About us

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At the end of the fifties in the last century, Teun Mendel started to produce cutting tools in a small shed at the back of his house for the (then mainly German) Rattan industry. His brother Renger Jan Mendel soon decided to join him in his efforts.

In the early 60’s the company moved from the simple garden shed to a production building in the city of Apeldoorn. They also started building machines for processing Rattan. This move was considered a good reason to procure the firm official stature and to register with the Chamber of Commerce under the name Gebroeders Mendel.
Oranjestraat ApeldoornAround 1965 many Rattan factories started to close their sites in Germany. They moved production of Rattan and semi-finished Rattan products to the Far East. Consequently, Mendel Brothers decided to shift its core activities from the manufacture of machinery and cutting tools for the Rattan industry, to the self-cutting of Rattan cane into semi-finished Rattan products for the furniture industry and the craft sector.

The enormous amount of knowledge gained in the manufacture of cutting tools and construction of machinery made Gebr. Mendel the go-to specialist in the Rattan field, a position they have maintained to this day. Gebr. Mendel has built a worldwide reputation for the high quality of their products and materials.

An export ban on Rattan and semi-finished rattan products by the Indonesia government in the late 80’s, combined with a growing import of (cheap) Rattan furniture from the Far East, has since made an impact on the European Rattan furniture industry and the consumption of Rattan material has increased. This has also affected production at Gebr. Mendel, of course.

The current owners of Gebr. Mendel are Tonny and Hans – both Teun Mendel’s sons. They have shifted the core activities of the company from production to trade and service provision by importing and exporting Rattan, related items and services.

The material knowledge and skills they have attained, ensure they are always able to guarantee high quality and deliver a better service.