It all began back in 1948 when founder Jan van der Sluys, his wife, Ria and four children emigrated from The Netherlands to South Africa on board the Sibajak in search of new opportunities and a brighter future for their family. Jan van der Sluys was determined to succeed first as carpenter and later as building contractor. He bought a bicycle and cycled from Paarl as far afield as Helshoogte and Franschhoek to find work. Jan turned his innate skill and passion to what he knew best and in a few short years had laid the foundation of a thriving building business. From the outset, Jan was driven by a single purpose: to set the highest standards of craftsmanship and service within the industry. The business flourished and in 1960 Jan formed a limited company, J van der Sluys (Pty) Ltd.