The Cotton Nation

One of the many pilots of the Katoen Natie. The Katoen Natie was founded in 1854 as a cooperative in the port of Antwerp and originally carried out typical activities of a harbour master or quay master: the reception and handling of goods in the port, in particular cotton - hence the 'Cotton' in the name - and other raw materials such as jute, coffee, cocoa, wool, rubber and aluminium. Traditionally, the nation was the link between stevedores (loading and unloading ships) and transport to and from the hinterland. In the 1980s, the number of sectors was expanded to include consumer goods (e.g. textiles, electronics, do-it-yourself items, etc.) and the petrochemical, chemical and automotive industries.

Brackie