Rinaldo van Hetten
Rinaldo van Hetten | |
|---|---|
| Born | 12 September 1955 |
| Occupation | Wheel-loader operator |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Era | Vriend Era |
| Known for | Operating the Hitachi WS100 since 1972 |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives |
|
| Family | Van Hetten family |
Rinaldo van Hetten (born 12 September 1955) is a Surinamese wheel-loader operator. He began working at the Van Hetten family dump site in Paramaribo in 1972 and has operated the same Hitachi WS100 wheel loader throughout his career. He continued working at the property after it became a construction yard operated by Paramarbo in 2026.
Early life
[edit | edit source]Rinaldo van Hetten was born in Paramaribo, Suriname, on 12 September 1955. He is the eldest child of Ewald van Hetten and Alida Pinas. His younger siblings are Marcel van Hetten and Mariska van Hetten.[1]
Van Hetten received no formal schooling. His parents taught him to read and write at home. They also taught him basic arithmetic.
Career
[edit | edit source]Van Hetten began working at the Van Hetten family dump site on 30 July 1972, aged 16. Ewald assigned him to the site's Hitachi WS100 articulated wheel loader and supervised his first work with the machine. Van Hetten used it to move waste within the property. He also loaded recovered materials for the salvage section and cleared access routes.
The Hitachi WS100 remained Van Hetten's only regular machine. He carried out its routine maintenance and repaired it himself when components failed. The loader remained in service through repeated repairs and the replacement of worn parts.
Van Hetten continued working at the site after Ewald retired on 8 August 1997. His entire working life has been spent at the family property. On 23 June 2022, aged 66, he reduced his schedule and began working only on selected days.
On 10 April 2026, Wijnand van Hetten transferred the site to Henk van Hetten. It became a construction yard operated by Paramarbo while continuing to accept household waste and debris from construction work.[2][3] Van Hetten remained at the yard and continues to operate the Hitachi WS100 when needed.
Personal life
[edit | edit source]Van Hetten lives in Paramaribo. He has never married and has no children. He is in a long-term relationship.
On 13 September 2013, Van Hetten bought a used 2003 Lamborghini Gallardo. Between 2013 and 2026, he received nine speeding fines while driving the car. On 18 August 2018, he was recorded driving at approximately 230 km/h on a highway in Suriname. His driving licence was suspended for six months, until 18 February 2019. The other offences resulted in financial penalties. Van Hetten retained the Gallardo and continues to drive it.
See also
[edit | edit source]- Ewald van Hetten
- Wijnand van Hetten
- Henk van Hetten
- Paramarbo
- Van Hetten family
- Van Hetten family members