Poot-family - Largest Private Landowner Around Amsterdam Airport - Decides to Sell Chipshol

SCHIPHOL-RIJK, Netherlands, June 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

The Poot family - a major shareholder in the land development and investment company Chipshol - has decided to sell the company; the decision was recently ratified at an extraordinary general meeting. The proposed sale would offer a new owner the opportunity to gain 150 hectares of strategically positioned land for real estate development in a variety of market segments. Chipshol is the leading land development and investment company in the Schiphol area.  

The decision was prompted by the advancing age of Jan Poot (89), the driving force behind Chipshol, as well as the recent interest in airport investment displayed by international parties. Jan Poot founded Chipshol in 1986 at the age of 62 through his vision for the development of "airport cities".

Within five years of its founding, Chipshol had acquired nearly 600 hectares of land around the Schiphol area. The company was convinced that the airport had the potential to become the world's number 1, following in the footsteps of Atlanta Airport, which had grown from number 40 in 1960 to number 1 in 2000 through a combination of its own vision and co-operation between the authorities and private industry.

By 1989, Chipshol had signed two collaborative agreements with the Schiphol Area Development Company to develop Business Park-Rijk (35 ha.) and Badhoevedorp-Zuid (40 ha.). The realisation of Park-Rijk made Chipshol the owner of the world's first business park, with sub-level car parking allowing for over 50% greenery and water coverage in the area.

Chipshol's major goal was the development of a 'centre of international allure' in Badhoevedorp-Zuid, in the area between the A4, A5 and A9 motorways. This two million square metre Airport City included hotels, conference facilities, a shopping centre, offices, apartments and a golf course. One revolutionary feature of this business city was the Taxi 2000 personal rapid transit system. For Chipshol, these spectacular developments proved that Schiphol could develop into Europe's most attractive place to work.

The plans for this Airport City where 70,000 people could live and work have been viewed very favourably by experts abroad. The American professor and Airport City expert John Kasarda stated in 2007 that Chipshol's plan for a green Airport City was significantly ahead of its time. Former director-general Kees Vriesman of the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment, as Chairman of the government's Vriesman Commission (named after him), conducted research into airport development and announced in 2009 that Chipshol's plan was 'a potential jewel of land development.

Chipshol is Jan Poot's third successful enterprise. He founded Eurowoningen in 1960, which grew to become the Netherlands' largest land development and investment company within ten years, producing 4,000 residences per annum. Eurowoningen garnered particular fame for its development of the innovative and green park city of Leusden.

Following the sale of Eurowoningen in the mid-70s, Eurohome was founded as a global player in land development, which went on to win international awards for its work on the Valmorel ski resort. The French authorities even cited the resort as a model for others to follow.

Recent years have seen a great deal of international interest shown in Chipshol and the scale of its strategic land portfolio, leading to an increased drive towards investment in airports. Following the recent decision to sell the company, the fourth quarter of 2014 will see the formulation of a procedure whereby a select group of interested parties will be chosen to make final offers.

Peter Poot (59) has been the Director of Chipshol for twenty years and is looking to recreational land development abroad as a future path following a successful sale of the company.

Editor's note 

The Poot family will make no further comment on the decision to sell Chipshol.