5 November 2020

Write a column. That’s a nice idea, and together with our advertising agency, we soon came to a decision. And because you have to do everything at some point, I just pipped my partner to an impulsive response: “I’ll do it…”.

So here is my first column. And, of course, it is about what is currently most important to us: our 60th anniversary and a little bit about Corona.

On 15 November, we were to celebrate on a grand scale: an open day for family, neighbours, customers and suppliers. On that day, we would be able to proudly demonstrate how far we have come after 60 years. And what we have done as a team in recent years to make our already beautiful company even more beautiful and especially better. Almost the entire machine park has been renewed. Substantially increased turnover. The rubber pad forming process has become even more transparent and understandable to the general public. Added new customers and retained the existing ones with products that others ignore. All in all, a whole lot to celebrate! And that is what we intended to do. With all our (now 50!) proud colleagues and their partners.

And then came Corona.
A sense of panic spread through the entire chain. Customers who drastically reduced or temporarily closed their production, combined with a supply chain that suddenly turned out to be very full after all. And we joined in with the sense of panic… Flex workers out, investments on hold, a sharp eye on costs and a focus on cash. It soon became clear that, although our turnover had fallen, all that panic was unnecessary in our case.

Since the holiday period, things have been going much better, with existing customers ordering in full and new customers coming in for rubber forming. Smaller series, reshoring and increasing awareness of the rubber pad forming technique and all its associated benefits; this is working out well for us. We are now looking to the future and that feels good!

… And because everything in life is relative, we’ll make a modest celebration of this grandiose event and save the rest for 2021. Because that there will be a big party, that’s for sure! Hopefully soon, not least because I have 3 teenagers at home (on the couch) who are only too happy to pick up their old lives again!

Well, that wasn’t too bad. My first column is a fact!  On to the next HOOFTzaak.