✉️hans@JvandeVen.com
About J van de Ven
I am an engineer and entrepreneur, not a trader. I build companies—and I help others do the same.
J van de Ven is my consulting practice. I help founders, investors, and companies build credible businesses, scale production, earn media credibility, and capture value at the right moment.
I have built, engineered, and sold companies in manufacturing, renewable energy, biotech, and international trade. I now use that experience to help entrepreneurs take the same steps—without the expensive mistakes I learned from along the way.
My background
I have worked as an engineer and entrepreneur for more than 50 years. At 23, I started my first factories producing windsurfing boards based on my own designs. Since then, I have built and sold companies in renewable energy, biotech, industrial manufacturing, and international trade.
My work and earlier innovations have been featured by CNN, Canadian television, Dutch television, and on the cover of Biodiesel Magazine. We also hosted King Haakon of Norway, then Crown Prince, at our commercial algae facility.
Spotting a market gap—and scaling it fast
In 1999, while on vacation in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, I spotted a clear market gap: there was no airport shuttle service like the ones I knew from California. I partnered with a local taxi driver who knew the transportation market, and I financed and launched the company during that same vacation.
The company, Tourist Service Center / Airport Shuttle Fort Lauderdale, grew to more than 75 shuttle vans in South Florida within about two years. We later expanded into Albuquerque, New Mexico.
That experience reinforced a simple lesson I now bring to clients: a real market gap, a strong local operating partner, capital discipline, and fast execution can build a company quickly—in any sector.
Strategic proof points:
- Spotted an opportunity in a market I did not know
- Financed and launched with a local operating partner
- Scaled to over 150 vehicles in about two years
- Expanded into a second U.S. market
From industrial machinery to consulting
The machines, structures, and production setups we built were fully designed and manufactured in-house. This included biodiesel refineries, reactors, production equipment, HDPE tanks, stainless-steel frames, and complex metal structures.
The same precision, craftsmanship, and high-grade materials—such as stainless steel and AlMg3 aluminium—went into complex industrial installations and renewable energy solutions. That means I understand not only the theory, but also the factory floor, production limits, quality risks, and cost discipline...
Heavy industrial structures and stainless-steel tanks—designed and built in-house.
From machine building to production setups: precision, craftsmanship, and in-house manufacturing
Media & Publications: Globally Recognized Technical Expertise
Our technical expertise and earlier innovations have been recognized worldwide and featured in a range of leading media outlets. This underlines the reliability of the technology we now bring to the maritime and greenhouse horticulture sectors. We have appeared in, among others:
- CNN – business report
- Canadian television – interview
- Dutch television – various broadcasts
- Biodiesel Magazine – cover article
- Various other international magazines and newspapers
Documentation of our earlier media appearances, publications and videos is available on request.
Our roots in biotech: Large-scale commercial ALGAE CULTIVATION
Commercial algae reactor: 1.2 m tube, flat-pack, fully produced in our own factory.
Biotech and commercial algae reactors
Before I focused on solar and climate technology, we built large-scale commercial algae cultivation systems and photobioreactors. We produced a transparent 1.2-metre algae cultivation tube with zipper, flat-pack, entirely in our own factory.
Algae are extremely sensitive to temperature, contamination, and humidity. Designing and building reliable cultivation systems requires extreme precision. That experience in airflow, moisture control, and stable climate conditions is directly relevant to horticulture, renewable technology, and industrial applications.
Visit by King Haakon of Norway to our commercial algae facility
Our algae installation on the cover of Biodiesel Magazine
In-house produced HDPE feed tank with integrated sensor monitoring.
Why I am a consultant now
I recently developed an active solar facade with solar air collectors for boats and greenhouse facilities. The engineering was strong. The product was manufactured in our own Dutch factory from seawater-resistant AlMg3 aluminium and high-grade stainless steel. But the market was not yet ready to adopt it at scale.
Instead of holding on to a product the market did not want, I closed the sales website and focused on consulting. That experience is exactly what I bring to clients now: building a product is only half the battle. Market timing, credibility, capital efficiency, and exit readiness determine whether a company survives and creates value.
What I can do for you
I work with founders, investors, and companies in green tech, manufacturing, and international trade. My advisory work focuses on:
- Build-to-exit strategy: structuring the business, operations, and financial story so the company becomes credible and attractive to buyers.
- Engineering and manufacturing scale-up: moving from prototype to reliable production without losing quality or control.
- Media-led credibility: turning real substance into earned media and inbound trust, so customers, partners, and investors come to you.
- International market entry: using my experience in Asia, the Americas, and the Caribbean in trade corridors, distribution, and market timing.
How I work
Direct. Practical. No theatre.
I tell clients what I believe works, what does not, and what I would do with my own money. I am not an advisor who guarantees exits or investment returns. I help you build a credible company, avoid expensive mistakes, and make better strategic decisions.
Let’s talk
Are you building a real product, scaling a manufacturing business, or preparing your company for its next stage? Contact me for a strategic conversation.
Email: hans@jvandeven.com
Website: jvandeven.com
Location: The Netherlands