About Saan

From a simple delivery service to a full logistics service provider.
Over a century ago, a coachman drove through the streets of Amsterdam to collect dirty carpets. He took these carpets to his employer, a carpet cleaning firm in Diemen, after which he returned them clean to their rich owners. The owners regularly also gave the coachman parcels to deliver elsewhere. So he was in fact on the road again. This is how the coachman discovered a gap in the market and in 1897 he started his own delivery service. His mission? That was simple: to deliver the parcels safely, quickly and efficiently to the right place. He saw the fact that the parcels and the distances were constantly growing bigger as an interesting challenge, even if the delivery address was difficult to reach. The coachman delivered everything by Shank’s pony and with a big smile.

This coachman was of course Grandad Saan and his delivery service was the very start of Koninklijke Saan, as we now know this family firm. Grandad Saan was a modern entrepreneur who every day made his business a little bit smarter than the day before. Parcels made way for complete household contents and Shank’s pony was replaced by a whole regiment of horses and carts. The business was one of the first with a Model T Ford, but even that car was later replaced by more modern vehicles. His little business expanded with lightning speed. And every new employee was inculcated with Grandad Saan’s standards and values from the start.

Over the last century, the activities of the Saan family business expanded considerably and we are now working on a large scale. But our mission has remained the same. We always find a solution for your logistical problem, however challenging it may be, and we prepare each job down to the smallest details. We work safely, quickly and efficiently. In doing so we constantly innovate and modernise in an environmentally conscious and socially responsible manner. As a result, after 100 years of existence Saan was awarded the designation ‘Koninklijk’ (Royal). Saan is still owned by one family. Rutger Alferink has been the CEO since January 2016.

Read more about our history? Check www.saanmuseum.nl.

Quality, safety, health and the environment are inextricably linked. To deliver the right quality, we adhere to strict safety procedures. Our employees receive continuous safety training. Saan also demonstrably strives to continue developing and improving. Therefore, we are certified for several management systems in the areas of quality, safety, health and the environement. The Safety Ladder assesses an organization’s safety awareness. Saan has been certified at level 2 since 2024. Saan has held the VCA** certificate since 1996. We have been ISO-9001 certified since 1994 and ISO-14001 certified since 2011. Saan also holds leel 3 certification for the CO2 Performance Ladder. View all Saan certificates on the Certifications page.