to import.
Their wines.
My specialty is South African wine, but soon there was a demand for Chilean wine and so I made contact with Undurraga to import.
Their wines.
In Argentina we selected Catena Zapata. Currently there are many more wine importers on Curacao, but we do good business. “
