Opekta's pectin business was seasonal, as fruit was only available in the summer and late summer. To smooth out the sales fluctuations that resulted from this, Otto Frank looked for other products. He found these in 1938 at Pectacon, a trading company in spices and preservatives, which he took over from Johannes Kleiman and Antonius Dunselman shortly after its foundation.

Founding

1 June 1938: Handelsmaatschappij Pectacon N.V., a company for trading and manufacturing chemical products and foodstuffs, was founded by Jo Kleiman and Ton Dunselman before notary E.J.M. Luykx.^[1] As early as 21 October 1938, Otto Frank took over the shares from the founders.^[2] Pectacon imported raw materials from Hungary and Belgium; sales were also made to Belgium.^[3]

In its 1939 annual report, Opekta noted its cooperation with Pectacon. Pectacon's trade, unlike Opekta's, was mainly concentrated in the winter months. Opekta hoped to benefit from the cooperation the following year.^[4]

Volume and nature of trade

In May '41, Pectacon registered a logo with the explanation:

'Type of goods: herbs and spices and substitutes for herbs and spices; chemicals and flavourings (aromas) for flavouring and/or preserving food and beverages; pharmaceuticals, medicines, chemicals for medical and hygienic purposes; drying agents; cereal and flour products; starches and starch products; sweeteners; odouriferous substances and flavourings; tea, coffee, cocoa, honey and substitutes for these products; juices, broths and extracts of meat, fish, molluscs and crustaceans, plants, seeds and fruits in liquid, solid or paste form food or beverage colours; soups and soup preparations; yeast and yeast substitutes, raising agents, baking creams, baking powders; custard powders, sauce or gravy preparations, preserved vegetables (for example, ginger, angelica, sucade) malt, malt extract and other malt products, food preparations and beverages consisting essentially of malt, malt extract or malt products; dietetic foodstuffs, vitamin preparations; pectin, binders; polishing, scouring and cleaning preparations.'^[5]

Pectacon did business with spice broker Van Jinnelt, among other parties. In September and October '39, the following goods arrived through this business partner:

• 10 bales of white Batavia Muntok pepper.
• 4 bales of Ambon nutmeg.
• 27/2 (?) crates of Siauw nutmeg.
• 5 bales of Java nutmeg.
• 2 bales of Lampong pepper.
• 10 bales of Menado nutmeg.
• 3 crates of Banda mace.
• 2 bales of Cassia Lignea (cinnamon).
• 10 bales of black Lampong pepper.
• 37 bales of Siauw nutmeg.
• About 1 tonne of white Muntok pepper.
• 6 bales of Jamaica allspice.
• 6 bales of Java nutmeg.

Some of these goods the company sold on immediately. Others were processed first. During this period, Pectacon supplied grocery chain SPAR:

• 110 x 1 kg white pepper.
• 225 " black pepper.
• 149 " ground cinnamon.
• 25 " ground nutmeg.
• 12 " ground allspice.

Another 1,000 kg of Moroccan coriander arrived in January '41.

In October '41, Pectacon sold to sausage seasoning business EFWEKA:

• 20 kg clove flavouring, NLG 2 p/kg.
• 15 kg pepper flavouring, idem.
• 50 kg nutmeg flavouring, idem.
• 15 kg nutmeg emulsion, NLG 8.50 p/kg.
• 200 kg citric acid, NLG 1.30 p/kg.
• 450 kg boric acid scales, NLG 0.36 p/kg.
• 245 kg of soup flavouring, NLG 2.05 p/kg.^[6]

Here we see the first surrogate products already emerging.

Initially, the company benefitted from the reform of the Dutch food supply. The reduction in livestock boosted the meat processing industry, for which Pectacon produced spice mixes.^[7] Unlike Opekta, production activities for this company took place on the premises. To this end, Pectacon purchased two spice mills from Peppink in early 1941, which it resold to Gies & Co when it was 'aryanised'.^[2]

On 25 March 1942, the ascription of the licence passed to Gies & Co.^[2]

By September 1941, the company already had more than 22,000 guilders in undistributed profits on its balance sheet. That was eleven times as much as the paid-in share capital at the end of 1938. In short, until its liquidation, Pectacon was an extremely profitable company.^[2]

Aryanisation

22 October 1940: promulgation of Verordnung über die Anmeldung von Unternehmen (VO 189/40), published 26 October 1940. This regulation required Jewish owners to register their businesses. It was the first step in the so-called Wirtschaftsentjudung (business 'aryanisation').

23 October 1940: because Otto Frank was managing director of Pectacon and to have an alternative in the wings in case of forced aryanisation, La Synthèse was founded with Kugler as managing director and Jan Gies as supervisory director. On 8 May 1941, this firm adopted the name N.V. Handelsvereniging Gies & Co. Its objective and operations were similar to those of Pectacon.^[8]

According to its own statement, it was decided at the shareholders' meeting on 13 February 1941 to place the shares still in the portfolio worth NLG 8,000. On 4 April 1941, the founders Kleiman and Dunselman paid NLG 5,000 and NLG 3,000 respectively in this context.^[2] As a result, Otto's share in the share capital dropped to 20 per cent. This meant that his share thus fell below the crucial limit of 25 per cent, which was the criterion for a 'Jewish' company and thus for registration with the Wirtschaftsprüfstelle.

New interim certificates for the newly issued shares were issued on 4 April 1941.^[9]

On 12 September 1941: K.O.M. Wolters was appointed administrator of Pectacon under section 7 of the Ordinance for the Removal of Jews from Business, with instructions to liquidate the company.^[10] Kleiman and Otto went to Wolters' office to discuss the matter. Wolters agreed to Kleiman's proposal to initiate liquidation himself within eight to 10 days. This allowed Kleiman and Otto to channel machinery and stock to Gies & Co, then still in Hilversum.^[11] They sold almost everything at a loss to Gies & Co. Only the office inventory made a profit; they sold it to Wolters himself.^[2] The loss made during the liquidation was 14,000 guilders.

The balance after liquidation was 18,000 guilders. Kleiman received 5,000 guilders and Dunselman 3,000 guilders. The remaining 10,000 guilders, after deducting 2,300 guilders for the Wirtschaftsprüfstelle, was deposited at the bank Lippmann-Rosenthal-Sarphatistraat. Gies & Co. moved to Prinsengracht 263; Pectacon was located at Rokin 6, Wolters' office (the Peek & Cloppenburg building on Dam Square in Amsterdam) during the liquidation phase.^[11] Moreover, the distribution of the liquidation value went against Wolters' proposal. The latter had in fact proposed to divide the remaining balance in proportion to share ownership, i.e. 50 per cent to Kleiman, 30 per cent to Dunselman and the remaining 20 per cent to Lippman, Rosenthal & co Sarphatistraat, in favour of Otto Frank.^[2] In practice, Kleiman and Dunselman only received their April 1941 deposit back, with no profit sharing.

When Otto Frank returned from Auschwitz, Pectacon was revived.

Restorative justice

• After May 1945, Pectacon was among the companies that could be ex officio re-registered in the Commercial Register pursuant to the London government's decisions.^[12]
• In August 1945, Pectacon was still an 'empty shell', a company without capital. However, Otto wanted the company to produce, among other things, an anti-diarrhoeal agent, an anti-fungal agent and a cleaning agent, all three based on pectin. This was still based on the idea of overcoming seasonal fluctuations in Opekta sales.^[13]
• In November 1945, Otto Frank and Jo Kleiman were listed as directors. Sole proxy was Victor Kugler, with general power of attorney: 'As also granted to the director according to the articles of association' . ^[14]
• Otto wrote in June 1947 that he was struggling in business. He wanted to do something in textiles and artificial silk, but the established businesses did not tolerate newcomers. He then restricted himself to chemicals and foodstuffs, Pectacon's core products.^[15]
• In February 1951: Kugler and Otto Frank were no longer listed for Pectacon in the Trade Register. Kleiman was sole director and Jeanne Kwakernaak secretary with general power of attorney.^[16]
• In January 1952, Ton Dunselman was still a supervisory director.^[17]
• In January 1954, Otto Frank owned NLG 2,000 worth of shares in Pectacon (and NLG 20,000 worth of Opekta shares and NLG 9,000 worth of shares in Gies & Co).^[18]
• In March 1955, Pectacon paid J. Dikker commission for February, on which turnover tax was paid.^[19]
• In January 1959: After Kleiman's death, J. Dikker became director of Pectacon. He established contacts with manufacturers of ice cream (including Davino, De Hoop, Mariëndaal) and chocolate (including Verkade, Rademakers). He also established contacts with companies in pudding production and bakery ingredients.
• In April 1959: When negotiations were held in 1959 leading to Opekta's takeover by Opekta-Keulen, Pectacon was left out of this share transaction. According to Ms Kwakernaak, besides Opekta, 'Cologne' was also keen to take over Pectacon.^[20]

A son of Joop Hofhuis wanted to buy Opekta in 1959, but missed out. Years later, he met Kleiman's successor, J. Dikker, at Pectacon and subsequently took over the company after all. ^[21] This was around 1977. In an interview with Dineke Stam, dated 10 December 1997, Hofhuis said he bought Pectacon "20 years ago".^[22] Pectacon continued to exist as Hofhuis F.I.A. Pectacon BV, with the Chamber of Commerce number 31019094.^[23]

When and how Otto disposed of his Pectacon shares is unclear at the moment, in the absence of sources.

Addresses: Singel 400, Amsterdam; Prinsengracht 263, Amsterdam; Rokin 6 (Wolters office), Amsterdam.