Maduro Holding
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipping, Tourism, Logistics, Aviation |
| Founded | 1837 |
| Headquarters | Willemstad, Curaçao |
Area served | Curaçao, Aruba, Sint Maarten, Netherlands, United States |
Key people | George M. Alvarez-Correa (Chairman of the Board) Henry Van Der Kwast (Chief Executive Officer) |
| Subsidiaries | S.E.L. Maduro & Sons Maduro Travel, Inc. Insel Air Insel Air Cargo Curaçao Port Services Curaçao Harbor Corporation Laparkan Maduro Airfreight Services Maduro Transport Services TNT Netherlands Antilles Caribbean Shipping Agencies Limited |
Maduro Holding B.V. is a holding company with interests in all companies belonging to the Maduro Group, a diversified conglomerate operating in the shipping services, tourism, logistics and aviation industries throughout the Dutch Caribbean, Netherlands, and United States. The company traces its roots to S.E.L. Maduro & Sons, a trading company founded in 1837 that is considered among the first established companies in the Caribbean. Maduro Holding is headquartered in Willemstad, Curaçao.
History
Early History
In 1837, Salomon Elias Levy (S.E.L.) Maduro founded a small trading company in the port of Willemstad that sold an assortment of basic commodities. He began by making trade trips to regional ports in the Caribbean and later added two schooners to New York, eventually adding more to meet the growing demands of his small thriving business. With the help of his two sons, S.E.L. Maduro & Sons soon expanded into ship bunkering and stevedoring to satisfy increasing demands from transcontinental ships. By the early twentieth century, the company had become the largest employer in Curaçao and was expanding internationally with offices in Caracas, Havana and New York.[1] During this period, the company invested heavily in the infrastructure of Willemstad's harbor, leading to the establishment of the Curaçao Harbor Corporation.
Following the opening of the Panama Canal, Royal Dutch Shell established an important petroleum refinery in the port of Willemstad due to Curaçao's proximity to Venezuelan oil fields. Throughout World War II, Willemstad's port was instrumental in supplying the Allied Air Forces in Northern Africa and Great Britain with petroleum products. It was during this time that the port emerged as one of the top ten harbors in the world in both tonnage and traffic handled.[2] Following the war, shipping traffic continued to fuel the growth of S.E.L. Maduro & Sons into the conglomerate of companies and interests presently owned by Maduro Holding B.V.
Present Day
S.E.L. Maduro & Sons presently acts as an agent to approximately 600 shipping companies. The company provides a wide range of logistical and husbandry services for most types of vessels including tankers, cruise ships and freighters. The recently constructed Mega Pier now accommodates post-Panamax supertankers and cruise ships. Maduro Travel is the group travel agency and specializes in tour planning throughout the America's and Caribbean region. It's packages have proven popular, evidenced by approximately a quarter million bookings annually. Launched in 2006, Insel Air has grown to become the current national airline of Curaçao. The remaining subsidiaries facilitate logistical channels on behalf of S.E.L. Maduro & Sons.
Foundation of Maduro's Bank
By the turn of the 20th century, S.E.L. Maduro & Sons' financial department was operating similar to a private commercial bank and its issuance of two hundred thousand guilders worth of bank notes had prevented the economy from falling into a recession. Beginning in 1901, the firm repeatedly petitioned to take over the Central Bank of Curaçao, on whose Board of Directors the family patriarch sat. However, its request was not granted until 1916 when Maduro petitioned jointly with Joseph 'Shon Jojo' Alvarez-Correa from the commerce house Correa Hermanos & Co. This partnership gave rise to the creation of Maduro's Bank in 1917. In 1932, Maduro's Bank merged with Curiel's Bank to form Maduro & Curiel's Bank.[3][4]
References
- ^ "S.E.L. Maduro & Sons, Roots of Our Future". Curaçao Chamber of Commerce & Industry. December 11, 2002. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
- ^ "Isla refinery, Curacao". vrcurassow.com. February 15, 2007. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
- ^ "The Curacao Island: Maduro Curiel Bank MCB Curacao". thecuracaoisland.com. May 21, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
- ^ "Maduro & Curiel's Bank, Roots of Our Future". Curaçao Chamber of Commerce & Industry. December 11, 2002. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
External links
- S.E.L. Maduro & Sons (Aruba) [1]
- S.E.L. Maduro & Sons (Curaçao) [2]
- S.E.L. Maduro & Sons (WWI) [3]
- Maduro Travel, Inc. (Aruba) [4]
- Maduro Travel, Inc. (Curaçao) [5]
- Insel Air [6]
- Insel Air Cargo [7]
- Curaçao Port Services [8]
- Laparkan [9]
- Maduro Airfreight Services (MAS) [10]
- Maduro Transport Services (MTS) [11]
- TNT Netherlands Antilles [12]
- Caribbean Shipping Agencies Limited [13]