The story of Van der Graaf (VDG) kicks off back in
1948 when a young entrepreneur named Meine Hendricus Van der Graaf opened up
a small repair shop in Vollenhove, Netherlands. In those days, he focused on
fixing the heavy pumping equipment used to extract water and reclaim Dutch
land for farming and housing. Recognizing a serious need for reliable
friction clutches to keep those massive pumps running, he simply decided to
start manufacturing them himself. As European industries boomed after World
War II, his business quickly expanded. He became a subcontractor fabricating
components for submarines and helicopters, while simultaneously noticing the
growing agricultural sector's need for conveyor belt power transmission. To
meet that demand, Van der Graaf shifted gears and began designing gearboxes,
electric motors, and variable speed pulleys. By 1961, the company had introduced the production
of drum motors and soon followed up with granulock couplings, a move that
opened the doors to entirely new industries. Fast forward to 1985, and
another driven entrepreneur, Alexander Kanaris—who is now the President of
VDG in Canada and the US—teamed up with Mr. Van der Graaf to bring the
manufacturing operation over to Toronto. That North American footprint grew
even larger in 2009 with a massive expansion into Shelby Township, Michigan.
Today, VDG operates over 270,000 square feet of state-of-the-art,
CNC-equipped manufacturing space across the US and Canada. While the original drum motor was built strictly for
agricultural use, today's VDG is a global leader entirely focused on these
specialized power drives. Ranging anywhere from compact 3.75-inch,
0.11-horsepower units to massive 36-inch, 500-horsepower beasts, their drum
motors now power conveyors across the mining, aggregate, food processing,
warehousing, and airline baggage industries. By keeping their research,
development, and high-tech manufacturing strictly in-house, VDG ensures that
they can consistently deliver top-tier product quality and incredibly fast
service to customers all over the world. |
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Year Founded: 1948 |
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Main Products: Drum Motors, Cross Drive, Belt Cleaner, Conveyor
Drive |
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Brand: VDG (Van der Graaf) |
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Country of Origin: Netherlands |
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Facebook Account: https://www.facebook.com/VDGDrumMotors/ |
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Website: https://www.vandergraaf.com/ |
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Address: 2 Van Der Graaf Ct, Brampton, ON L6T 5R6, Canada |
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Contact No.: +18883261476 |
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