Dutch Day at the Capitol Signals Strength of Netherlands Investment in Georgia

While “Holland on the Hill” may not have the same ring in Georgia, an assemblage of Dutch under the (Gold) Dome March 3 served the same purpose: making sure lawmakers were aware of the country’s strong investment relationship in the state.

Companies like conveyance systems provider Vanderlande, flame-retardant textiles maker Tencate and urban engineering firm Arcadis gathered in the rotunda of the State Capitol for the first local “pilot” of a campaign launched a decade ago in Washington.

Organizers said the “non-political” event was an “awareness campaign” designed to boost Dutch visibility in the Legislature, where other countries like Ireland, Israel and Japan have gone as far as to create country-focused caucuses.

Partners on the event included the Consulate General of the Netherlands, the Netherlands America Foundation Atlanta Chapter and the Netherlands-American Chamber of Commerce Southeast.

Despite a population of just 18 million, the Netherlands is a top-10 investor in the United States, evidence of the European nation’s outsized influence in global trade. The stock of American investment in the Netherlands, meanwhile, stands at some $980 billion, making it the No. 2 destination for American investment in the world, according to the Dutch embassy in Washington.

In Georgia, where a study by the embassy counts more than 60 Dutch-invested companies, trade and investment ties account for more than 35,000 jobs.

Since the opening of a consulate focused on economic diplomacy in Atlanta in 2019, these ties have steadily deepened, with the Netherlands team positioning its companies as collaborative providers of solutions for the most pressing problems facing the U.S., from city planning to water management to farm tech.

Consul General Jaap Veerman, center, converses with visitors at Dutch Day.

NewCold, a logistics firm, brought the largest Dutch investment ever in the state last year — a $333 million smart warehouse for food storage in Henry County. The company hosted King Willem Alexander and Princess Maxima during their royal visit to Atlanta and Savannah in 2024. Xebia, a Dutch IT firm, placed its North American headquarters in Atlanta, with a grand opening in January of last year.

Sebastian Van der Vegt, president of the Netherlands-American Chamber, said the initiative helped point to these more recent success stories as well as the long tradition of Dutch investment in the region.

“Holland on the Hill Georgia put a spotlight on the crucial role Dutch businesses play in the state’s economy,” Mr. Van der Vegt told Global Atlanta, praising the consulate for bringing the community together. “By strengthening connections with policymakers, we’re paving the way for even greater collaboration and investment.”

VDL Groep, a Dutch provider of machinery that runs the gamut from poultry processing to semiconductor manufacturing, put its first facility in Georgia in 2018, which now employs 70 people.

“For me, at least it’s visibility, that we’re here, that we’re doing this, that we’re creating so many new high skilled jobs within Georgia,” said Ger Fontjin, director of business development.

Tencate Protective Fabrics has five sites across Georgia: including two on the former Southern Mills complex in acquired in 2004: a non-woven facility and a yarn plant for polybenzimidazole, or PBI, a “thermally stable” synthetic fiber used in fire turnout gear and space suits. Other sites include Zebulon (woven fabric) and Molena, Ga., (dying and finishing), both south of Griffin, and a headquarters in Union City. A sister company made Tencate artificial turf in Pendergrass, Ga., before being recently sold to Solmax, a Canadian company.

Tencate Protective Fabrics’ top customer is the U.S. Department of Defense, which requires fabrics sold to the military to be sourced from the United States. The U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps all have new programs with the company.

“Every sailor serving aboard a ship across the globe is now wearing Defender M,” said John Stoehr, corporate communications manager, who offered a rundown of the many self-extinguishing fabrics and fibers on display at the Capitol.

One reason for joining the event was to ensure lawmakers know that while the textile industry may have evolved, it’s still strong in the state.

“That’s why we’re here: to continue to tell our story and have others advocate that textiles in Georgia are alive and well. We’re very happy and proud of our heritage,” said human resources Vice President Keisha Lee, who noted that the 320-year-old Dutch company is now celebrating 70 years operating in the U.S.

Engineering and design firm Arcadis has also operated in Georgia for many years, bringing its long-earned expertise to major U.S.-based governmental clients. The company sells its services mostly to state departments of transportation, as well as cities and counties. A key focus of the company is smart urban planning, particularly around multi-modal mobility (think bike lanes) and water management.

U.S. planners looking down the road in the next few decades are facing challenges that the Netherlands has already had to tackle, says Jaap Tigelaar, a mobility expert for the company based in Atlanta.

“We’ve learned — in the last 50 years for bicycles and 100 years for water management — what to do and what not to do,” said Mr. Tigelaar, a mobility expert for the company based in Atlanta. State DOTs, he said, sometimes don’t know the right questions to ask to guide their budgeting processes for the long term.

“I think that we can help them set their own questions and make sure that they’re ready for the next 20 years,” Mr. Tigelaar said, noting that the company hopes to host a technical delegation from Georgia in the Netherlands later this year.

Consul General Jaap Veerman told Global Atlanta that the event provided another occasion to underscore Dutch commitment to the region, particularly in fostering agricultural collaboration.

Ton van Arnhem, agricultural counselor for the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, joined Mr. Veerman for meetings with state ag leaders at the Capitol.

“We agreed that there is a mutual interest for intensifying the cooperation so that in the next meeting, we’re going to see how we can work together on innovation and high-tech solutions,” Mr. Veerman said.

Dutch companies involved in Dutch Day at the Capitol:

1. Arcadis

2. Heineken

3. Heliox

4. Rabobank

5. Tencate

6. Newcold

7. Vanderlande

8. KLM

9. VDL

10. Xebia

Full list of Dutch companies in Georgia