The Antraco Aruba Group started in August 1964 as a commercial sales company with the primary task of distributing products  manufactured by 3M, Ray-O-Vac (batteries), Dymo (tapes) and Domtar (fine papers). Through these products, Antraco got involved in the office supplies business and later in the school supplies business, both of which evolved into the organization of the first Antraco Retail outlet: Samsom Bookstore.

Through association with 3M's overhead projectors, Antraco got involved in office furniture, office equipment and  office automation. Antraco started marketing, sales and servicing of CANON copiers, faxes, calculators, micro graphics, printers, scanners, digital cameras; as well as office furniture of Steel case, Marko and HON.

The 1984 expansion into IBM Personal Computers was a natural extension of our office equipment and automation business, called Business Solutions. A new area was entered in 1988 with the purchase of Bazaar (Tourist Store) and Surprise (House wares & Gifts Store).
All electronic office equipment retail activities, which initially had been handled through our expanding Bookstore, was separated in 1994 into a new store called Business Center. While the initial focus was mostly on corporate and small business market, over the years the home user has become equally important, providing new sales opportunities to the Business Center.

More developments and expansions took place. In 1995 Antraco opened a new store in downtown Oranjestad: BIDA Department Store. 'BIDA' in the native Papiamento language means 'Life'. The store offers a wide variety of products for the family and home. The store turned into a big success and brought a complete new group of customers to Antraco. Due to increasing sales and activities, in 1996 the Copy Center, which had been operating as part of our Samsom Bookstore, became a separate business unit called Copy Plus, which at a time had three outlets of which two operate in Oranjestad and one in San Nicolas.

The Bookstore underwent a major expansion and renovation in 1997, which replaced the old Bookstore with a completely new one, covering a total of 850 sq. meters (9000 sq. ft), which makes it the largest in its sort in the Caribbean.

While the Antraco Aruba Group over the years has expanded and diversified its activities, the primary areas that we serve are the offices and schools, where  Antraco supplies everything needed; from computer systems to pencils, from office- and school supplies to gymnasium equipment, while supplying technical services for all equipment sold.

Antraco often organizes seminars and sponsors courses to support its marketing efforts in the medical, automotive, telecommunications, electrical, building services, fire fighting and automation industries. A great deal of resources is invested in the training and constant upgrading of the staff in order to ensure a high degree of professionalism. Clients are offered professional advice and service. We believe that our clients form the core which, combined with our dedicated employees and our quality suppliers, form our business. A sophisticated and dynamic organization with a highly automated accounting system guarantees  strict and prompt adherence to credit facilities of accounts payable as well as that of accounts receivable, which, together with a professional purchasing system and efficient warehousing and distribution  system, ensures competent Resource Management.

Antraco sets itself apart by its constant pursuit of high standards in ethics, humanity, professionalism, dynamism and flexibility in its field, while always  endeavoring to be conscientious citizens participating in most activities in and by the community.