“We believe in quality“

Could Theo Ruinemans have imagined in 1955 that his idea would one day develop into a wholesale aquatics business with a million ornamental fish in its fish hall and a range of frozen food and dog food? Hardly. Nevertheless, the company is based on his realisation at the time that selling two (!) tropical fish from his private aquarium was more lucrative than his previous job. The company's 70th anniversary will be celebrated on 14 September with an in-house exhibition and later with a stand at the Dibevo trade fair.

“We have a few big announcements this year,” says Sales Manager Arjan Coenen during a conversation at the company's headquarters in Montfoort. On the one hand, there is the big anniversary, and on the other, the increasingly broad product range. Ruinemans had already taken over Landman Hoevelaken in 2020, known primarily for its large range of dog chews, and by this point at the latest, the aquatics wholesaler had become a complete supplier for pet shops.

Most recently, Raw4Dogs, a brand for high-quality raw dog food, was added. Ruinemans acquired this from Premium Petfood Brands in order to “strengthen its position and take advantage of new opportunities,” as Frank de Goey, the managing director, explains. Ruinemans is now truly fully equipped, offering dog food and snacks in addition to around 800 types of fish, plants from Aqua Flora, Ruto frozen food and live food.

“Aquatics remains the strongest area in the company, not only in terms of sales but also in terms of service,” Coenen continues. “That's something we're known for and something we're really good at.” They take great care of the fish, ensuring that they arrive in good condition from export, remain healthy throughout the entire transport process and ultimately end up in a consumer's aquarium. “We try to be the best at what we do, mainly because we believe in quality.”

This point is important to the Dutchman. “We believe in quality in every respect, not only in terms of the product, but also in terms of service.” For him, this includes people, customers and the hobby. “We believe in hobbies, we believe in education and in the quality of education.” In recent months, Ruinemans…