GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A Grand Rapids businessman has been knighted.

Eenhoorn CEO Paulus C. Heule was knighted in Washington D.C. by André Haspels, the Dutch ambassador to the United States, for his work of strengthening ties between the Netherlands and the United States.

“It is a tremendous honor to be recognized by the Kingdom of the Netherlands,” Heule said in a release. “I see my role as a liaison for both cultures, serving as a bridge to make connections, explore opportunities for collaboration and celebrate the rich heritage of each.”

Heule immigrated to Grand Rapids in the early 1980s from the Netherlands. After graduating from Calvin University, he and his father founded Eenhoorn in 1988. Since then, he has worked to grow the relationship between the two countries.

  • The knighting ceremony of Eenhoorn CEO Paulus C. Heule at the Dutch Ambassador Residence in Washington, D.C. (Courtesy Eenhoorn)
    The knighting ceremony of Eenhoorn CEO Paulus C. Heule at the Dutch Ambassador Residence in Washington, D.C. (Courtesy Eenhoorn)
  • The knighting ceremony of Eenhoorn CEO Paulus C. Heule at the Dutch Ambassador Residence in Washington, D.C. (Courtesy Eenhoorn)
    The knighting ceremony of Eenhoorn CEO Paulus C. Heule at the Dutch Ambassador Residence in Washington, D.C. (Courtesy Eenhoorn)
  • Eenhoorn CEO Paulus C. Heule on a trade mission. (Courtesy Eenhoorn)
    Eenhoorn CEO Paulus C. Heule on a trade mission. (Courtesy Eenhoorn)

Heule co-founded the West Michigan Global Initiative in 2012 and has led multiple trade missions to the United States. He led fundraising for the restoration of the Netherlands Carillon, a gift from the Netherlands after World War II that is located by Arlington National Cemetery.

In 2015, he hosted the king and queen of the Netherlands on their visit to Grand Rapids, where they saw the Dutch influence in West Michigan.

Heule has five daughters, whom he raised with his wife in Ada.