On Saturday, December 20th, we closed out 2025 with an informal and especially convivial Christmas get-together. It was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on a successful year together and look ahead to what's to come.

No fewer than 8 anniversaries in 2025!
Our long-serving employees were put in the spotlight this evening. An achievement to be proud of!

Throughout the year, we marked the anniversaries of Alex Loen (12.5 years), Ineke Brand (5 years), Jan Romkes (5 years), and Bert Kombrink (5 years). For the driving staff, this is always a bit more difficult as they are often on the road. Therefore, we celebrated the anniversaries of Jebbe Sikkema (10 years), Gerrit Bijlsma (5 years), Jacob van Slooten (5 years), and Frank Ruizendaal (5 years) during the Christmas drinks. We hereby thank them once again for their good work and dedication!

During the annual Christmas quiz, the challenge cup went to Bram Vlot this year. This is extra special, as 2025 is also the year Bram leaves Brouwer. However, Bram is not simply leaving us behind. His determination, his ability to maintain an overview, his confidence, his humor, and his commitment have left a lasting impression and guiding principle. Thank you, Bram, for everything you have contributed. We wish you every success with your next step.

In addition, we also said goodbye to Jakob Brouwer this year. Jakob took over the reins as director from his father and founder, Jurie Brouwer, in 1995. In 2020, he sold his company to Kotra and Bram Vlot. For the past five years, he continued working at Brouwer as an advisor and administrator. During these years, he was able to gradually transition from a four-day to a one-day work week. We are immensely grateful to Jakob for the solid foundation he laid. We will miss him greatly as a director, advisor, and ultimately as a colleague. Jakob, thank you and we wish you all the best!

On to 2026!