1951-1956: Production and sale of stainless steel garden tools
During the 1950’s, the old spring hammer was replaced by an electrically driven powerhammer with a 30kg drop weight. This power hammer is still used to this day by Frank and Teun Sneeboer to resharpen blunt chisels. In this period, the company is moving to the production of tools from stainless steel. The 1956 sales book consists of stainless steel products such as the shovel, hoes, pull hoes, spade, pointed spade and many more aimed at the fruit and vegetable gardeners in West-Friesland in the Netherlands. 66 years later, these tools are still being produced on a daily basis!
It is in this period as well that Arie’s three sons (Kees, Paul and Teun) take over the company. On 31 March 1955, his sons become the second generation Sneeboer to run the family business and they rename the company to Firma A. Sneeboer en Zonen which is still located in Grootebroek. After 40 years, the men still produce tools in the same old, small workshop even though production had increased tremendously since the beginning in 1913. However, there was not a lot of machinery to be found as a report by the labour inspection notes that the shop contains at least six electro motors with a combined power of 5 and ¾ horsepower.
