Stories from Deli

HANDEL MAATSCHAPPIJ GUNTZEL & SCHUMACHER.

Mr. Carl Hick, who has held the position of German Consul at Medan for eleven years, has been closely identified with the commercial interests of Deli for more than twenty years past. Among his other interests and activities he is director of the Handel Maalschappij Guntzel & Schumacher, one of the most important firms of its kind on the East Coast of Sumatra.

Founded in 1880 by Messrs. Gustav Giintzel and F. A. Schumacher for the purpose of carrying on a general import and estate agency business, the firm ” made good “— as the American term has it— from the very start. In 1892, the original partners sold the entire concern to Mr. Carl Hick and Mr. Aug. Jaenichen, who, at that time, were assistants on neighbouring plantations, both having come out to the colony from Germany seven years previously.

In 1905 it was turned into a limited liability company under its present title, with Mr. Hick as managing director, and Messrs. Aug. Jaenichen and Eduard Goldenberg to assist him on the board. The firm has a capital of G. 500,000 fully paid up, and branches at Belawan and Loeboeq Pakam, in Sumatra, and at Hamburg.

Latterly, Mr. Jaenichen has represented the Company as resident director at Hamburg, whilst, Mr. Hick being on leave in Europe, Mr. Goldenberg has taken charge of affairs in Medan. Amongst the more important agencies the firm holds may be mentioned the Norddeutscher Lloyd, the Hamburg-Amerika Line, the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, the Kali-Syndikat G.m.b.H., Stassfurt, the Langkat Petroleum Works, and a number of first-class Dutch, German and English insurance companies.