13.01.2008

Award for Riwal

Last week the Rotterdam chamber of commerce announced the winner of the 10th annual Drechtsteden Entrepreneur Award, open to companies in Rotterdam and surrounding towns.

This year, Dutch based access rental company Riwal was nominated as a finalist along with two other companies, Oceanco a designer and builder of superyachts and Florensis a hghly successful florist. The theme for this year’s Award was Creative Enterprereneurs.

When the chairman of the jury Sjef van Soormaalen, described the criteria the jury was looking for with this theme, including reaching out and taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the market place, the Riwal team felt optimistic. After half an hour of deliberation the jury announced that the winner was....Riwal.
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(L-R)Riwal owners- Dick Schalekamp, Jaap Schalekamp, Doron Livnat with Dick Schalekamp senior at the awards ceremony

Riwal chief executive and part owner, Dick Schalekamp accepted the prize and said : “I am not the kind of person who likes to be personally spotlighted. I also think that the name of this prize is wrong. It should not be called The Entrepeneur Award but the Award for the Enterprises, because only the whole company can win this award, it is a team effort. A good entrepreneur understands that it is the employees that make a company successful.”

After the award ceremony Riwal threw a party for the companies employees and invitees, with plenty of champagne to celebrate. Also present at the party was Riwal founder, Dick Schalekamp Senior who positvely glowed with pride at what the cmpany has achieved.