The municipality awards the coin to businesses and organisations that are rooted in Aa en Hunze and have grown there, and that have long meant something to the municipality and its residents. Sipma is only the second recipient, after the village hall in Annen received the first coin last year.
“What started small has grown in a century into a modern, leading family business with national and international operations. Over the years the company has managed to reinvent itself again and again, while keeping its strong ties with Aa en Hunze,” Hiemstra said at the presentation, as recorded by the Rolderpost, Rolde's village paper.
The business began in Rolde when Former Sipma, the grandfather of the current owners, was issued a registration for his first lorry on 12 February 1926. He used it to transport cattle and potatoes to support his large family. The next generation built the business up further, until brother and sister Former and Agnes Sipma took it over from their father, Henk Sipma, in 2015.
Former Sipma started as a driver in 1993 and later drove his own lorry for nine years, before coming back to the family business in 2006. His sister Agnes first worked for the PTT, the former Dutch post and telecoms company, and then for PostNL.
