Cees van der Pols suffered a heart attack on Wednesday 18th November 2020. Regrettably he never came to, dying surrounded by his family the following evening.

Patrick Desmond, general manager of Kioti UK said, “For Kioti UK Cees was a great and much loved figurehead, mentor and friend.

"He was well known throughout the groundcare industry. His contacts went back many years and all have great tales to tell of their experiences doing business with Cees.

"The family have been taken back by the high volume and warmth of the messages that have received from across the world. No one can believe that a man who, right to the end, was full of so much life and vitality has gone."

Cees's son, Piet van der Pols, released a statement, saying, "It is with great sadness that we have to inform you that our father, husband and grandfather Cees van der Pols, passed away on Thursday, November 19th. We feel deflated and words cannot express our loss.

Led by Cees van der Pols, initially with his brothers, our family business, founded in 1933, has grown over the last 40 years into a leading company in the groundscare and recycling industry. With his entrepreneurship and great business vision, Cees has managed to secure many import contracts for the Dutch market and helped our company to grow to it’s current position.

"In 2015 Cees had decided to take a step back and let the next generation take over the business. As passionate and lively as Cees was, he was still heavily involved and working on a daily basis in the company.

"Since 2016 one of his pet projects and passions was the launch of Kioti UK. The success of the company was a result of his energy and vision.

"Cees van der Pols, a remarkable person, an entrepreneur, a leader, a beacon and above all an example for everyone, is no longer with us. Cees van der Pols reached the age of 70 and will be missed by all."