Aalten

Specialized wholesaler in the bicycle industry

Wholesaler Aalten was founded in Zeist in 1935. Everard van de Weg took it over in 1987 and, after another takeover, it was decided to move everything to Twello. Since 2005, the company has operated from Koppel Street and now has a workforce of 12.

Aalten is a wholesaler specialising in the cycling sector. It supplies specialist retailers but also cycle hire companies, travel organisations, cycle factories and Internet companies. It has a huge assortment of spare parts, accessories and bicycles in stock – some 10,000 items and more than 100 brands.

Bicycle wholesalers at home and abroad

The combination of solid, technical expertise with modern techniques, flexibility and a no-nonsense approach are appreciated by its 1,800 customers, the majority of them in the Netherlands. An Aalten customer is not just a number, it is someone you enjoy doing business with.

Online turnover in recent years has shot up. More and more sales have come from abroad, primarily from neighbouring countries but increasingly from further afield. Middle Eastern countries are placing more orders and child bike seats have been sent to Japan and Australia. Customers have said that they were attracted to a particular design on the website or that they hit on Aalten when searching for a particular brand.

Own product development

Sometimes there is market demand for a product that does not exist. In collaboration with a supplier, Aalten can develop a product. Various companies wanted a green bicycle with green tyres. No problem: it was developed and delivered. The Salvation Army is a special customer. Collaboration resulted in the ‘Major’, a cycle which reflects the ranks in the organisation and is a nod to Major Bosshardt, for many years the face of the Salvation Army in the Netherlands. The beauty is that these cycles are assembled by people who would normally find it hard to get a foothold in the labour market. Both social enterprise and sustainability are of paramount importance to Aalten. The roof of the company is completely covered with 698 solar panels that provide all its own energy needs and feed a considerable surplus into the national grid.