Who is Daan?

The Factory, Chocolatemakers

This is Daan Kollmer (31). Industrial designer / Technician / Machine designer and builder.

What are you doing in the chocolate factory?
We are here in front of the 1930's roaster. A fantastic machine. Enver and Rodney bought it a while ago and have been getting it working ever since. My job was to get all the infrastructure between the different machines working, from electrical switch boxes to air exhaust pipes. And it worked! It's so cool to get such an old machine running again.

It is the big puzzle and the ingenuity of how to get all the machines working that is fun. I have installed the electricity and a number of parts and motors must be replaced. This box contains the electricity of the burner. Quite complex. Yes, and it is quite exciting when you press the start button for the first time. The first time didn't go quite right...)

What do you like about the chocolate factory?
What I like best here is the combination of high-tech machines and old stuff. It works well together here. And the delicious smell of chocolate!

What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of the mould feeder in combination with the cooling tunnel. This machine makes harden the molds, which have just been filled with chocolate to cool, so that they can be removed from the molds. These machines were designed and made by me. Enver and Rodney clearly had an idea of what the machine should look like and what the machine should do. I can then go all out. Designing and then making; that's the best part!

What would you like to do in the future?
I have been in my business for 7 years now. I work in the food industry. I also work for the company that cuts the vegetables for Albert Heijn. But I have consciously or unconsciously moved more and more into the chocolate sector. I prefer to develop and make new machines in this sector. I think chocolate is a beautiful and fun product!

The most delicious bar
I am someone who loves dark chocolate, but the most delicious I think is the milk with salt bar!