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Van Raam produces uniquely special needs bicycles and specializes in tricycles, transport bikes, scooterbikes, wheelchair bikes, tandem bikes, double rider bikes, and low step trough bikes (also known as comfortbikes). Each model is also available as an electric bike (Pedelec).
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Oldest employee in the Netherlands (96) has retired
After over 81 years in the bicycle branch, of which more than 70 years at Van Raam, Henk Kluver, the oldest employee in the Netherlands, has stopped working. He officially retired January 1, 2018. On Friday May 18, 2018 Van Raam’s management and employees said goodbye to their colleague Henk Kluver during his farewell reception and thanked the 96 year old ‘Mr Kluver’ for the many years he worked at Van Raam. With sadness we have learned that former colleague Henk Kluver passed away May 17, 2022 at the age of 100.
Henk Kluver's career
Through the years Kluver, who started his career as a 14 year old boy in Amsterdam and moved along with Van Raam to the Achterhoek (region in the east of the Netherlands) at the age of 50, has received a lot of attention from the media. As the right-hand of Mr. Van Raam and later owner of Van Raam, Piet Boezel, Henk Kluver learned all the intricacies of the trade. Together with Piet Boezel he experienced the start of Van Raam’s current specialization: manufacturing special needs bicycles. On this special Henk Kluver page you will read more about his extraordinary career.
2011: Henk is here to stay...
Henk Kluver has already been employed in the bicycle manufacturing branch for 75 years. Various media like the Telegraaf (Dutch newspaper) have written an article about the 88-year-old Van Raam employee. Henk still takes pleasure in his job: “I will keep working here as long as my health allows for it.”
2012: Reminiscing with Joop Zoetemelk
Henk Kluver (89 years old and active in the bicycle branch for 75 years of which 66 years at Van Raam) took a trip down memory lane together with Joop Zoetemelk and others during the Fietsvak in the Rai in Amsterdam. Kluver has designed and produced frames and bicycles for Zoetemelk in the past.
2012: Henk Kluver wins Volkswagen Transporter
Because of VW Transporter’s 65th anniversary, Volkswagen went on the look for enthusiastic employees over 65. We nominated Henk Kluver. As oldest employee in the Netherlands Henk won the van. This article allows you to learn more about Henk through a video in which you will see his unusual response to winning the price.
2013: Henk Kluver has to keep moving
De Volkskrant recently published an article about people over 65 who continue to work. Of course Henk Kluver could not be left out. In the article you will read about the tie that he wears every day and his own, private parking space at Van Raam. According to Henk the secret to growing old energetically is humor. For him, every day at Van Raam starts with a witz (joke).
2014: Oldest and youngest employee mkb-metal (Dutch metal union)
Because Van Raam employs the oldest as well as the youngest employees in the field of metal processing, a video was made starring Ceico Datema and Henk Kluver in the leading roles. The metal journal recently published an article about it. Of course it is very special that Van Raam, manufacturer in special needs bikes, employs two people with an age difference of 75 years!
2015: 93 years old and still enjoys going to work every day
Even Het Financieele Dagblad (Dutch Financial Times) showed interest in Henk Kluver’s story and sent a journalist to Varsseveld for an interview. At the time the 93-year-old employee was enjoying his 80th year working in the branch. Despite his failing health and declining hearing, he still enjoyed his job. According to Kluver age does not matter as long as you enjoy going to work!
2016: Delivering Ajax a wheelchair bike
In cooperation with our dealer CombiComfort and the Ajax foundation, we manufactured a special Ajax wheelchair bike for Frank, an avid Ajax supporter. For this special occasion we delivered the bike personally. Of course Mr. Kluver, born and raised in Amsterdam and big Ajax-fan, had to come along.
2016: 70 years at Van Raam
Friday February 26, 2016 Henk Kluver celebrated his 70th anniversary at Van Raam. Of course we could not let this special event go by unnoticed. It became a special day with family, colleagues, speeches, cake and a lot of media attention (Hart van Nederland).
2018: 95-year-old retires
His farewell reception was held on May 18, 2018 and included special speeches by his colleagues from Van Raam that looked back on many years of ‘Mr. Kluver” at Van Raam. In this article about Henk Kluver you will read more about the farewell reception and his 81 year long career - of which more than 70 years at Van Raam.
2022: Henk Kluver passed away
With sadness we have learned that former colleague Henk Kluver passed away May 17, 2022 at the age of 100.