Our History
Engineering Excellence Since 1949
After emigrating from the Netherlands, Hugo Molenaar founded H.G. Molenaar in South Africa in 1949. The company has gone from strength to strength ever since — continually innovating and pioneering new solutions to meet ever-changing market demands. That experience, coupled with exceptional customer service, has seen Molenaar expand far beyond local borders. Today it remains a proudly family-owned and operated engineering business, employing over 350 people worldwide.
Est. 1949
Founded in Paarl
75+
Years of expertise
350+
People worldwide
The early years
In 1935 the company’s founder, Hugo Molenaar, came to South Africa as a young technical engineer from the Netherlands. Shortly after his arrival, he secured a job with leading Western Cape nurserymen, Pickstone Farms. At that time, Pickstone was the main supplier of fruit trees too, among others, Rhodes Fruit Farms – one of the first Groups to can deciduous fruit in South Africa.
Cor Molenaar
In 1962, Cor Molenaar, who had graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cape Town, set off for the United States. Once there he worked for numerous canning companies including the Green Giant Company and Del Monte. Through U.S. fruit packaging engineers, Atlas Pacific, which was already doing business in South Africa, Cor became familiar with pear peelers. This meant that when he returned to South Africa in 1963, he joined H.G. Molenaar as both the sales and service manager in addition to starting the agency for Atlas Pacific pear peeling machines. This was to be the beginning of a long association with various leading U.S. companies.
Sanctions are imposed
The 1970s saw politics starting to impinge on the business. Economic sanctions were imposed on U.S. companies that were doing business in South Africa. As a result, Filper was forced to abandon its small, but vibrant partner.
The Continuous Rotary Sterilizer
One of H.G. Molenaar’s flagship products is the Molenaar Continuous Rotary Sterilizer for canned goods. The first machine was designed and manufactured for a local client in 1978. In quick succession several other projects of this nature were commissioned, culminating in the first sterilizer export project to the United Kingdom in 1981.
Sanctions are lifted
The 1990s saw a great deal of political change in South Africa. Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990 and the country’s first democratic elections took place in 1994. Political changes also meant a change in the business climate. Sanctions against South Africa were lifted and it became possible for local companies to access global markets more easily.
Going East
The 1990s saw a great deal of political change in South Africa. Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990 and the country’s first democratic elections took place in 1994. Political changes also meant a change in the business climate. Sanctions against South Africa were lifted and it became possible for local companies to access global markets more easily.
Expansion & Innovation
While Molenaar’s core business remained focused on food and beverage processing and packaging, the decade also reflected its deep-rooted engineering capabilities. During this time, Molenaar’s rotary sterilisation technology attracted global interest, which contributed to the development of advanced systems beyond its traditional industries.
A Decade of Innovation, Resilience and Strategic Focus
Amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, Molenaar adopted the use of VR smart glasses to provide virtual technical support in real-time. This enabled the technical team to assist customers remotely, reducing downtime and eliminating the need for international travel – a practice the company has maintained post-pandemic for its effectiveness and responsiveness.
