“There is a strong, no-nonsense business culture (here). Let’s get things done. That’s what brings us together,” Rutte said.

The occasion was the official opening of a new rail loop facility at Vopak. The 108-acre site is able to handle trains up to 120 cars long.

Rutte was joined by Kris Peeters, Minister-President of Flanders, Melanie Schultz van Haegen-Maas Geesteranus, Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment of The Netherlands and Hilde Crevits, Minister of Mobility and Public Works of Flanders. (Flanders is the northern region of Belgium, bordering The Netherlands.)

The group, accompanied by a diplomatic, security and press contingent, was welcomed to the Independence Parkway headquarters by Dick Richelle, President of Vopak Americas.

Houston/Deer Park is one of the three hub locations that Vopak operates around the world.

“For us, Houston is similar to Singapore and the Rotterdam/Antwerp region…because major trade flows of product are flowing in and out and a variety of products are being stored,” Richelle said. He estimated that 90 percent of the processing capacity for shale oil and gas is located in area that includes Houston, stretching east to the Louisiana border.

“The opportunity for a company like Vopak, being active in independent storage and serving all these customers around the globe is enormous,” Richelle said. 

Vopak is just one of many international companies with regional investment in operations.

“I think all of us, including me, take a lot of this for granted. We don’t realize, because we live here and drive by every day that we are sitting in the bed of a truly international port. It all plays an important role, said Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton, Jr.

In a release, Vopak said the rail loop was built with even additional growth in mind.

Schultz can Haegen-Maas Geesteranus echoed the expansion theme. “We have to keep investing in infrastructure, in our hardware infrastructure, railways, waterways, roads, in ourselves where security, innovation, partnerships and sustainability. Excellence must be our goal and excellence we have here,” she said.

It is Schultz van Haegen-Maas Geesteranus’ first trip to Houston. “It is different from our homeland at the moment. As you know, Europe is at a difficult situation economically at the moment, but still we are the fifth biggest trading partner of Texas…so it is very important for us to be here,” she said.

Peeters was excited that the phrase known world-wide, “Houston, we have a problem,” was at Vopak being modified to, “Houston, we have some opportunities.”