About us
HEM Suriname N.V, also known as "the HEM" is a leading importer and distributor of consumer items in Suriname. We represent renowned multinationals, such as Nestlé, Johnson and Johnson, Reckitt Benckiser, Connor Bros, Edgewell, Perfetti Van Melle, McBride, KC Candy, Zwanenberg and many others. Our sales channels include a pre-sales team of 14 people, 3 direct sales trucks and 2 online shops: HEM2B and Now2SU.
HEM presently employs 130 people, has a fleet of 20 trucks and 5000 m2 storage surface of which 20% in various cooling and freezing facilities.
With its skilled employees, quality assortment and continuous innovation in sales and distribution, HEM Suriname N.V. always guarantees quality, since 1898!
From 1898 to the present
HEM is an operating company of the Dutch holding company HEM Holding B.V. It is a family business that has existed since 1898 and started trading to the East (Dutch East Indies) and to the West (Suriname and the Antilles). Until 1952, the Hollandsche Export Maatschappij worked in Suriname through various agents, of which NV. J.F.D. Haenen was the last. In 1957, it moved to its own office at a prime location in the heart of Paramaribo, and in 1962, a separate Surinamese non-listed limited company under the laws of Suriname was established, HEM Suriname N.V.
Under the management of Wilfred Spangenthal (for more information, please refer to In Memoriam), who was the third generation working in the family business, the company expanded into one of the largest importers/distributors of consumer items in Suriname. In 2005, his daughter Irene Spangenthal and husband Stan Franker returned to Suriname and took over management of the company. In the last decade, the HEM has been modernized with great determination, which is also reflected in the magnificent,, new 9,000 m² distribution center and offices in the outskirts of Paramaribo. For the first time since the early days, everything is centralized in 1 location. Between the end of 2016 and November of 2017, the different parts of the company moved in phases to the new building.
Less visible is the fact that, behind the scenes, we are working hard on further professionalization by implementing state-of-the-art computer applications that will ensure a major leap forward in our business operations and distribution. A characteristic of the HEM is a relentless drive to continuously improve and innovate.
