The Golden Team of the Océ Museum

In 1974 people within Océ began to realize how “old” Océ was becoming. Edward Cohen in particular, the Company Publicist, was committed to preserving the heritage. The Antiquities Committee was instated. When we grow old, we begin to think of the past and we recall old memories. Steef Suyling had joined Océ or, as he continued to call it, Van der Grinten, in 1937. Because he was one of the last of the Mohicans in 1974 and a lot of knowledge would be lost when he retired, it would perhaps be a good idea that he would want to work on heritage. He still knew people, pensioners, who would like to cooperate. Steef went to work full of enthusiasm. Lists of devices, technical drawings, service manuals, he managed to pop up everything. And when the first devices had to be removed from the dust, a space was also found where he made the first impetus for the museum. When Steef and his Golden Team, as this group of enthusiasts had meanwhile been baptized, had been busy for about half a year, Mr. Karel van der Grinten got wind of this. This laid the foundation for the work of the Golden Team.

They meet every Tuesday in the Océ Museum on St. Urbanusweg, Venlo. They work on the (sometimes very) old Océ machines, collect information, drink coffee and catch up. A group of (mostly) retired Océ/CPP employees who still take great pride in being in the Océ Museum and taking care of the preservation of the heritage. They maintain the equipment in the museum, archive all kinds of documents, work on new concepts for the Museum, give guided tours to visitors, do technical experiments with children and work on the website.