![[Mammoet houseflag]](../images/n/nl~mammo.gif)
Last modified: 2018-12-15 by rob raeside
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image by Jarig Bakker, 5 Apr 2005
See also:
Some facts gleaned from “Duwvaart” (1988) by Jansen & Van
Heck pp. 52-53.
To begin with, some history: Mammoet was the new name of amalgamated
companies Johannes Goedkoop NV Hijs & Transport Maatschappij,
Amsterdam and Van Wezel, Hengelo; in 1970 Stoof of Breda was taken over;
the important shipping company KNSM became
a shareholder. From the beginning the firm specialized in exceptionally
heavy transport (on water as well as over land).
The complete name is given in above source as ‘Mammoet Goedkoop
B.V. Hijs & Transport Maatschappij’, Amsterdam (i.e. Mammoet Goedkoop
Ltd Hoist and Transport Co.), Goedkoop not meaning “cheap” but rather a
well-known name in Dutch shipping!
Jansen & Van Heck show a b/w drawing of a triangular pennant (length
twice that of the height), a “so-called jack” in their words, being blue
and
bearing a white mammoth shaped like the one above. As yet I haven't
found any photos.
Some more information here:
Founded (sic, jm) 1973 by KNSM (perhaps the moment the yellow flag
was introduced?) and following this firm when it became part of Nedlloyd
in 1981. When the heavy transport department was sold to transporter Van
Seumeren this firm let Spliethoff, already
owner of 70% of Mammoet, buy its part of the maritime activities.
However since Van Seumeren had named its own activities ‘Mammoet’, Mammoet
Shipping had to be renamed. From 2000 on it is known as BigLift Shipping.
Main group website, see especially
‘Group of Companies’ under ‘The Company’ such as ‘Mammoet Road Cargo’ showing
vertical eye-catching banners.
On this site: see ‘Company
Profile’ for white flag with red mammoth (ferried road transport).
Mammoet Salvage is the newest, starting out on 1 January 2006: the
idea is to rapidly become the equal of Smit International
and Wijsmuller. It became internationally
known by the salvage of the Russian submarine "Kursk".
Jan Mertens, 7 Mar 2006
![[Mammoet burgee]](../images/n/nl~mamm1.gif)
image by Jarig Bakker, 2 Mar 2006
![[Mammoet ferries]](../images/n/nl~mamm2.gif)
image by Jarig Bakker, 2 Mar 2006
![[Mammoet variant]](../images/n/nl~mamm3.jpg)
image sent by Jan Mertens, 7 Jan 2007
See following
page presented in the message concerning Ancora Shipping (21 Dec. 2006):
Photos are clickable, the first one shows – among other flags – two red
variant Mammoet house flags with white name ‘MAMMOET’ (no serifs) underneath
the animal which is rendered in grey.
And that is not all, a small stripe along the hoist (one fourth white
on top, the rest black) has the words ‘VAN SEUMEREN GROUP’ in white letters
(no serifs) on the black part of said stripe.
Van Seumeren, owner of Mammoet, is briefly mentioned in the comments
above. This
article (in Dutch) about a brochure concerning Mammoet explains that
not Mammoet was 40 years old in 2006, as is misleadingly suggested, but
rather Van Seumeren. So the company presently owning Mammoet was
founded in 1966, Mammoet itself apparently in 1971, whereas 2000 was the
year Van Seumeren took over. More on this takeover (in Dutch again)
here:
Top man Frans van Seumeren comments, drolly, that ‘Mammoet’ is easy to
pronounce all over the world! What I do not know, is whether all
Mammoet flags are now expected to mention the company owner (surely not?).
Jan Mertens, 7 Jan 2007
