Kempen & Co
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| private | |
| Industry | Investment Banking |
| Founded | 1903 |
| Headquarters | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Products | |
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Number of employees
|
500 |
| Parent | Van Lanschot |
| Website | www |
Kempen & Co is a Dutch merchant bank providing financial services in asset management, securities broking, and corporate finance. Clients include institutional investors, companies, financial institutions, (semi)public institutions, foundations, and high-net-worth individuals. It has been part of Dutch private bank Van Lanschot since 2007.
Kempen & Co was established in 1903 in Amsterdam by Arines Johannes Kempen with his companion Martinus Dirk de Lange as an independent . The commodities exchange, the Beurs van Berlage had opened only a month before, and it was this exchange that was used by Kempen & Co for its trading. The company began by specialising in the trade of listed companies that operated in the Dutch East Indies.
In 1952 Piet Harms, who had been with the firm since 1936, is promoted to co-head of the firm. After the departure of De Lange jr in 1968, Harms continues as sole head of the firm and is responsible for a period of significant growth. The customers at this time were mainly private investors.
In 1972 the bank was sold to the British bank Slater Walker and then became the British bank's international division. After problems at Slater Walker two years later, the bank was sold to the Belgium firm Peterbroeck, Van Campenhout & Cie (Petercam N.V.). The bank continued to grow and got an exchange listing in 1983. The bank had by then built a strong reputation in investment banking, and in 1993 Joop Krant was made managing director. He directed the bank to European expansion with a focus on research and corporate finance activities.
In 2001 the company was purchased by Belgian bank Dexia and delisted from the exchange. Dexia's ambition was to use Kempen & Co as its base for developing a strong presence in securities and capital markets in Europe. It was merged with Bank Labouchere which Dexia had acquired earlier. This gave the combined bank 1,250 employees. However, due to the differences in culture between the two banks and the Labourcher share-affair, the merger was quickly undone and by 2003 Kempen & Co was operating as an independent entity again within the Dexia group. A year later Kempen & Co becomes a separate company again after a management buyout of the company with the support of HAL Investments, Friesland Bank and NPM Capital.
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Wikipedia