The Dutch Business Council of Korea will present the Hamel Trade Award for the best performing Dutch company in Korea in 2010-2011 at a ceremony in Seoul on Wednesday.

The two nominees for the prize are Control Union Certifications Korea and DSM Korea.

“Organizing these awards is a good investment in the future of the business relationship instead of just organizing a dinner,” said Jeroen Plag, chairman of the DBCK and ING Commercial Banking country manager.

Visiting Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal will be in attendance to hand over the award.

Launched in 2003, the Hamel Trade Award celebrates the excellence of two companies that contributed substantially to business and trade relations between the two countries: the best Korean investor in the Netherlands and the most successful Dutch company in Korea.
One of the two nominated Dutch companies, Control Union Certifications Korea, started from scratch in 2000, grew to 11 people in 11 years and had a turnover of 1 billion won last year.

They are the first foreign company to certify both organic agro and food products and lead certification of organic agricultural and processed food products in Korea.

“It‘s a smaller company but for us, we don’t only want to focus on the better known names like KLM, Shell, Philips etc.,” Plag said.

The other nominee is DSM Korea which “is a typical Dutch company that was able to build on its knowledge and capabilities from the Netherlands, moving into those countries where they can make a difference like in Korea.”

DSM has been active here since 1999, employs 37 people and had a turnover of 29 billion won last year.

The award was named after Dutchman Hendrick Hamel who was the first Westerner to write and experience first-hand in the Joseon Dynasty era in Korea.

By Yoav Cerralbo (yoav@heraldcorp.com)