What Hizkia does

HIZKIA is a Netherlands-headquartered, family-owned fine art logistics company founded in 1990 by Hizkia Van Kralingen, providing transport, climate-controlled storage, packaging, handling, project management, and collection management services to museums, galleries, auction houses, and private collectors across Europe. The company operates 10 offices in 6 countries (Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Denmark, Sweden) with more than 60,000 m2 of museum-standard depot space and approximately 300 employees, having expanded through three major acquisitions (Crown Fine Art 2021, MD Fine Art 2022, Brandl Transport September 2022) and a 2021-2024 consolidation under a unified HIZKIA brand.

The company's proprietary technology center is the Turtle product family — a reusable climate-controlled art transport crate developed in 1994, enhanced through the Turtle uNLtd (vacuum insulated panels, 2019) and the T+ corner block system with wire rope isolators (December 2020) developed with Prof. Kerstin Kracht — supported by in-house carpentry shops (largest in Cologne), the Artline weekly shuttle service connecting major European cities and JFK, and ICEFAT/ISO/CO2 Performance Ladder-certified operations. Revenue is generated through professional services (transport, packaging, handling, project management) and managed services (storage, customs-bonded warehousing) on a quote-based model, with the Turtle brand additionally licensed for distribution in North America through Masterpiece International. The company remains privately held under founder-CEO Hizkia Van Kralingen, with no institutional investors or public-market participation disclosed.

Name

Hizkia

Legal name

HIZKIA Groep BV

Website

https://hizkia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

HIZKIA is a family-owned European fine art logistics company operating 10 offices in 6 countries, providing climate-controlled transport, storage, packaging, handling, and project management services to museums, galleries, auction houses, and collectors, supported by its proprietary Turtle reusable crate system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Art Logistics

NAICS

General Warehousing and Storage (49311), Other Warehousing and Storage (493190)

SIC

Public Warehousing & Storage (4220)

akta.pro primary industry

Fine Art Handling & Transport (HSAKAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Logistics, Shipping & Storage for Exhibits (Freight, Warehousing) (THAHAHAK)

Keywords

• Fine art logistics
• Art transport services
• Climate-controlled art storage
• Art handling installation
• Museum collection management

Headquarters

HQ city

Den Haag

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Art Transport Services: Core business providing fine art transport by road, sea, and air. Includes project management for international loans and collection relocations.
2. Art Storage and Depot Services: Climate-controlled storage facilities available for short-term and long-term rental, starting at 1m2. Includes customs-bonded warehouse (free port) options.
3. Custom Packaging and Crating: In-house carpentry teams build custom crates and provide packing solutions. TURTLE rental and softpacking services available.
4. Art Handling Services: Trained professionals for packing, unpacking, handling, and installation of artworks. Includes training workshops for museum staff.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

HIZKIA provides fine art logistics services spanning air, road, and sea transport of artworks; climate-controlled storage and depot rentals; professional art handling and installation; custom packaging via in-house carpentry teams including the proprietary Turtle reusable crate system; and project management for international loans and collection relocations. The company serves museums, galleries, auction houses, and private collectors through 10 offices across 6 European countries.

Product overview

HIZKIA is a fine art logistics company offering a comprehensive portfolio of services centered around art transport, handling, storage and packaging. The core product portfolio includes the Turtle family of reusable art transport crates (original Turtle, Turtle uNLtd, T+ corner blocks), supplemented by transportation services (Artline weekly shuttle), art handling, custom packaging, collection management, and project management. The company operates across 10 offices in 6 European countries with over 60,000 m2 of climate-controlled storage facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Turtle: Sustainable, reusable art transport crate system developed by HIZKIA, trusted by museums worldwide since 1994. Includes Turtle, Turtle uNLtd, and T+ corner block products.

Products and services

• Turtle Reusable Art Transport Crate Reusable climate-controlled art transport crate with hard composite outer shell, adjustable corner support system, and climate regulation. Provides protection against temperature/humidity fluctuations and vibration during transport. Used by leading museums worldwide since 1994 with around 600 units in circulation used in approximately 2,000 exhibitions.
• Turtle uNLtd Enhanced version of the Turtle crate using vacuum insulated panels (VIP) for superior thermal resistance and temperature/humidity stabilization. Stronger, lighter, better insulated and more durable than the original Turtle.
• T+ Corner Block Securing System Advanced securing and vibration reduction system using wire rope isolators that provides 100% better vibration reduction than standard double-walled museum wooden crates and 90% shock absorption during transport. Developed with vibration expert Prof. Kerstin Kracht.
• Artline Weekly Art Shuttle Scheduled weekly shuttle service connecting London, Germany, Paris, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and JFK (USA) for galleries, museums, and collectors. Provides recurring shipment opportunities between major European cities and across the Atlantic.
• Gallery Service Reliable, no-nonsense shipping options for fine art including transport, packaging, art handling, and storage designed for commercial galleries, auction houses, and private collectors needing quick, affordable city-to-city shipping.
• Art Storage (Depot) Over 60,000 m2 of secure, climate-controlled art storage facilities across Europe including The Hague, Amsterdam, Antwerp/Willebroek, Paris, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Cologne, Berlin, and Munich. Climate maintained at 19-20°C and 50% relative humidity with special air filters and fire-prevention systems; storage starts at 1m2 with flexible short-term and long-term rental.
• Art Packaging and Crating Custom packing solutions including in-house carpentry teams for travel frames, climate-controlled wooden crates, softpacking, and sustainable packaging using reusable Turtle crates. Provided by trained professionals for museums, galleries, and collectors.
• Fine Art Transport Fine art transport via air freight, road transport, and sea freight with in-house customs brokerage services and expertise for international shipments. Includes project management for international loans and collection relocations.
• Art Handling and Installation Professional art handling including installation, unpacking, large-scale installations, scaffolding work, and on-site packing for museums and galleries, executed by trained technicians with training workshops available for museum staff.
• Project Management for International Loans Specialized project management for international art loans and collection relocations, managing documentation, budgets, quality assurance, and multi-stakeholder coordination from origin to destination.
• Collection Management and Conservation Preservation services including collection monitoring, conservation care, environmental control, infrastructure support, and high-security depot facilities for museums and private collectors, with partners Lemmens Art Conservation and Redivivus located at HIZKIA depots.
• Customs-Bonded Warehouse (Free Port) Customs-authorized warehouse facilities where artworks can be stored without clearing customs and free of import duties, available at multiple HIZKIA locations.
• Turtle Flightcase for Instruments Specialized climate-controlled flightcase developed with Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra for transporting musical instruments such as violins with controlled temperature and humidity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 600 reusable Turtle crates in circulation worldwide, used for approximately 2,000 exhibitions, saving 25,000 trees
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ARoS Aarhus Art MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023Exclusive partnership with one of Northern Europe's largest art museums (20,700 sqm, 10 floors) for all art logistics projects, packaging and transport. Partnership built on mutual trust, shared values of quality, sustainability, and professional authority.
• Brandl Transport GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022Acquisition of Brandl Transport in Germany, adding 15,000+ m2 storage space in Cologne, Berlin, and Munich, 20 art transport trucks, in-house crate building shop, and over 90 experienced employees.
• Masterpiece InternationalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2019Exclusive distributor of Turtle crates in United States, Canada, and Mexico through Turtle North America. Founded 1989, with 260+ professionals in 17 US locations.
• Crown Fine ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcquisition of Crown Fine Art's operational activities and storage business in Zaventem (BE), Amsterdam & Nieuw-Vennep (NL) and Paris (FR), bringing substantial experience in specialized logistics for galleries, auction houses, and museums.
• MD Fine Art (Møbeltransport Danmark Fine Art)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcquisition of MD Fine Art providing entire menu of fine art logistics services in Denmark and Sweden, with over 45 years of experience handling high value artworks nationally and internationally.
• CollectionCareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU-funded research project developing innovative system for preventive conservation of art objects. HIZKIA contributes to practical tests of transport and handling using sensors for humidity, temperature, UV, pollution, and vibration monitoring.
• KLM / Air France / Martinair CargominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for international art transport, notably for Mondrian and De Stijl exhibition tour through Brazil including São Paolo, Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, and Rio de Janeiro.
• Lemmens Art ConservationminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConservation studio located at HIZKIA depot Willebroek, specializing in conservation of modern and contemporary art with multidisciplinary approach including sculpture, painting, plastics, glass, ceramics, and media arts.
• Redivivus Conservation StudiominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRenowned conservation and restoration studio situated in same building as HIZKIA The Hague Collection Centre, providing collection care services.
• Prof. Dr. Kerstin KrachtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVibration expert and professor who led research into art transport materials performance. Collaborated on development of T+ corner block with wire rope isolators.
• Oeke HoogendijkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDocumentary filmmaker created 'The Story of Turtle' mini-documentary showcasing the revolutionary reusable art transport crate. Previously made award-winning 'My Rembrandt' documentary.
• Keith BrumbergminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommercial Director contributing to further business development of HIZKIA, with long-standing reputation and network in the industry.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cadogan Tate: UK-based fine art logistics specialist providing international shipping, storage, and installation for museums, galleries, collectors, and auction houses. Operates a comparable service portfolio (transport, climate-controlled storage, handling) and competes head-to-head with HIZKIA on UK-Europe art movements and complex international loans.
• Masterpiece International: US-headquartered fine art logistics and shipping company with 260+ professionals across 17 US locations. Serves museums, galleries, auction houses, and private collectors — same core customer base as HIZKIA — and is HIZKIA's exclusive North American Turtle distributor, making it both a channel partner and direct competitor in the transatlantic art movement market.
• Gander & White: London-headquartered fine art shipping, storage, and installation specialist with operations spanning the UK, Europe, US, and Asia. Offers a directly comparable service mix (transport, climate-controlled storage, art handling, crating) to museums, galleries, and collectors, competing with HIZKIA particularly on UK-origin and transcontinental routes.
• Hasenkamp: German fine art logistics specialist offering international transport, storage, and art handling across Europe. Overlaps directly with HIZKIA's German operations (Cologne, Munich, Berlin) and competes for museum and gallery accounts in the DACH region, where HIZKIA recently integrated Brandl Transport.
• Momart: UK fine art logistics and storage company serving museums, galleries, auction houses, and private collectors with transport, climate-controlled storage, and exhibition services. Long-standing direct competitor in the Anglo-European market for high-value art movement and storage.

Regional players

• Crozier Fine Arts: US-headquartered fine art logistics company providing transport, storage, and installation for collectors, museums, galleries, and auction houses. Operates primarily in North America, making it a regional peer rather than direct European competitor, but it competes for the same global museum and high-net-worth client relationships when art crosses the Atlantic.
• Atelier 4 Fine Art Transport: Austrian fine art logistics provider serving museums, galleries, and collectors with transport, climate-controlled storage, and art handling. Comparable service portfolio and customer base to HIZKIA, with geographic overlap into HIZKIA's southern German and northern Italian reach via Munich operations.
• LP Art Fine Art Shipping: Italy-based fine art logistics company offering international art transport, packaging, storage, and installation for museums, galleries, and private collectors. Regional peer with comparable offerings, particularly relevant given HIZKIA's stated ambition to serve Italian clients from its Munich office.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Hizkia
• Instagraminstagram.com/hizkia_art_logistics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hizkia-van-kralingen

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hizkia