Gerrit Kok
about the importance
of a big family
Gerrit (nephew of Cor Kok): what I know about the early period…
The first thing you need to start your own business is capital. Cor Kok had very little. Among the people he met while searching for investors were Cor and Alie Koopman from Spierdijk. To us, our C&A.
The Koopmans were an unmarried brother and sister. After dispensing with their baker/café business, they lived off their earnings in Spierdijk. They lent Cor Kok 6,000 guilders (venture capital) simply because he charmed them with his ‘blue eyes’ and his enthusiasm.
Cor faithfully visited C&A once a year to take repay them their interest. Within a few years, he was in a position to pay off the capital too. But … they didn’t want to know. They were afraid that he would stop visiting them!“
It later prompted me to remind him that this custard is what turned him (Cor Kok) into the giant that he is today, albeit it in the other sense of the word.”Cor Kok and his wife Annie were regular visitors to West Friesland as this is where their family lived. Whenever he was there, he came to see us in Spierdijk to bring an order of Kok’s Custard, instant pudding. He was very pleased to have my mother (and 12 children) as a customer.