In 1989 the Association “Dutch-Made” awarded Mr. Piet van Aarsen with the biggest industrial prize of the Netherlands, the King Willem I Prize. This prestigious prize is awarded once every two years to one single company in the whole country. The amount of participating companies is vast and the level of competition very high. Former winners such as ‘Heineken’, ‘Akzo’, ‘Nobel’, ‘Mammoet’ and ‘DAF’ are proof of this.

The following text fragments are from provincial newspapers dtd. June 11th 1989.

‘The King Willem I Prize is awarded every two years to the company, which locally or regionally contributes the most to industrial expansion in the Netherlands. On the basis of his pioneering spirit, technical skills, expertise, entrepreneurship and creativity the Economical-Technological Institute nominated Mr. Piet Van Aarsen and his Van Aarsen Machinefabriek. This, together with the harmonic teamwork shared with his brothers, Toon and Harrie, led to ‘N.V. Machinefabriek Van Aarsen’ expanding into the ‘Van Aarsen Group’, a company of great importance to the county of Limburg and one which plays a leading role in the industrial expansion of our country’.

The successful development of this industry is linked with the specialization of a particular product. Van Aarsen builds and sells complete feed mills at home and abroad. They don’t just sell machines but also their knowledge and expertise. Van Aarsen is the biggest producer of feed mills in the Netherlands.
Last years (1988 red.) companies’ turnover was fl. 10 million, half of which came from export. In a short space of time the first feed mill destined for Indonesia was shipped. Also last year Van Aarsen took over NV Staalbouw in Weert and its 70 employees. Today a total of 250 people are working for the company’.

Mr. Piet van Aarsen view the Willem I Price as a decoration to the whole company, the result of teamwork and shared responsibility of all employees. Everyone in their own place and working together in an efficient and flexible organisation.’