About Levo
In 1916, a butcher’s assistant by the name of Jurgen Rollingswier living in the Friesian village of Achlum made the big plunge: he went into business for himself. He purchased beef fat, prepared it for human consumption, and sold it in pails to farmers’ wives living on surrounding farms. His lard was also a popular item.
This was then the beginning of what is now the smallest independently operated margarine factory in the Netherlands. Naturally, the depression era and the years before, during and after World War II left their marks on the company. And although government decisions, overwhelming competition from multinationals, a lack of raw materials and even family struggles sometimes had a negative effect on the company, it still managed to survive.
It was not until 1951 that the factory really started to take off. This was particularly due to the efforts of Pier Simon Rollingswier, the founder’s son, who had a very good nose for new developments in the raw materials market. The fact that he was far ahead of his time was demonstrated when his company became the first in the Netherlands to make butter oil and low-fat margarine.
Since then, much has changed. But two things have remained the same: the utmost care with which the refiners and suppliers of raw materials are selected and the ongoing control of the quality of the raw materials these suppliers deliver. Because Levo puts quality first.
