History
In 1904, Andries Gaastra opened a shop selling clocks and small farm machinery. Within two years, he had added bicycles, selling bikes manufactured by the German company Presto. Soon, he began making and selling bicycles under the Batavus brand.
By 1917, Batavus had taken over a large bicycle factory. The 1930s proved difficult as much of Europe was in economic recession, but Batavus continued growing by diversifying to include carrier tricycles, motorcycles, and ice skates. World War II saw the temporary shutdown of the factory. Business resumed in 1945 when the war ended and demand for bicycles increased. The company invested in a new factory with modern assembly lines, which brought it to the forefront of bike manufacturing. In 1948, Batavus was one of the first to develop and manufacture its own moped.
By 1954, the company's assorted buildings produced a variety of machines, but in 1956, 52 years after Gasstra opened his shop, a new factory opened in the industrial park in Heerenveen. It had an area of 6000 square meters and the workforce had grown to 300. Further extensions and developments became necessary and today the company employs about 650. After the new premises opened the company continued primarily to be a bicycle manufacturer and benefited from growing demand all over the world. However, in 1969, Batavus acquired the bicycle and motorcycle production of another Dutch company, Magneet, and the following year took over three three-wheeler factories in Germany. Although sales of motorized two-wheelers were increasingly fluctuated, with model and style changes, there was steady growth every year.
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