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    Dries van Wagenberg

    Dries van Wagenberg is an entrepreneur with 30 + years’ experience in importing and distribution as well as in handling cross border transactions involving physical commodities. After graduating from Washington & Lee University in 1977 Dries spent two years in commercial banking then he took over his family’s import and distribution business which he sold in 2000.

    Experience & Activities

    Dries van Wagenberg  is an entrepreneur with 30 + years’ experience in importing and distribution as well as in handling cross border transactions involving physical commodities. After graduating from Washington & Lee University in 1977 Dries spent two years in commercial banking then he took over his family’s import and distribution business which he sold in 2000.

    In 2004 Dries started distributing specialty chemicals with emphasis on fuel treatment (middle distillate fuel in particular). This effort led to the creation of The Right Stuff LLC dba Van Smith ( www.VanSmithCo.com). For the next 12 years Dries focused his distribution efforts on the U.S., Canada and Colombia. Gradually Van Smith’s chemical customers began asking for help sourcing both carbon-based fuels and sustainable alternatives.

    Today Van Smith’s business is divided into 3 segments as described below and operates internationally but principally on trades in Europe and West Africa. 1. Facilitating commodity transactions with emphasis on energy 2. Distribution of chemicals (both specialty and bulk) 3. Helping ventures in sustainable energy launch their businesses primarily by helping them to raise early-stage capital.