Dirk van den Broek
{{Short description|Dutch businessman (1924–2020)}}
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{{About|the businessman|the supermarket chain formerly known by his name|Dirk (supermarket)}}
File:Dirk van den Broek (1967).jpg
Dirk van den Broek ({{IPA|nl|ˈdɪr(ə)k fɑn də(m) ˈbruk}}; 27 March 1924 – 8 April 2020){{cite web|title=Dirk van den Broek|url=http://www.dirkvandenbroekhistorie.nl/geschiedenis.html|website=www.dirkvandenbroekhistorie.nl/|accessdate=20 January 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150120111158/http://www.dirkvandenbroekhistorie.nl/geschiedenis.html|archivedate=20 January 2015}} was a Dutch businessman.{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraaf.nl/reiskrant/er_op_uit/9366196/__Amsterdam_Museum_belicht_buurtwinkels__.html?sn=reiskrant|title=Amsterdam Museum belicht buurtwinkels|date=25 March 2011|work=De Telegraaf|language=Dutch|accessdate=2 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526234034/http://www.telegraaf.nl/reiskrant/er_op_uit/9366196/__Amsterdam_Museum_belicht_buurtwinkels__.html?sn=reiskrant|archive-date=26 May 2011|url-status=dead}}{{cite book|last1=Verschaffel|first1=Lieven|last2=Corte|first2=E. De|title=Powerful environments for promoting deep conceptual and strategic learning|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QzaDgG98iNAC&pg=PA151|year=2005|publisher=Leuven University Press|isbn=978-90-5867-469-2|page=151}} He was the founder of Cooperating Dirk van den Broek Companies.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dirk.nl/over-dirk/historie|website=www.dirk.nl|title=Historie|access-date=2019-11-04}} In 2014 some of his stores were renamed Dirk.
Early life
Van den Broek was born in Amsterdam in 1924. At the age of 15, he started selling milk throughout the city.
Career
In 1942, Van den Broek opened his first business, a small dairy store in his home neighbourhood. By 1953, he had expanded his small dairy business into a supermarket, which was the first of its kind in Amsterdam.
He kept his business growing by adopting an acquisition strategy, taking over local grocery stores. Later he started D-reizen, a popular travel agency. This company is one of the oldest family-owned businesses in the Netherlands.
He owned over 120 stores in cities across the country.
Van den Broek was knighted as Officer in the Order of Orange Nassau in 1990 by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.
Personal life
He was married and was a father to his five children. His children have been actively involved in the family business.
Dirk van den Broek died in Aerdenhout at the age of 96.{{Cite web |url=https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2020/04/supermarket-founder-dirk-van-den-broek-dies-age-96/ |title=Supermarket founder Dirk van den Broek dies age 96 |date=2020-04-14 |website=DutchNews.nl |language=en-GB |access-date=2020-04-16}}
References
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