This was posted in the Van der Spek fan group yesterday (link). I thought I would share it for fans who don’t follow their social media.
We are so excited to see Van der Spek featured one of the largest national newspapers in the Netherlands, for our 100th anniversary.
As the article is protected by copyright, we are unable to reproduce it in full and have blurred the original Dutch text. We can, however, share a few excerpts with you in English, so you can join us in celebrating this special moment.
It all began in 2014, when Petra received a message from a woman in Canada who wanted to design her own planner. Until then, Van der Spek had mainly supplied shops and other large customers in the Netherlands. Petra created the custom-made planner – and the Canadian customer went on to start the Facebook group Van der Spek Organizer Fans. Today, the group has more than 7,000 members from around the world.
The article highlights how this small workshop in Puttershoek has developed a truly international reach. Around 85 percent of everything we make now travels beyond the Netherlands, with planners being sent to destinations all over the world.
René also looks back on how much the company has changed over the generations. Van der Spek once made everything from leather photo frames to desk sets and supplied the Dutch Royal Household for fifty years. Today, custom-made planners have become the heart of the company.
The article also explores what makes a Van der Spek planner so personal: customers can choose everything from the leather and stitching to the pocket layout and closure. “You can put together your entire planner yourself. That is what truly sets us apart.
Reflecting on everything that has changed over the past 100 years, René says: “It is hard to comprehend, but it is a wonderful development
It is amazing that – in these days of mass production – a small multi-generational leather company has become so popular. The Van der Speks are an amazing family, and their team are part of their family too. I am so fond of all of them, who I have had the pleasure of visiting several times.
Susan S was the first person from the planner community to order a Van der Spek planner. Those of us in the Philofaxy community followed the process of her purchase with great interest, because VDS at that time did not sell to private individuals, or have a webshop. Susan’s planners were absolutely divine. Zeb A was, I believe, the first person to order a VDS Touch Me. I was so interested in Van Der Spek products at tha point that I bought a vintage one (20 years old at that point) from the Netherlands. The seller, photographer Paul Dolk, has now become a treasured friend, as has his wife Sandra who works with animals. The flurry of interest in Van der Spek led me to start the fan group in January 2014 (12 years ago!). The sales group soon followed.
Congratulations to Van Der Spek on their 100th birthday and here’s to many more. There have been many new products, fun videos, competitions, and giveaways this year to celebrate the jubilee. Find the VDS Instagram here and the webshop here