The demise of Fokker
Description
The demise of Fokker
On 16 March 1996, bankruptcy was declared on the Royal Dutch Aircraft Factory Fokker, Fokker Aircraft BV and Fokker Administration BV. Immediately, 5664 of the more than 7,500 employees were dismissed. This brought an end to a company that had represented self-creating aircraft manufacturing in the Netherlands for 77 years.
Since that day, there has been much debate about who was responsible for this sad end. Was it the Dutch government that ultimately rejected further support for Fokker; was it DASA, the German subsidiary of Daimler Benz, which held the majority of Fokker shares? Or was it the situation in the financial market, with the dollar exchange rate at too low a level against the Dutch guilder, the German mark and the British pound? Or was it the mistakes of Fokker's management, which had not changed course in time? Everyone agreed on one thing: Fokker's products were fine and met customers' expectations very well.
In the talk, Mr Van der Jagt gives his personal view on the backgrounds that led to Fokker's demise
10.30 h Reception with coffee
11.00 h Lecture by ir. F.M. van der Jagt, former managing director of Fokker Aircraft B.V.
11.45 h Break
12.15 h Continuation of the lecture with a concluding discussion
12.45 h End of the meeting
ROUTE DESCRIPTION
From motorway A13 Rotterdam or The Hague, exit Delft Zuid/TU Delft. Keep following TU Delft. At the end of the exit TU Delft turn right onto Schoemakerstraat. Then take the first turn left and immediately left again across the bridge. You are now in the car park of the burnt down Faculty of Architecture (Van den Broekweg). The Cultural Centre is at the end of this road, across Mekelweg. Due to work on the newly constructed ' Mekelpark', the Mekelweg is closed. Public transport via NS Delft-Zuid (see also link below).
Speaker(s)
Mr Van der Jagt worked at the Netherlands Institute for Aircraft Development (now NIVR) in Delft from 1960 to 1970.From 1970 until its bankruptcy in 1996, he worked at Fokker, mainly in the Marketing, Sales and After Sales Service sectors for civil aircraft. From 1987 to 1993 he was managing director of Fokker Aircraft BV, and from 1993 to 1996 group director for Indonesia.
After resigning in March 1996, he continued to work for De Schelde in Flushing for some time
Location
Cultural Centre (theatre hall, 232)
Mekelweg 10, 2628 CD Delft
Organiser
History of Technology
Histechnica
Name and contact details for information
Further information from L.A. Hissink at the e-mail address below.