Company history

A company of four generations
The family business Brink & van Keulen has passed on all knowledge and skills for the making and restoration of brass chandeliers for three generations. The company was founded in 1946 by the brothers Egbert and Anton Brink (metal founders by profession), together with Marinus Leendert van Keulen. They had a workshop at the Koudehorn in Haarlem. At the request and idea of Canneman, chief architect at the Dutch National Trust for the Preservation of Monuments and SitesThe company specialised in the production of brass chandeliers, replicas of old Dutch crowns and the restoration of old crowns. Due to lack of space, the company moved to Lange Margarethastraat 34 in Haarlem in 1950.

Anton Brink's son Willem also worked for the company and learned all the tricks of the trade from his father. He held all trades within the organisation, from foundryman to polisher, from turner to board member. The third generation also became active in the company. Willem Brink's daughter followed in his footsteps and she was mainly involved with the company. Over the years he put his heart and soul into the craft. He passed on this passion to the next generation: his daughter, Sabine, who became involved in the business aspects of the company.

After very successful years, Brink & van Keulen faced a difficult time in the 80s. Church building in the Netherlands stagnated and church attendance declined. Especially restoration works remained as work opportunities. In 2007 the company moved to Amsterdam. This brought no immediate success. In 2009 the company went bankrupt after the last project at the end of 2008 where they made new church crowns for the church in Edam. Owner Willem Brink returned to Haarlem as the home town for his new company, Buyer restoration Brink

Modern company with traditional methods and values
Since 2009, the company has made a new start under the leadership of Pim van Konijnenburg, a great admirer of the brass-casting craft. In 2016, his son Floris van Konijnenburg, together with two other young entrepreneurs Rodny Heemskerk and Bob Koning, continued with the company and from 2020 the company is fully under the management of Rodny Heemskerk and Bob Koning. The craftsmanship of brass casting immediately appealed to them and they have modernised the company. Together with Dutch production partners, they are able to manufacture chandeliers in the traditional manner. Fortunately, the beautiful craft of brass casting has not become extinct in the Netherlands.

Brink & van Keulen is not only engaged in the manufacture of chandeliers, but also in their restoration. A restoration can vary from small maintenance to a large restoration, in which parts are replaced, repaired, or remanufactured. In some cases, it is impossible to restore the crown. A replica of the old crown can then be made.