Sypkes family

The Sypkes are a prominent business family from Tasmania, Australia. They came to prominence after they immigrated to Tasmania from the Netherlands, where Engel Sypkes went on to found the Purity supermarket chain in 1958. The chain was sold in 1981, at the time encompassing 16 stores.^[1]

His sons Peter and Rudie Sypkes founded the Chickenfeed retail chain in 1990^[1] and sold in 2001 for an estimated 35 million Australian dollars.^[2] Rudie Sypkes went on to invest in various businesses, including an investment advisory company, real estate in Queensland and oil in Texas.^[3] In 2002 Rudie was appointed honorary consul for the Czech Republic to Tasmania^[4] and in 2007 won the AICD Tasmania Gold Medal Director of the Year, presented by the Governor of Tasmania.^[5] He was also a director of the Tasmanian Institute of Law Enforcement Studies^[6]

Rudie Sypkes died of Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in 2007.^[2][7] Before his death he donated $600,000 Australian to research into respiratory medicine^[8] His passing was noted by the media and politicians, with tributes made by the Premier,^[8] State Opposition Leader ^[9] and during a session of the federal parliament Senator David Bushby.^[10]

Peter Sypkes and Rudie Sypkes son Andrew Sypkes invested in the Shiploads chain of discount stores in 2011, just shortly before the collapse of the family's former company Chickenfeed, the main competitor of their new venture. They were blamed for contributing to the demise of Chickenfeed by the company's communication manager, because of their continued ownership of a number of the store locations.^[11]

Peter Sypkes was appointed honorary consul of the Netherlands to Tasmania in 2012.^[12][13] He is the patron of the Dutch Australia Society^[14]

The family presently owns, in edition to 50% of Shiploads, the Sypkes group which consists of their realestate and investment holdings across Tasmania^[15]

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