Pearl of De Langstraat: Van den Brandt Verhuur

Van den Brandt rental is not an unknown company to me. I have already rented bouncy castles, ridden the solex and had the pleasure of joining them at parties and coffee tables. Time for the story behind this beautiful family business and so I sat down with Jos van den Brandt.

How we laughed and what fun it was!
Jos van den Brandt is the fourth generation to run the farm at De Hoeven in Haarsteeg. In 2009 Jos decided to change course and started the catering company Van der Brandt Verhuur. Naturally, I am enormously curious to know how this came about and Jos begins to tell me. "My wife Dorathé went on an outing with her group of friends when one of her friends had a birthday. And so the women went solex riding. The next day she told me how much they had laughed and how much fun it was." Jos became inspired and decided to go solex riding with the men's group as well. Once at the location, he took a good look around. They had about 30 or 40 solexes there and Jos knew right away; "This is also something for us!".

From one to one hundred
Through a company in France Jos ordered a solex which he had to wait for about a year. Once delivered, he didn't have time to ride them right away, but when he did, he found this rather fun. He decided to buy 25 and luckily they arrived within six weeks. An employee of Jos set up a website and Jos mounted license plates himself, insured everything and he could start!
His earned money Jos invested in more new solexes, another website and a little later also in taking over another solex rental company. Meanwhile, Van de Brandt Verhuur has almost 100 solexes.

Crazy ideas in my head
In addition to the solexes, Jos now has scooters and recently the latest electric solex, called e-choppers! Jos does not sit still. "I sometimes have these crazy ideas in my head. So it was with the e-choppers. When we all had a day off, we went for a ride ourselves. Rented, drove and decided; Yes, that's something for us. And the following week I had fifteen of them! Environmentally friendly and they drive nice too!"

A celebration with and by the family
Jos and his family are not sitting still. In the course of time, a catering license and, last year, a terrace license came in and so, in addition to having a drink before or after your tour, you can also have a nice party here. Jos is at the bar or walking around and his wife Dorathé can be found in the kitchen. Besides a job in healthcare, she can still find the time to make the most delicious cakes, buffets and her own Doratoetjes. Their youngest son Luuk also likes to help out. He got his trailer license, but his own sausage rolls are also selling like hot cakes!
For Jos and Dorathé it is especially important that the party goes completely according to your wishes, whether it is a BBQ, family gathering in the afternoon, coffee table or party evening, everything is negotiable and they like to think along with you.

Just testing out
Jos has no ambitions at the moment, he is open to new things and does not stand still. He is not bored and there are already many nice meetings and rides planned. Jos himself still has time to take a nice ride now and then; "Because while I'm tinkering anyway, of course I have to test if everything works." So in addition to those annual ten thousand paid rides that the scooters, solexes and e-choppers take, Jos drives quite a few.

Want to know more about Van den Brandt Verhuur? Then click here!