From 'Natie'
to global leader
The name Tabaknatie finds its origins in the rich history of the Port of Antwerp. The term “natie” refers to the historical naties: recognised associations, often organised according to a guild structure, that were responsible for the handling and transportation of goods between the quays and warehouses.
The names of these natie companies typically referred to the types of goods in which they specialised. As such, the name Tabaknatie reflects the company’s historical connection to the handling, storage, and logistics of tobacco.
Initially, goods were transported using horse-drawn vehicles. After the Second World War, the naties evolved into fully fledged logistics companies whose activities extended far beyond the port.
Today, their services include the loading and unloading of cargo vessels, transportation, warehousing, freight forwarding, and customs clearance, both domestically and internationally.
Tabaknatie commissioned its first company-operated warehouse, Atlantis, and quickly grew into a global leader in the storage of unmanufactured tobacco and tobacco-related products.
Tabaknatie, the world’s largest warehousing and handling company for unmanufactured tobacco, was fully acquired by the Heyndrickx family in January 2006.
Today, Tabaknatie is proud to be the last Antwerp “natie” that, alongside organic and other high-value products, still handles the product after which it was named.
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Currently, Tabaknatie operates from innovative, company-owned warehousing sites that span a cumulative surface area of more than 1.200.000 m², representing approximately 14% of the total warehousing capacity in the Port of Antwerp.
