Alphen IntoBusiness - Juni 2012 - Engels

THE PIONEERING OF ALPHEN SPIRIT AAN DEN RIJN

THIS IS A PUBLICATION OF ALPHEN INTOBUSINESS

SPECIAL BOOK ABOUT THE PIONEERING SPIRIT OF COMPANIES WHO ARE ESTABLISHED IN ALPHEN AAN DEN RIJN

The pioneering spirit of ALPHEN AAN DEN RIJN A world opens up to anyone who opens up to the rest of the world. Doing international business is challenging, exciting and instructive. It will treat you well, as long as you practice patience, respect people from different cultures, with other habits and look for the right people.

This book represents the heart of the Alphen’ pioneering spirit. In numerous columns, reports and interviews, renowned Alphen’ entrepreneurs will tell you why there are opportunities abroad and why their companies are internationally interesting to foreigners.

We hope this book will be an entertaining and informative guide for our foreign business guests, allowing them to find what they are looking for in Alphen aan den Rijn: from a quality hotel to innovative companies, from a gourmet restaurant to the exit-roads that lead to main ports like Rotterdam harbour and Schiphol airport. And for those who would like to relax after work there are various options; like the historical theme park Archeon, Vogelpark Avifauna or Theater Castellum.

Alphen aan den Rijn is, like alderman Tseard Hoekstra formulated during an interview, a city filled with unique selling points. Furthermore, this is a city that is continuously in development; for those of you, who revisit Alphen aan den Rijn in a few years, you will most likely discover a shiny new city centre, with improved logistic routes and newly built offices.

To cut a long story short, we wish you a very warm welcome to Alphen aan den Rijn and hope you enjoy reading this book.

DENNIS CAPTEIN

(Publisher) 3

Table of contents INTERVIEW Tseard Hoekstra, alderman of Economic Affairs GUIDE All about Alphen aan den Rijn Index of international companies established in Alphen aan den Rijn

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COMPANY REPORTS BDO Kluthe Benelux Biesterfeld Nederland SWA Zeeman TextielSupers Alecs Grant Thornton Aerial Work Platform Jungheinrich Nederland ING Chan’s ABN AMRO and MeesPierson Frames Geomet Multi-Crane Tekoma P&S Staalproducties Grimbergen Spectra-Cell Ltd.

10 14 16 18 20 22 24 28 30 32 33 34 38 39 40 42 43 44 46

AMUSEMENT PARKS Vogelpark Avifauna Theme-park Archeon

36 37

COLUMNS Pim Perquin, tax advisor John Kroes, notary Machiel van der Schoot, entrepreneur and publicist Stanley de Looze, civil engineering

15 19 23 29

AND FUTHER Tips and advice on doing business internationally 4

5

8

26

PUBLISHED BY

IntoBusiness Magazine BV A. van Leeuwenhoekweg 36a5 2408 AN Alphen aan den Rijn The Netherlands T 0031 172 515200 E info@intobusiness.nu I www.intobusiness.nu Copyright© reserved

EDITORS André ten Brink, Ghislaine Brongers, Rob Buisman, Dennis Captein, Linda van ‘t Land, Ellen Mannens, and Pim Perquin (editor in chief) COLUMNISTS John Kroes, Stanley de Looze, Pim Perquin and Machiel van der Schoot EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE Linda Persoon PHOTOGRAPHERS Oscar van der Wijk and Michel ter Wolbeek GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Martijn Broere and Erik Straver TRANSLATION LocalEyes Nederland B.V. Amsterdam PRINTED BY Printgarden BV Alphen aan den Rijn SPECIAL THANKS TO PIM PERQUIN

To order this book, mail to info@intobusiness.nu.

Price: 29,50 euro (excl. 19% VAT)

Everything in balance, even after the merger. But:

‘The Green Heart must continue to be the WORKING LANDSCAPE it has always been’ 5

Ask Alderman Tseard Hoekstra about the potential of Alphen aan den Rijn and the surrounding area, and within a minute he has rattled off a whole list of strengths. Central to these are the strategic location and excellent infrastructure of the area, which add value far beyond its borders. The merger of Alphen aan den Rijn with Boskoop and Rijnwoude will create even more synergy, spearheaded by agricultural logistics.

TEXT GHISLAINE BRONGERS l PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/MICHEL TER WOLBEEK

The merger between Alphen aan den Rijn, Boskoop and Rijnwoude will create one of the larger Dutch municipalities. The new municipality will cover an area of some 132 km², of which 97.5 km² will consist of farming land. The region is home to over 100,000 people and around 5,000 businesses. Tseard Hoekstra sees it as a golden opportunity to optimise this area’s potential: “The merger is all about economies of scale and increasing our influence. We will immediately become the 26th largest municipality in the Netherlands in terms of population. It is perhaps something of a cliché, but the bigger you are, the more you can get your voice heard at provincial and national level.” The effect can also be seen on an inter-regional basis, he says: “We will straightaway have a different position within this region, with respect to cities such as Gouda and Leiden, for example. Our size means that we will be playing an important leadership role, not just for the region as a whole, but also for ourselves. All in all, a very different dynamic will be created.”

AGRICULTURAL LOGISTICS

Above all, Hoekstra praises the strong position of Alphen aan den Rijn when it comes to transportation and logistics. “This an important transport hub between the Port of Rotterdam, Rotterdam The Hague Airport and Schiphol Amsterdam Airport, especially if you take into account infrastructure hubs such as the container transhipment terminal in Alphen aan den Rijn and the future BleiZo railway station between Bleiswijk and Zoetermeer.” There are also plenty of opportunities for synergy, he says: “In itself, Alphen aan den Rijn has quite a varied commercial sector, but Boskoop and Rijnwoude will bring a lot of international trade in the area of floriculture. That trade relates to production, of course, but there is also an increasing emphasis on innovation, such as the bio-fermentation that we 6

want to introduce here. If you combine the strengths of Alphen aan den Rijn, Boskoop and Rijnwoude, you can achieve a strong position in the area of agricultural logistics, which will be an important growth sector in the future.”

OWN STRENGTHS

But this, of course, will not be the only focus of the merged municipality: “We will be a large municipality with a special character not only in terms of business, but also with regard to the surrounding area and our location. We will be far and away the largest Green Heart municipality, centrally located among all the major Randstad cities.” That could go one of two ways, according to Hoekstra: “Either we will be squeezed by the encroaching metropolis developments from the north and south, or we will independently do our own thing here.” As far as he is concerned, it should be the latter: “In addition, we can use the Green Heart as a unique selling point, because that is exactly what it is. Nowhere else in the world can you find such a band of large cities with such a beautiful green heart at its centre. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development says the same thing. Of course, that requires us to adopt the right approach in terms of policy, not building over and exploiting the whole area, but at the same time not turning it into a closely guarded nature reserve. The Green Heart has always been an area in which people lived and worked. We would never want to copy something like the Botlek area, but for SMEs in the service or manufacturing industry there are plenty of reasons to set up here.” He goes on to add: “Based on our own strengths, we try to find logical connections with the areas around us. Agricultural logistics clearly represent common ground, but we can also see opportunities in fields like recreation and tourism, and life sciences.”

FANTASTIC BASE

Hasn’t manufacturing industry all left and gone abroad though? Hoekstra: “What I’m seeing is that more and more companies are deciding to move their production back to the Netherlands. That has to do with increasing wages in previously low-wage countries, rising transportation costs and, not least, language barriers. Increasingly, smaller production companies are coming back. That’s great for us, because the market itself is still international. You can see companies increasingly using Alphen as a fantastic base from which to cross over international borders, sometimes even as market leaders.”

Manufacturing company or not, businesses are always welcome in Alphen aan den Rijn,

Playing a decisive role together: Joint bid for Floriade 2022

Tseard Hoekstra.

says Hoekstra: “There’s plenty of space, and a lot of hard work is being put in on infrastructure challenges such as an improved northsouth link via the N207 and N209. A good east-west link – the N11 – is already in place.

And the big advantage for businesses,” says Hoekstra, highlighting another important plus point, “is our large supply of potential employees. People already like to live here, in the middle of good facilities and surrounded by nature. And we have a highly trained and motivated workforce. Alphen, Boskoop and Rijnwoude together have a very low youth unemployment rate and a very high level of participation in the labour market.”

Happily, Hoekstra is not the only one who is positive about the merger, which must be ratified in 2014. “The business sector is also welcoming the merger,” he says, “precisely

because it will increase our influence in the region and beyond. I also find it encouraging to see how quickly business relationships are being established.” The Rijnwoude Business Association has already joined forces with the Alphen Business Association, and there are plans to do the same in Boskoop.

Synergy is once again the driving force.

“These business associations are doing this without giving up any of their autonomy.

They will, of course, continue to stand up for their specific interests, but they are joining the largest business association in the Netherlands, and that benefits everyone.”

PLAYING A DECISIVE ROLE

When asked if he has more dreams for the time after the merger, Hoekstra says: “Of course, I will keep on dreaming. And I’m

When it comes to jointly playing a decisive role in the Green Heart, Floriade 2022 is very topical right now. Alderman Tseard Hoekstra says: “Together with the two other municipalities in the merger, along with Zoetermeer, Lansingerland, Pijnacker-Nootdorp, Waddinxveen and Bodegraven-Reeuwijk, we want to bring the next Floriade horticultural expo to this area. The decision has not quite been finalised, but it is a good example of the joint influence that will be created by the municipal merger.” Hoekstra predicts a significant economic slipstream effect from hosting such a large event. “It is in the highest category of world exhibitions and will attract between 2 and 2.5 million visitors, including hundreds of thousands of people from other countries. That will have an enormous impact on what you can achieve with the region. I see it as a catalyst for growth, not just for the floriculture sector but for business in general, throughout the region.”

a real infrastructure man, so the further improvement of the north-south link for road traffic will continue to be high on my wish list, as will the doubling of the railway line between Woerden and Leiden. But, to be honest, those projects are going to come about anyway. It’s a question of when, not if.” He continues: “What I really dream is that this merger will enable us together to play a decisive role in determining the future of the Green Heart. It must be in balance. By that, I mean the Green Heart must be protected because of its unique historical and scenic value, but in such a way that we can get the best out of it for all concerned.

The Green Heart must continue to be the working landscape it has always been. I will be very proud if we are able to achieve that goal with and for each other.”

7

Alphen aan den Rijn

N > Schiphol Airport/ Amsterdam

9

7

Aarlanderveen

5

3 8

2

6

1 > The Hague

Zwammerdam

4

> Harbour Rotterdam

Alphen aan den Rijn

Topography Alphen aan den Rijn is located where the small river ‘de Aar’ and ‘de Oude Rijn’ meet.

Alphen aan den Rijn is on the eastside bounded by the river ‘de Gouwe’ and the canal ‘Aarkanaal’ and in the west by ‘de Heimanswetering’. The city is bisected by ‘de Oude Rijn’. There are six bridges across ‘de Oude Rijn’: Zwammerdamse Brug, Steekterbrug, Swaenswijkbrug, Alphense Brug, Koningin Julianabrug and Albert Schweitzerbrug.

8

1 station 2 Townhall 3 Avifauna

> Utrecht

4 Archeon 5 Zegersloot recreation park 6 TheatER Castellum

7 Golf course Zeegersloot 8 De Hoorn 9 AquaRijn

Transportation Alphen aan den Rijn has a railway station on the line Utrecht-Woerden-Leiden.

You can also travel by train from Alphen aan den Rijn to Gouda. Public transportation is also possible by bus, which rides in and around Alphen aan den Rijn, and is being handled by the company called Connexxion. From Leiden, connected to highway A4, Alphen aan den Rijn is accessible by car via highway

N11. The N11 continues until Bodegraven and connects to highway A12, which leads to Utrecht. Near Alphen aan den Rijn, an aqueduct leads traffic driving on the N11 under the river ‘de Gouwe’. Coming from the north; Alphen aan den Rijn is accessible via the highway N207 (direction Amsterdam). From the south; the N209 runs, parallel to ‘de Gouwe’ (direction Gouda/ Rotterdam).

Origin Alphen aan den Rijn The name ‘A lphen’ is probably derived from the name of the Roman castellum Albanianae, meaning ‘settlement at white water’. The municipality of Alphen aan den Rijn was originally founded in 1918 by merging the cities Alphen (7,317 inhabitants), Aarlanderveen (4,255) and Oudshoorn (3,302). On February 1st, 1964; Zwammerdam was partially added to Alphen aan den Rijn. Especially since during that time the population in Alphen aan den Rijn increased relatively more than in the Netherlands itself.

Statistics gemeente Alphen aan den Rijn (as of January 1, 2011) • Residents: 72,729 • Homes: 30,492 • Surface Alphen aan den Rijn: 57,68 square kilometers (2,52 square kilometers exists of water) • Population density: 1,317 people per square kilometer • Elementary Schools: 29 • Secondary Schools: 6 • Business establishments: 3,459

Level working population • • • • • •

Science: 7% Higher level workers: 22% Secondary professions: 40% Lower level workers: 22% Elementary occupations: 9% Non-working job-seekers: 1,522

Surface industrial area • • • • • •

Heimanswetering: 27 acres Molenwetering: 72.6 acres Rijnhaven: 65.4 acres Hoorn-West: 19 acres De Schans/De Vork: 29.8 acres Land that is still available on premises: 16 acres

Unique Selling Points Alphen aan den Rijn • Largest association of undertakings in the Netherlands: VOA (Vereniging Ondernemers Alphen aan den Rijn) • Excellent exit-roads to the Port of Rotterdam (harbour), Schiphol Airport and the four big cities: Amsterdam, Utrecht, The Hague and Rotterdam • Highquality industrial and office locations • Above-average wealth figures (average = 100, Alphen aan den Rijn = 118)

• 21% of the Alphen’ companies is doing business in foreign countries (frequent and less frequent) • Highquality city center with a large and various amount of shops and restaurants • Largest container terminal of the Netherlands • Two hotels • Approximately 48 restaurants

Main attractions • Vogelpark Avifauna. The world’s first dedicated bird park, opened its doors in 1950 • Archeon. A historic theme park about Dutch History, with 43 replica buildings from prehistoric, Roman and Medieval eras. It was officially opened in 1994 • Zegersloot Recreatie Park. Park with an artificial lake (Het Meer), very popular for (Nordic) walking, hiking, cycling, windsurfing, wakeboarding and waterskiing • Theater Castellum. With two large theater stages, three cinemas, a café, a coffee corner and restaurant • Het Groene Hart: Alphen aan den Rijn is located in ‘het Groene Hart’

(the Green heart of de Randstad).

There are several long distances walking routes available, including a walk along four old and still working mills. Alphen aan den Rijn was nominated as the Greenest City of Europe in 2001 • Golf course Zeegersloot (18 holes).

With an excellent restaurant; ‘Mangerie de Zeeger’ • Two pools. ‘De Hoorn’ has three indoor pools and one outdoor pool.

‘AquaRijn’ is a new pool and opened since april 2012 • The municipality of Alphen aan den Rijn owns 74 national monuments in total. E.g. ‘het Joods monument’

Main events • 20 van Alphen. An International run, famous for its 20 kilometers.

Held every year (since 1952) on the second Sunday of March. The 2006 event was marked by a World Record when Hailed Gebrselassie finished in a World Record time of 1 hour, 11 minutes and 37 seconds on the 25 kilometer distance. This was his 22nd World Record breaking achievement • Jaarmarkt Alphen aan den Rijn.

Yearly held on the third wednesday in september. Regional products, music, fair. The largest one-day-a-year market in the Netherlands • Lakeside Festival. Held in august.

Music festival near ‘de Zegerplas’

• Oldtimerdag. Second saturday of september. Oldtimers; mainly cars, tractors and steam engines • LAURA. First week of july.

Four-day bicycle event • TEAN International. Challenger level ATP Tour tennis tour-nament, held at the tennis club TEAN, in september • Midwinter Fair and Midsummer Fair.

Fantasy festivals at historic theme park Archeon • Alphen Culinair. Three-day culinary festival in june • Spektakel aan het Meer.

Three-day music and fun festival in may; near ‘de Zegerplas’

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BDO is represented in 135 countries because:

‘For SMEs, business DOES NOT STOP at international borders.’

Whereas in the past it was mainly the larger Dutch companies that crossed over the border with their products and services, medium-sized enterprises are now adopting an increasingly international outlook. This is a logical development according to BDO Accountants & Advisers. ‘For SMEs, business does not stop at international borders.’

TEXT GHISLAINE BRONGERS l PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/OSCAR VAN DER WIJK

Economic conditions are not the only reason why Dutch companies are seeing their opportunities for growth diminishing in the domestic market, says Edwin Schrijver of BDO: “The Netherlands is a mature and therefore reasonably competitive market.

It can be difficult to take business away from a competitor here.” Schrijver, BDO’s International Liaison Partner, continues: 10

“It’s often easier to look for opportunities abroad, because that’s where the growth is. And that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go all the way to China, Brazil or India, where doing business often requires you to have a good understanding of the market and of the culture. Germany is also currently experiencing a period of growth and that’s not only right next door, but their

way of doing business is also very similar to our own.”

Michiel Wijnans, Senior Manager at BDO in Alphen aan den Rijn, adds: “And the US continues to be very important, for every sector. It can be a difficult market, because although western, it is a long way away; the key thing is to find the right representation for your product. But once you’ve got every-

Michiel Wijnans (left) and Edwin Schrijver.

thing sorted out, you can very soon benefit from the fact that the US is still the world’s largest consumer economy.”

THE WORLD AT YOUR FEET

Wijnans continues: “A big factor is that the logistics have become a lot easier. In the past, as an entrepreneur, you would primarily do business in your own region.

Nowadays it doesn’t matter anymore whether someone’s in Alphen aan den Rijn, somewhere else in the Netherlands or even elsewhere in Europe. Depending on where you’re targeting, it might take a little longer for your products to reach them, but that’s all.” He goes on to say: “The world has become so small, it really is at your feet. And, what’s more, international business is in our

blood, you’ll find us everywhere!” Wijnans is referring to Dutch entrepreneurs, but he could easily be talking about BDO itself.

His colleague Edwin Schrijver adds: “BDO is located wherever our clients are. That’s certainly true in the Netherlands, where we have 2,000 people spread over 27 offices, not so much in the big cities, but mainly in the regions. The same applies internation11

ally. In all, we have 50,000 people in 1,118 offices in every corner of the globe, 135 countries in total. That’s because mediumsized companies like the idea of having an accountant and/or tax specialist close to their overseas business. That means that we are closely involved with the local market, but at the same time we have a global reach.

It is a close-knit network, in which we give each other a lot of support. We always know where to turn to refer our clients to the right adviser abroad.”

A FOREIGN HOME FROM HOME

Both Schrijver and Wijnans have immense

admiration for the entrepreneurship they regularly see their clients display. Wijnans: “They’re often ten steps ahead of us. They are the entrepreneurs; they are the ones looking for the opportunities. But if they do decide to take the plunge and start doing business abroad, the natural next step is a quick phone call to us.” He gives an example: “A client of mine had met an entrepreneur from Milan at a trade show. He sensed an opportunity and felt that he absolutely had to do something with it. But it wasn’t quite as easy as all that because, well, it was Italy, after all. At that point, he came to me and expressed that concern. I asked around

among my BDO colleagues who, through their clients, had had a lot of dealings with that particular market, and quickly came up with a specific contact at BDO in Italy. I put him in touch with my client, who later fed back to me that it had been a successful match and that he now felt as if he had a ‘home from home’ in Italy with our Italian BDO colleagues. That’s what we like to achieve.”

LONGER THAN EXPECTED

Nonetheless, doing business abroad remains something of an adventure, with inevitable ups and downs. Schrijver refers to the sur-

International BDO celebrates traditional Dutch herring party

HIGHEST QUALITY, delicious taste No matter how international your outlook, there’s one typically Dutch tradition that is totally unmissable: the Herring Party in Alphen aan den Rijn. On behalf of BDO Alphen aan den Rijn, Pim Perquin gave a very warm welcome to the more than four hundred guests in the marquee, while the ‘Alle Hens’ caterers provided the snacks and drinks. And,

12

of course, the main focus of attention was on the herring sandwiches – by the tail, chopped, with or without onions; expertly cleaned and glistening. Guests judged the herring to be of the highest quality: soft and tender, with a delicious taste. The fish lovers were in their element, of course, but those who were less keen on herring were not forgotten: the

buffet had something for everyone. Nobody worried about the fact that the grey, drizzly weather had tried to dampen the mood. There was plenty of room in the marquee for all the guests where in addition to a nice drink they were treated to unobtrusive background music. This gave the guests plenty of opportunity to chat and to network.

vey that BDO conducted for the second time last year into the ambitions of hundreds of company directors worldwide. “Most businesspeople find it takes longer than expected to get a foothold abroad. Depending on the market, it can be a complex process, and attracting sufficient numbers of qualified local staff is seen as one of the main bottlenecks. Nevertheless, the surveyed directors expect to achieve around 44% of their turnover in foreign markets in 2012 whereas a year earlier, the figure was 37%.

For the Dutch respondents, that expectation was even higher. That reflects what we said it at the outset: the Netherlands must now,

more than ever, look for growth opportunities abroad.”

In any case, with its impressive international network, BDO does everything in its power to provide the best possible support to SMEs looking to enter new markets.

Schrijver: “That applies to the entire life cycle of the international adventure, from the very first baby steps to the mature phase, from SMEs to larger companies. Throughout the world, we have the necessary knowledge and expertise combined with access to the appropriate contacts on the ground.

It’s a case of finding the best match for our

clients here with a BDO accountant or tax specialist over there who will, of course, be right up to date with the latest legislation and regulations in the local market. Based on our knowledge and experience, we come up with our best assessment of our clients’ future requirements, and we devote a lot of energy to finding the perfect match for them.”

BDO ACCOUNTANTS & ADVISEURS

Laan de Continenten 172 2404 WE Alphen aan den Rijn T 0172 - 53 53 00 I www.bdo.nl

13

Continuity, the basis of Kluthe Benelux for forty years already

Substantial international

KNOW-HOW

Jan Westerveld.

For decades already, Jan Westerveld has together with a strong team of currently about 150 staff members, been working with Kluthe Benelux and their subsidiary companies. The company, located in Alphen aan den Rijn, followed under his leadership the course of steady growth. This resulted in 2011, in a business which is considered in Benelux, the United Kingdom and Spain a leading manufacturer of chemical products and processes for surface treatment.

TEXT DENNIS CAPTEIN l PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/OSCAR VAN DER WIJK

“Our policy always has one word mentioned at the top: continuity. In other words, make sure you first earn it before you spend it”, Westerveld reports. “I am proud of the fact that we can say we conquered our position in the market throughout the years with our own means.”

Kluthe Benelux are part of the Kluthe Group, which has branches in all European countries and furthermore focuses on the BRIC Countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China).

In total about 700 people are working for the group, which is good for an annual turnover of around 250 million euro. Under the responsibility of the subsidiary Kluthe Benelux annual turnover of 40 million is realized.

The pipe bridge for the provision of raw materials.

Return and supply lines of storage tanks.

beneficial. With our extensive international network of branches, Kluthe is always in the neighbourhood. An additional advantage is that we have substantial international know-how at our disposal. It speaks for itself that we let our clients benefit from that.”

COMPLETE SPECTRUM

INTERNATIONAL NETWORK

Besides being managing director of Kluthe Benelux, Westerveld is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Kluthe Group.

He confirms: “Kluthe Benelux is part of a family-owned business which sets out to be there where our clients are. For clients with branches in various countries this is very 14

Kluthe Benelux manufactures and delivers chemical products for surface treatment and paint products for new buildings, maintenance and renovation. The innovative character of the company is partly guaranteed by their own research and development branch in Germany. Westerveld: “Our clients are businesses in the car industry

The production floor.

and their suppliers, furthermore companies in the metal and lacquer processing and graphical industry, painting businesses which are served via a separate organization - Conti-Coatings. We distinguish ourselves from our colleagues by offering a complete range of matching products. More than half of our total chemical production has been compiled according to the client’s requirements.

KLUTHE BENELUX BV

Produktieweg 8 2404 CC Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 516000 I www.kluthe.nl

FOREIGN countries The smaller your own country, the bigger the rest of the world. That means that for us Dutch, the rest of the world is quite a large place – much more so than for the Americans, Russians or Chinese, for example.

Not quite as large as for the inhabitants of Luxembourg or San Marino, but hey, we can’t complain.

Actually, ‘countries’ are rather strange things and foreign countries even more so. In the past, they didn’t even really exist. Could you call the Roman Empire a ‘country’? Was Mesopotamia therefore also a ‘country’? In fact, the concept of a country is of fairly recent origin and is more or less considered to be a European invention. Although, like other European inventions, we have to acknowledge that the Asians probably got there before us. In both the Middle and Far East there were, of course, kinds of ‘countries’ long before our era, e.g. like China, Mesopotamia and Persia. And don’t forget the Africans, with their ‘Egypt’ of antiquity. But countries as we know them today, with barriers at the border, ambassadors, their own currencies, national flags, national football teams and entries to the Eurovision Song Contest, that is something that they belongs to more recent history.

WHAT EXACTLY IS A COUNTRY?

A people? No. In Russia, for instance, there are dozens of different peoples; in Belgium, there are at least three. And some peoples are dispersed throughout different countries. A group of people under a central authority? That’s a bit closer. But when I cross the border, I suddenly come under a different central authority. A piece of land? Yes, that’s probably the best definition.

The most bizarre evidence that a country is simply a piece of land is the village of Baarle, which contains dozens of scattered parcels of land that are alternately Belgian or Dutch. With the border cutting right through streets and housing estates, only the surveyor can determine whether you are in Belgium or the Netherlands. The land determines it. Not your feelings, not your origins, not your passport, but the land. And from that land a group of rulers in a ‘country’ derives its right to exercise power. If you are sitting, walking, standing or lying on that land, you are subject to the laws of that country. If you are sitting a few feet away, and there is a border in between, you are suddenly subject to a completely different system of standards, values and laws. And we all go along with that. We wave orange flags to the honour and greater glory of that piece of land and we compel people who enter it to become naturalised by learning about Dutch crispbakes, Queen’s Day and our national delicacy, herring.

Countries also give the world organisation and order. You know where you are.

And the variety to be found in all those pieces of land means that the world is well worth exploring – especially for us, when the rest of the world is so large. The same applies to business: doing business with those different pieces of land is a journey of discovery. Not just because of the different customs, languages and cultures, but also because of the different (and sometimes bizarre) legal systems and infrastructures. Every piece of land determines its own tax system. And what the justice system should look like. And what you need to do to set up a company. And the currency you need to use. Perhaps it would be a good idea to organise a sort of Song Contest where every piece of land would present its own legal system and we could all phone or text in what we thought about it. “North Korea: zero points!”

PIM PERQUIN

TEXT PIM PERQUIN PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/ MICHEL TER WOLBEEK WOULD YOU LIKE TO RESPOND? PIM.PERQUIN@BDO.NL 15

Biesterfeld Nederland BV makes safety its first priority

“Without chemistry

THERE IS NO LIFE”

Clouds of toxic smoke, fire hazards and explosions. Those are often the first things that spring to mind when you think of a company that works with chemicals. In reality, these companies, who supply products ranging from raw materials for large multinationals to the bottles in everyone’s kitchen cabinet, possess a wealth of expertise. “Without chemistry there is no life,” as the Biesterfeld employees like to say. “When you put the kettle on at home, that is chemistry.”

TEXT LINDA VAN ‘T LAND l PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/MICHEL TER WOLBEEK

Anyone driving past the premises of Biesterfeld Nederland BV on the Eikenlaan in Alphen aan den Rijn would hardly suspect that behind this inconspicuous office building façade lurks a company that is part of an international network of around fifty sites, with a total turnover of approximately €970 million. “That’s right,” nod Controller Hans Berserik and Account Manager Arjan Deurloo in unison, not the least bit offended.

Both men have joined Biesterfeld in the past couple of years and acknowledge that the company’s image needs some work, which is why the decision has been made to move a little more into the spotlight. “Around ten years ago, there was talk of closing the site in Alphen aan den Rijn,” says Berserik. “Even though it had been the first foreign site of the German family company Biesterfeld, and this location has always played a big role in the distribution of our products, they were planning to cease production in Alphen.” Happily, those plans were rescinded, and under the leadership of German director Jens-Uwe Pietrock, the company has slowly but surely re-established itself as a successful business employing around 25 people. Almost every department still 16

includes someone from the ‘old guard’, so all that existing knowledge has been retained, while new professionals have been taken on to help the company adopt a more proactive approach to marketing.

MIXING AND STIRRING

Biesterfeld in Alphen, based at its current location since 1961, is a chemical company – a loaded term, especially after the disastrous events at a similar plant in Moerdijk, in January 2011. “Working with chemicals is dangerous,” admits Berserik quite openly.

“But we know exactly what we’re doing.

Safety is top of our agenda at all times, that’s part and parcel of our line of work.” The company’s core business? Deurloo explains it like this: “In plain language, I would have to describe it as the mixing and stirring of chemicals. That sounds almost too simple but in fact, that is exactly what we do. We mix and stir existing chemical substances based on recipes from the customer. We also develop products ourselves in our laboratory or, at the customer’s request, we can make a product better or more environmentally friendly. We also carry out tests and see if we can add new or different raw materials.”

Biesterfield’s customers can be found, among other places, in the automotive, cleaning and rubber industries. “But, as has been said: chemistry is everywhere,” states Berserik. “In principle, therefore, we can supply products to industry as a whole.” The raw materials used generally consist of solvents or waterbased agents. The geographical location and infrastructure of Alphen aan den Rijn and the surrounding area ensure that Biesterfeld is easily accessible for its customers and suppliers by various forms of transport.

TANK FARM

A unique feature of the Alphen site is that it possesses a large tank farm. “We can optimally serve our customers by offering packages ranging in size from one litre to a whole tanker,” says Deurloo. “Our 30,000 m² site has a large number of above-ground tanks with a combined storage capacity of 1.5 million litres. We also have another 5,000 m² of warehouse space for storing packaged materials, chemicals and packaging, either for customers or for other Biesterfeld sites.”

INSPECTIONS

It goes without saying that a chemical com-

pany is subject to regular and intensive monitoring from the fire brigade and the police.

And contact with the municipality has been strengthened and improved on both sides in recent times. “We are well aware that people sometimes worry about what might happen here,” says Managing Director Pietrock. “But, as a chemical company, we are subject to an enormous number of inspections and we comply with every conceivable safety and

environmental standard. We also apply our own safety measures so that in the unlikely event of anything happening, we can immediately bring the risks under control.

Over the years, we have made the conscious decision to specialise, so that we now work with fewer types of raw materials and are well aware of all the specific risks. And at all times, we carefully administer what is stored and where, and how much of it we have

in stock.” Deurloo confirms the words of his superior: “The residents of Alphen really can rest assured: every grain of salt here has been counted!”

BIESTERFELD NEDERLAND BV

Eikenlaan 20 2404 BR Alphen aan den Rijn T 0172 - 48 36 66 I www.biesterfeld.nl 17

Industrial branch SWA is doing good business world-wide

‘Don’t say too soon IT’S TOO FAR AWAY’ The industrial branch of SWA in Alphen aan den Rijn is doing good business world-wide. With high-quality products - from complete diesel engines and lighting fixtures to advanced displays - SWA mainly serve the Benelux, the United Kingdom, the north of France and the north of Germany. However, also more distant places like the United States, Japan and the United Arab Emirats are part of SWA’s area of distribution.

TEXT DENNIS CAPTEIN l PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/OSCAR VAN DER WIJK

Managing Director Herman Frankes and Commercial Manager André Posthoorn are proud of the fact that their organization, which is with 850 employees the largest organization of Alphen aan den Rijn, one day decided to embrace other countries.

Frankes: “If you get to know other cultures and respect them, you have a good chance of succeeding. For instance, he says, a Japanese person does not like you to approach him with your arm ready to shake his hand.

In Japan people greet each other with a bow. Next to that, things are quite different at work. In Japan it’s quite normal that the manager spends the night in big dormitories together with his staff members all week and only goes home for the weekends.

Respect other customs and habits, but do keep your own identity. Then a world of possibilities will open up for you.”

PEOPLE WITH AN IMPAIRMENT

SWA employ people with an impairment, but they prove each day again that they are able to manufacture innovative quality products which are in high demand at home and abroad. Frankes gives an

18

Herman Frankes example: “Our employees produce complete diesel engines for longboats and luxury vessels, for the renowned manufacturer Vetus. These engines are delivered directly to the client. We make our displays for big names like Hallmark and the Dutch publisher De Telegraaf. With that we have taken sheltered employment to a high level. And we are proud of that.”

The drive of SWA fits well with the entrepreneurial spirit of Alphen aan den Rijn.

Because it is, as Frankes says, above average.

SWA

Distributieweg 10 2404 CK Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 504570 I www.swaholland.nl

Ensure the same conditions GLOBALLY Joseph Luns was the first Dutch secretary-general of the NATO, and during the majority of his years; our Minister of Foreign Affairs. Modest, he was certainly not. When posed with the question ‘if he wasn’t a little too pretentious as Minister of Foreign Affairs of such a small country’, he snapped at the interviewer that it was most likely he was the minister of Foreign Affairs with the largest ‘abroad’. So true!

The Netherlands has always maintained a leading role on the international trade markets, regardless of her limited size. In the time the Englishmen were singing ‘Rule Britannia, Britannia Rule the Waves’, we used to say; we have been here before. Do you think this is because of an inferiority-complex or an unprecedented entrepreneurial spirit? Let’s call it the VOC-mentality (Verenigde Oost Indische Compagnie-Dutch East India Company).

However it may be, as a genuine trading country we take a leading role on the world’s stage. Apart from the fact that the Netherlands is an important trading partner to many countries, the Netherlands has also turned out to be an ideal location for many internationally active companies. Many years ago ‘the Organization for Economic Collaboration and Development (OECD)’ presented a report in which the Netherlands were honored for her low figures on corruption and very stable legal climate. There was an honorable mention to the Dutch notary ship: one of the best functioning ones in the world. (Well, that had to be said with some modesty.)

The borders have faded ever since, leaving me too often surrounded by clients from various nationalities. It’s interesting to see that these many different nationalities, and most cultures, have their own distinct way of doing business.

Partly due to the fact that legal regulations can be so very diverse.

Taken into account that many players on the market are from countries where a proper legal system is entirely absent or where people have different ethical convictions about what’s right and wrong, and therefore perhaps about how you do business with one another. However, on all terrains we are trying to get more uniformity regarding regulations.

Perhaps one of the most interesting legal fields is International Trade Law. Of course it is important to know and respect each other’s cultures and habits when doing business with one another, and also attempt to speak and understand each other’s languages. However, it is important in doing business; that both parties are working with the same regulations and principles; call it the same ‘playing-field’.

Doing business is often compared to exercising sports. Often enough, they are both about proper streamlining and there are no borders or obstacles. Take golf for instance, you can play anywhere. The golfcourses may be different in each location of the world, but the rules are always the same. Never any conflict.

Try getting the same conditions when doing international business.

Otherwise; it’s a real handicap!

JOHN KROES

TEXT JOHN KROES PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/ MICHEL TER WOLBEEK KROES & PARTNERS NOTARISSEN WOULD YOU LIKE TO RESPOND? NOTARISSEN@KROESENPARTNERS.NL 19

Bart Karis (CEO Zeeman): ‘We’re showing more emotion’

Throughout the world, Zeeman is called ZEEMAN European chain store, Zeeman textielSupers, is perhaps one of the best-known internationally oriented company with roots and headquarters in Alphen aan den Rijn and over 1,000 stores throughout Europe.

For guest editor Pim Perquin, that was a good reason to interview Bart Karis, CEO since January 2007.

TEXT PIM PERQUIN AND DENNIS CAPTEIN l PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/MICHEL TER WOLBEEK

ZEEMAN MANUFACTURES ABROAD AND HAS STORES IN FIVE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. SO WHERE ARE YOUR PRODUCTION FACILITIES?

“They are located in various countries in the Far East: China, Bangladesh, India and - despite the high level of violence - also in Pakistan. There is a constant threat of terror in Pakistan, but that doesn’t cause us any problems, because the meetings are held elsewhere. Obviously, our people must under no circumstances be placed in danger.”

HOW DO THESE COUNTRIES DIFFER, AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT ZEEMAN?

“China is the best structured. Since the introduction of the one-child policy, all children in China are entitled to free schooling – and you can see the positive effects. Partly because of that, developments in China are moving fastest and you don’t see so much poverty. You can also see a number of very modern metropolises there. Another big difference is that China is centrally controlled, while the other countries are officially democracies. India is a beautiful country, but it’s a lot more chaotic. Pakistan, as I say, is a dangerous country on account of the waves of violence, and Bangladesh has the lowest level of economic development.

This is partly due to the dense population and the series of natural disasters that have ravaged the country.”

“You do also see, however, significant similarities between India and China. Both countries are home to more than a billion people, 20

and I think their current economic roles on a global level are relatively modest, compared to their potential. I expect their roles to increase substantially over the next few years and indeed, significant development is already underway. Whenever I visit India or China after being away for a few months, I am always amazed to see how much has changed in the meantime – particularly the new buildings.

Many of the cities there could rival New York, for example. There’s no doubt in my mind that China will become a superpower and India could follow suit in the longer term.”

CHINA IS OFTEN DESCRIBED AS A BUBBLE THAT IS ABOUT TO BURST, IF NOT NOW THEN SOMETIME SOON.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE SO-CALLED LOW-WAGE COUNTRIES. IN TEN YEARS TIME, WILL IT STILL BE POSSIBLE TO DESCRIBE THEM THAT WAY?

ZEEMAN IS WELL KNOWN FOR STRICTLY MONITORING THE WORKING AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS IN THOSE COUNTRIES. HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT DOING THAT?

“In these countries, a large building can go up in a few days – they’ll work day and night if they have to. However, I do not rule out the possibility that in ten years time, some production will have moved to Europe.

There is also a lot of potential in Russia and Africa in that regard; not so much in South America, because that continent is more focused on North America. This relocation of production is influenced by a number of factors, such as transportation and energy.

Transporting goods over large distances is expensive and time-consuming. Energy costs will rise in today’s low-wage countries.

What seems certain is that there will be a lot of movement taking place. I think that’s an exciting development and I am very curious to see where it will all lead.”

“We have come to very clear agreements with our suppliers in this regard. We work with local partners, our agents, who play an important role in checking compliance with our code of conduct, which you can find on our website – www.zeeman.com. In addition, our suppliers are audited against working conditions, regulations and quality procedures by an external organisation, and our buyers also regularly visit the factories.

In these countries, they understand the importance of this subject to their western customers. They need to pay attention to these matters, not just to avoid becoming isolated, but also because they understand that good working conditions and a wellorganised working environment lead to much better results.”

“I don’t think that’s going to happen. It’s true that China is moving very fast, and the danger is that if you move too fast, the bubble will burst. However, in China, they know how to put the brakes on in good time, if required. The Chinese are masters at adjusting, at fine-tuning their own economy.

That’s how they control their country and also their economy.”

“Similarly, it’s important for us to have some understanding for these countries. Here in the West, it has taken us a century to bring working conditions up to an acceptable level, so you can’t expect developing countries to implement similar changes in a couple of years. The pressure from the West and from companies such as Zeeman is immense and that’s fine, as long as we don’t lose sight of the reality. Remember that there are huge differences in standards and values between low-wage and western countries.

Those differences are getting smaller, but we Westerners must give them time for this process. Furthermore, we shouldn’t just point out that something is wrong, but actually help them to bring about change.”

ZEEMAN HAS STORES IN FIVE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES: THE NETHERLANDS, BELGIUM, GERMANY, LUXEMBOURG AND FRANCE. ARE THERE ALSO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THESE COUNTRIES?

“Jan Zeeman says: ‘Just look at how many cultural differences there are in a country such as the Netherlands’. Based on that, you can conclude that there are also major differences between these neighbouring countries. Nonetheless, we have a similar range everywhere. You can focus on the differences, but you can also focus on the similarities, without being deaf and blind to specific local needs. For example, the French are a little bit smaller, so you need to adjust your sizes accordingly.”

THE STORES ARE CALLED ZEEMAN EVERYWHERE AND I CAN’T SEE MANY DIFFERENCES IN YOUR MARKETING STRATEGY. THAT IS QUITE UNUSUAL.

“Zeeman is a name which is easy to pronounce in those countries and, moreover, doesn’t mean anything odd. Having one name makes things a lot easier for our organisation. You say it’s unusual, but I’ve worked for IKEA and that name is also used in every country outside Sweden. But you have to be very careful: it’s all too easy to make a serious marketing blunder. Zeeman employs more foreigners than Dutch people, so we simply need to let them check out our communications in advance. That way, you know straightaway if you’re off target. But whether you visit our branch in the Herenhof shopping centre in Alphen aan den Rijn

or our branch in Perpignan, you will find the same stores.”

DO YOU PLAN TO OPEN ZEEMAN STORES IN MORE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES?

“Italy, Spain, Austria and Switzerland are all on our wish list. There is certainly a lot of potential there. But, in the meantime, we are mainly looking at how we can optimise our existing portfolios. In Germany, for example, we are still a small player. There are opportunities for growth there, but it’s tough going. France, on the other hand, where we are represented from north to south, is definitely a growth market and we are doing very well there. And in the Netherlands?

Nearly three hundred stores have had a facelift here. Having the lowest prices is all well and good, but it’s not enough; the stores must also be neat and tidy and project the right image.”

ALL 1,250 STORES ARE CONTROLLED FROM ALPHEN AAN DEN RIJN. HOW DO YOU ORGANISE THAT?

“I think it’s a major achievement that we do it so well. The necessary preconditions are well-designed processes, an excellent IT platform and letting your people know exactly what you expect from them. We work with area managers and each country has a sales director. All the stores are optimally serviced from Alphen aan den Rijn, with everything being designed to keep operations in the branches to a minimum, so that staff there can concentrate on their customers.”

“We are very clear in our concept. It is well communicated and documented. In every country we have a Zeeman School, where our people are trained. Uniformity is very important, and not just in terms of our look. In the south of France, we had cases of the people there interpreting our concept in their own way. In one incident, different routers were used, which meant that we suddenly lost contact with twenty branches. That cannot and must not be allowed to happen.”

THANKS TO VARIOUS PROMOTIONS, ZEEMAN HAS ACQUIRED A SOMEWHAT HIPPER IMAGE. WAS THAT NECESSARY?

“Yes, we found that by showing a little more emotion and making it clearer who was behind the label, we were able to attract new customers, such as young women with

Bart Karis, CEO of Zeeman textielSupers.

children. In fact, 95% of our target group are women, in all five countries, so we focus on them. Our image varies from country to country: in France we are very welcome, while in the Netherlands we still have a somewhat dowdy image. But we are working hard on that here in our own country and we’re making good progress.”

WHAT MAKES ZEEMAN SUCH A STRONG COMPANY IN THESE TIMES?

“Times are hard for everyone, including us. The strength of our company is based, to a large extent, on the fact that ours is a family business that focuses on the long term; that creates a positive impression in times such as these. It’s my conviction that strong family companies must focus on the long term just like IKEA, another family company, did.”

FINALLY, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO BUSINESSPEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING TO DO BUSINESS ABROAD?

“Even if you are a customer, you are still a guest in that country. You have to learn the customs and culture of the country and respect them. One thing that does not work is doing business in a country on an ad hoc basis. Zeeman always enters into long-term relationships with its business partners abroad. The agreements you make must be crystal clear. Negotiating with Zeeman is sometimes difficult, I admit, but once you do business with us, you know that we will stick to our agreements. Those are hard and fast.

One example of that is the fact that we never exceed suppliers’ payment terms. Thus, once you have got to know the country, you need to enter into binding agreements.”

21

Alecs is working on an international roll-out of ribbon heating

‘We are not afraid to TAKE ANY RISKS’

Erwin de Knegt (left) and Oscar van Dulmen.

Two employees from Alphen aan den Rijn, both interested in technology and watching developments in their line of business. That is one thing, but it is much more fun to know they are the main force behind these developments.

Erwin de Knegt and Oscar van Dulmen, both working at Alecs, were the founders of the phenomenon which is called ribbon heating (‘lintverwarming’ in Dutch) and are working very hard on an international roll-out of this novelty.

TEXT GHISLAINE BRONGERS l PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/MICHEL TER WOLBEEK

We’re speaking with Erwin and Oscar, both active in multiple companies, but at the moment this interview is taking place; in their capacity as directors of Alecs.

FLOOR HEATING OUTDOORS

To an inexperienced user, Alecs’ ribbon heating can be described as floor heating outdoors. But actually you aren’t doing this product any justice with that kind of description, because it’s innovative and has been applied on a large scale and in leading projects.

For instance, the development of the system was truly launched when the Dutch soccer association ‘KNVB’ required that all Premier League soccer fields should be playable during 22

the entire year, and this chilly climate definitely needs some heating to achieve that. “Of course you can approach this the conventional way, and use water and gas, but that leads to a considerable usage of energy, up to four times higher than when you are using ribbon heating.”

HEATED SOCCER ‘GREENS’ IN SCANDINAVIA

The clubs of the Dutch Premier League are not the only ones who have discovered these benefits. For example, in collaboration with a partner, Alecs is supplying and installing ribbon heating into soccer fields in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. “That is quite a good start, considering that, - for Norway only - we are as-

ked to provide 5-7 soccer field a year, with ribbon heating”, as Erwin states, which is a real understatement. “We anticipate we will be able to expand these amounts in the coming years, to between 10-15 soccer fields a year.

And while we are currently taking care of the installation ourselves, we have the intention to handover these skills to our partners in due time, which will allow them to provide the installation independently in the future.

In return, this will give us more freedom to focus on the roll-out of this product.” This is, by the way, a process which demands accurate and strategic actions, and taking risks here and there.

ALECS

A. van Leeuwenhoekweg 38h 2408 AN Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 494990 I www.alecs.nl

Beam me up, Scotty Just imagine for a moment that we could take today’s technology back in time: in the Middle Ages, it would have been seen as pure witchcraft. Conversely, stories from the past have become today’s reality. The Lord of the Rings tells of seven wizards who could hear and see each other through glass spheres. Our webcams do exactly the same thing today.

We, in turn, are familiar with the technology in science fiction. In Star Trek, people are transported back to the Enterprise from the surface of a planet with the famous phrase ‘Beam me up, Scotty’. Pure magic and fantasy, isn’t it? Or perhaps not? It may never happen with human beings, but did you know that with a lot of objects it’s already being done very successfully? It is possible, for example, to buy a virtual box of LEGO from Denmark over the Internet and then have it delivered to your home a few minutes later in the form of real bricks produced by your 3D printer. We have some understanding of the technology, but even 50 years ago, they could not have imagined anything like that on ‘Thunderbirds’.

What all this means is that the world has become very small, and distances are becoming less and less important. It is no longer necessary to assemble complete products in the Netherlands and then export them at high cost, after most likely importing a load of components from China in the first place. Just send your customers a few vital components, together with a stack of electronic data, well-written manuals and instructions. They can do the rest themselves, at a much lower cost.

At the recent design fair in Milan, Dutch designer Dirk van der Kooij demonstrated a robot he had designed himself. He had managed to acquire a disused industrial robot very cheaply, converted it and equipped it with new software. It enables design furniture to be constructed on the spot from waste plastics, by extruding long threads of melted plastic over each other according to a pattern. He had created this design in the Netherlands. To the assembled world press, he said, ‘these days it’s no longer appropriate to chop down trees in Africa, transport them to China and then sell them in the Netherlands as furniture.’ Definitely something to think about.

This edition of IntoBusiness is, of course, full of fantastic success stories about products sold abroad. If you are a local entrepreneur, who is confronted on a daily basis by the financial crisis and by competition from the Internet, that might make you green with envy. If so, this may come as little consolation, but the ‘internationals’ among your colleagues will sooner or later have to go through the same thing. Perhaps by then they will be envious of you because you will already be at home in this new age in which they are just starting out. An age in which magic has become the most natural thing in the world.

MACHIEL VAN DER SCHOOT

TEXT MACHIEL VAN DER SCHOOT PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/ MICHEL TER WOLBEEK KROES & PARTNERS NOTARISSEN WOULD YOU LIKE TO RESPOND? M.VD.SCHOOT@DIESEKOGROUP.COM 23

Teun Huisman (l), Marcel Baks and Geert de Jong (r).

‘We are also there for entrepreneurs

LOOKING TO DO BUSINESS ABROAD’ 24

International issues are no longer just the province of multinationals – they are increasingly of concern to many SMEs. Should I be doing business abroad? Can I hire employees from outside the Netherlands?

And how do I go about importing or exporting products? Grant Thornton, with its network of 488 offices in 96 countries, possesses a wealth of up-to-date knowledge to help you answer these questions.

TEXT ELLEN MANNENS l PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/OSCAR VAN DER WIJK

Are you thinking of setting up a new office abroad? Opening up a new market for your products across the border? More and more companies are seeing the potential of expanding their activities abroad, and that can be a wise move in times like these. “Take a company dealing in luxury products.

Thanks to the credit crunch, they might be selling a lot less here in the Netherlands, but they could find a nice new market in Asia, for example,” says Geert de Jong, tax specialist at Grant Thornton. He frequently sees entrepreneurs exploring new markets and opportunities, and is delighted to assist them with the help of Grant Thornton’s extensive network of specialists – not only in Alphen aan den Rijn, but also in other branches in the Netherlands. “Take our expat services,” says De Jong. “We can provide support to expats and their employers, especially in the area of taxation and social security. This means that US clients, for example, will no longer need to engage an adviser in both their home country and the country in which they are working. Our experts have all the necessary knowledge in house when it comes to tax regulations in the Netherlands and the US.” INTERNATIONAL NETWORK

Because Grant Thornton Netherlands is part of Grant Thornton International, its advisers can take advantage of an international network of 488 offices in 96 countries. As a businessperson, you can also benefit from this network very easily, since it will be available to you the moment you walk into the office on the Raoul Wallenbergplein.

“We want to avoid a situation in which businesspeople have to navigate their own way through the organisation. For this reason, each client always has a single contact person. We understand the specific issues relating to your industry, and we know where to find the necessary expertise. We then

connect you to the right advisers,” explains Marcel Baks, partner at Grant Thornton.

Grant Thornton’s motto is ‘An instinct for growth’ – and with good reason, as the firm helps companies make the most of their potential for growth. “We identify the problems faced by the client and assign the right people to the case, so that the client receives accurate and timely information. This requires a smooth interaction between the client and the adviser,” says Marcel Baks.

KNOW YOUR CLIENT

To achieve this ‘smooth interaction’, Grant Thornton has developed the Entrepreneurial Review – a meeting in which we discuss the client’s motivations and plans, and anything that might be important in achieving his or her goals. After this review, Grant Thornton staff continue to have regular contact with their clients. ‘Know your client’ is how Baks summarises this approach. “As an adviser, you need to know if there have been any changes that might impact upon the company, and be able to respond accordingly. That is certainly very important with international businesses; these are often dynamic organisations that have a desire for growth. That leads them into a variety of new situations in which we can assist them with our advice.” In this respect, the advisers do not make a distinction between large and small companies. “If you are a smaller enterprise that only does business abroad now and again, acquiring the right information will be of particular value to you,” says Baks. “We know the pitfalls and can therefore help you avoid any problems. Do you know, for example, what VAT regime is applicable in the country in which you will be doing business, what are the local taxes there or what grants are available? Thanks to our international network, you will quickly have access to all the latest regulations, enabling you to make the right choices for your company.”

EUROPEAN REGULATIONS

To be able to assist dynamic companies with their ambitions for growth, Grant Thornton itself applies an equally dynamic approach. Geert de Jong, for instance, is responsible for the Professional Practice Office, a section of Grant Thornton located in Alphen that keeps a close track of developments in the area of taxation. He says: “We constantly monitor the quality of our services and pass on new tax rules to our employees and clients. This is particularly important in the area of international taxation, because the European Union is increasingly imposing its mark on national regulations. That means that rules and legislation are subject to constant change.”

MERGER

To achieve better national coverage, and on account of the specific consultancy products offered by each side, Grant Thornton merged with ESJ Accountants & Tax Consultants on January 1 this year. Says Geert: “One of the many advantages of the new partnership is that ESJ operates in the south of the Netherlands. They have more experience with businesses and private individuals who wish to spread their wings to Belgium. We will be able to use this knowledge to assist other businesses that want to do the same.” The merger may have brought Grant Thornton a wealth of knowledge, but Grant Thornton will continue to besee the same familiar and accessible office where local businesspeoplethey can go with all their tax questions. Grant Thornton – a world-class adviser just around the corner.

GRANT THORNTON

Raoul Wallenbergplein 29-31 Alphen aan den Rijn T 0172 - 42 38 70 I www.grantthornton.nl 25

Tips and advice on doing business internationally

Getting to grips with different cultures, rules, laws, logistics and mentalities Look before you leap: when it comes to doing business across international borders, it makes sense to give it some careful thought and draw up a detailed plan. If you move too fast, nine times out of ten you will fail. That’s the advice of several businesspeople from Alphen aan den Rijn whose companies have an international focus. We have selected some of their best tips and advice below.

Jan Westerveld (Kluthe Benelux): “In the late nineties, I went to Spain, and just to the east of Madrid I found the perfect location for a factory. We then asked a Spanish-speaking colleague to investigate the Spanish market and oversee the construction and development of our new factory. It was a great success, in part because he could speak the language of the people on the ground.”

Karel Breijer (Multi-Crane): “Be aware of the dangers. We once bought a batch of excellent construction machinery in Russia where, of course, the mafia is very active. The machinery was in the port of Vladivostok, where it was guarded by a cordon of soldiers – and they weren’t there just for show! Try to keep risks to a minimum, but at the same time don’t overlook good opportunities. For example, we have had some very positive business experiences in Rwanda, where civil war has raged for years.”

John Vermeer (Centurio Vastgoedontwikkeling): “I actually believe that everyone should live and work abroad for two years. I did that myself, in Saudi Arabia, and it was great for my personal development.”

Winooht Raghoober (Chan’s): “Know who you’re doing business with. We have been using the same suppliers for years. We know them and can rely on them implicitly – and that is priceless. I travel to the four corners of the world to see where our ingredients and products come from. I want to see with my own eyes how they are made. These audits assure us that ultimately, we can offer our customers the best possible products.”

26

Teun Huisman (Grant Thornton): “Make sure you have a sufficient level of knowledge about the local markets. Get to know the local rules and customs, and be sure to respect them.”

Herman Frankes (SWA): “Anyone who gets to know other cultures and to respect them will have a good chance of succeeding. To give you an example: Japanese people do not like it if you approach them with your hand outstretched; they prefer to greet you with a bow.”

Robert Jan Stoop (TeekensKarstens): “If you don’t speak a particular language, make sure you hire a good interpreter. I’m reminded of the time a judge asked a Polish defendant whether or not he had committed fraud. The Polish man answered the question – after listening to the translation provided by the interpreter – with a short and sweet ‘Tak!’ – ‘yes’. The interpreter then went on to say that the man had committed the fraud, but it was only because of his personal situation, his young children and the difficult economic conditions in his country. The judge, who understood that the interpreter meant well, then quipped: “I say, Polish is a concise language, isn’t it?”

Machiel van der Schoot (Sera Software): “Make good use of intermediaries and agents on the ground. They can form a bridge between your company and their country.”

Dick Houweling (Health Partners and Spectra-Cell Ltd.). “Anyone who wants to do business internationally must remain alert and know exactly what environment they will be working in.

Make sure you are well informed and that you get to know the country.”

Antoine Willems (Frames): “Be innovative.

The ‘easy’ oil and gas has already been extracted worldwide. What remains are the more difficult fields that until recently were unprofitable, in places such as Brazil. Partly thanks to the technology provided by Frames, extraction has become an interesting proposition there.”

Piet Tel (Tekoma): “Make sure you have the right people in all the key positions in the organisation; not just at home but wherever you do business.”

Richard Vlasman (Vlasman Betonbewerkings- en Slooptechnieken): “Projects abroad are a little bit unusual right from the start, since you have to deal with different cultures, different rules and legislation, different logistics and a different mentality. Be aware of that.”

Henk-Jan Grimbergen (H.J. Grimbergen): “Keep an eye on your reputation abroad. Our company has over sixty years’ experience in setting up production facilities and associated control systems. To be a solid and reliable business partner for that length of time, you need a high level of expertise and the ability to innovate.”

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The niche market of Aerial Work Platforms

Creating a safe working environment on

ANY HEIGHT

Gerrit Hersevoort.

For many years Gerrit Hersevoort calls Alphen aan den Rijn home. His business, the fully certified Aerial Work Platforms (AWP), specialized in facilitating safe working environments at any desired height, is run from his establishment on ‘de Van Foreestlaan’ in Alphen aan den Rijn.

TEXT DENNIS CAPTEIN l PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/OSCAR VAN DER WIJK

The manner and the markets AWP operates in has treated Gerrit Hersevoort well.

Gerrit Hersevoort has gathered a wealth of experience, because the start of his company coincided with a takeover of the division of his former employer. With AWP he is situated in a niche market. The company sells and rents out mini cranes, building maintenance installations, adjustable platforms, aerial platforms, pick and carry cranes and similar equipment. He sources most of his products abroad for instance from Germany, Finland, Italy and Spain. Often importing specialized equipment not readily available in the Netherlands.

Part of the assortment consists of standard 28

equipment, but AWP focuses on specialized constructions. Custom work, such as maintenance platforms. “With these maintenance mechanics, maintenance work on trains can be more easily achieved at correct height. The mini cranes also fit in the category ‘special’. Hoisting materials in limited spaces and responding to the OH regulations regarding the limit on what a person should lift are absolutely the added value of AWP.” AERIAL WORK PLATFORMS BV

Van Foreestlaan 7b 2404 HC Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 49 65 02 I www.awp.nl

Monorail-system with gondola in Gibraltar.

Doing local business in Madrid It’s half past three in the morning, 24th May. I am brutally awoken from my sleep by an obscure song on Radio 538. Naturally, I decide to ‘snooze’ for a little longer. After nine minutes, the alarm clock goes off again. I think about hitting the snooze button again, but then remember that I still have to pack my suitcase as we are being picked up to be taken to Schiphol in less than an hour.

I am going on a four-day trip to Madrid for some very important business meetings. Since I cannot survive four days without my dear wife, she too has her suitcase packed and is coming along to keep me company. I have, of course, mentioned that fact to the people I will be doing business with over the next few days. Almost all of them will be taking their own partners along too, to keep each other company while their other halves are busy doing business around the clock. I have a full diary for the next four days, and have meetings scheduled with 33 different people. I am beginning to wonder if I have done enough preparation for this business trip, but decide to just take it as it comes. By 11 o’clock, we are in our 5-star hotel in the centre of Madrid. The first meeting has to be cancelled because our rooms are not ready yet, so we proceed straight to lunch. We agree unanimously that we should have a little wine with our lunch, after which we’ll talk further.

The next day, we decide to visit the beautiful monastery at El Escorial – as we’re in Madrid, we may as well take in something of the local culture. The tour overruns a little, so we decide to cancel the planned meeting and proceed straight to lunch. The wine consumption gets a bit out of hand, so we think it best to spend the rest of the day relaxing by the pool and enjoying the great weather and food.

On Saturday morning, to clear our heads, we all go for a bike ride. Doing something active makes you feel good, and that will undoubtedly have a positive effect on the meetings that have been scheduled for later. By chance, we happen to cycle past the Bernabéu stadium. Now that we’re here anyway, we decide to take a look around the home of Real Madrid. During the tour of the stadium, the group manages to get split up, so we are forced to cancel the meetings for the rest of the day. As we have to keep body and soul together, we decide to enjoy a delicious lunch.

To put the seal on all the business we’ve done with each other, a spectacular balloon trip has been planned for the next day. The trip concludes with delicious snacks washed down with a little tipple. What a chore! A loud cheer goes up when it is proposed that we should cancel the scheduled afternoon meetings and proceed straight to lunch. The business part of this whole trip has gone slightly awry, but we can’t do much to change that on this final afternoon.

As the aeroplane climbs into the sky around eight o’clock in the evening, I quickly review the events of the weekend. The topics of conversation have been varied: football, cars, cycling, the Alphen aan den Rijn Summer Spectacular, children and babies, electric vehicles, tax, the credit crunch, politics, investments, golf, transport, wine, food and, of course, the weather.

On balance, I come to the shocking conclusion that after four days of intensive meetings and negotiations I am coming home without a single concrete order. But I have had the weekend of my life!

Better luck next year then… Maybe it’s better to do business in Istanbul, Paris, Athens, Seville or Berlin? No doubt there will be plenty of suggestions, but one thing I know for sure is that ARC de Triomphe must keep organising these business trips!

STANLEY DE LOOZE

TEXT STANLEY DE LOOZE PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/ MICHEL TER WOLBEEK 29

Jungheinrich: from Alphen aan den Rijn to Sao Paulo and from Moscow to Shanghai

RESPECTING other cultures Jungheinrich is one of the worldwide leading companies in the field of forklift trucks and other material handling equipment. In the Netherlands the company is located in Alphen aan den Rijn.

In the German city of Hannover, where the trade fair CeMAT 2011 recently took place, we had a talk with Jan Langerak, managing director of Jungheinrich in the Netherlands.

TEXT PETER TRIMP l PHOTOGRAPHY JUNGHEINRICH

JUNGHEINRICH IS A GERMAN BRAND. WHAT IS SO CHARACTERISTIC, IN GENERAL, FOR BRANDS AND COMPANIES THAT ARE GERMAN FROM ORIGIN OR HAVE THEIR ROOTS IN GERMANY?

Jan Langerak: “In my experience being very thorough is one of the characteristic aspects of Germany and this goes for the companies as well. Whether it’s about setting up an organizational structure or developing a new product: all options and risks will be thoroughly studied and weigthed. In my opinion this is why German companies are usually very reliable business partners. Uncertainty is something Germans in general do not like.

At the same time German enterprises are often high-tech and driven. They have vision and want to become leading in their field.”

THE HEAD OFFICE OF JUNGHEINRICH IS LOCATED IN HAMBURG. IN WHICH COUNTRIES DOES JUNGHEINRICH HAVE FOREIGN ESTABLISHMENTS? ARE THERE MARKETS WHERE JUNGHEINRICH IS NOT REPRESENTED?

“At this moment Jungheinrich has foreign establishments in 31 countries world-wide.

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That number is continuously growing as we strongly believe in direct sales, which means sales and distribution without using dealers or traders. We have locations of Jungheinrich, from Alphen aan den Rijn to Sao Paulo and from Moscow to Shanghai and Singapore. By the way, our managing director, responsible for all Asian branches is a Dutch colleague and several Dutch employees are working at our head office as well. Talk about being international!”

“Of course there are also countries where we don’t have or will not start any branches. In some countries the market is just too small to have a profitable business, for instance in specific African counties. In those markets we use dealers who are representing our company. Almost everywhere in the world clients can use Jungheinrich’ products and services. And that is also desirable, since the number of customers who require one partner world-wide for all material handling equipment is increasing.”

CAN YOU GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF THE ADVANTAGES FOR YOUR CLIENTS?

IS THE DUTCH BRANCH OF JUNGHEINRICH WORKING TOGETHER WITH THESE FOREIGN OFFICES?

WHAT ROLE DO THE INTERNATIONAL KEY ACCOUNT MANAGERS PLAY?

“The cooperation within the Jungheinrich concern is high. We are a considerably large company. World-wide we employ approximately 10,200 and 280 of them are based in the Netherlands. But lines are short and communication is very good.”

“We cooperate on organizational issues, intensively share best-practice experiences, discuss product features and work in international sales forces. Still, we remain individual and independent branches. In that respect, the Jungheinrich concern has typical Dutch features. Dutch companies are successful in international business, because historically they have an eye for cultural differences and respect them. In the Netherlands we realise that not everything can be similar to what we are used to at home. This awareness clearly exists within Jungheinrich as well. So, in many aspects, cooperation is a good thing. But in other fields we follow a more independent path, adjusted to the situation and requirements of our local clients. Luckily, that flexibility is present. Almost the best of both worlds, I would say. We use the advantages of being a large concern, without being burdened with the problems of a ‘large concern’. And we keep a close eye on maintaining this balance.”

“Our team of International Key Account Managers are the centrally located discussion partner for large international concerns, who wish to buy on a world-wide or European scale. Companies that buy-in centrally do not only profit financially from these scale advantages, centralisation will also provide better insight regarding the costs of internal transport and warehouse activities for various locations. Besides, the standardization of procedures becomes easier.”

“The group of International Key Account managers is just as international as these clients: the group includes people from the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom et cetera. When a company requires international agreements, the International

“We have a joint rental fleet, across Europe with tens of thousands of material handling trucks, which we can put to work wherever they are needed. This ensures enormous flexibility. Thanks to operating on a large scale, we can provide specialized, narrow aisle forklifts on a rental-basis, where some of our competitors do not even dare dream of. ” “Also, what is definitely unique, is our collaboration when it concerns used equipment. A used forklift, that is swapped by a European customer will be sent to a central workshop directly, where it will be completely revised. Afterwards the truck can be re-sold by all local offices as an occasion, whether they are here or abroad. So clients, who are interested in a used truck, are not limited to used trucks we only have available in the Netherlands. They can pick and choose from the entire European fleet.”

Key Account Managers will coordinate the quotation process, in order to win an umbrella agreement. Usually a team is formed to accomplish this, with on one hand someone with specific experience in that industry and on the other hand someone coming from the client country of origin. It is so much better just to communicate in your own language which also prevents any misunderstandings.”

“After the realization of this umbrella agreement the team will start implementing the agreements that were made, together with the colleagues in various countries.

This requires an intensive cooperation. In fact it’s a mix of centralized and decentralized implementation. The requirements of each of the client’s branches in the various countries, need to be summarised. Then quotes need to be made for replacement of the existing fleet.”

“We’re talking about a process that will at least take several months, but probably a year or even more. It all depends on the diversity of the company’s activities and the fleets extent of forklifts and warehouse trucks.”

“Eventually service and maintenance form a key factor to success for our clients. A nonoperational forklift, can have an amazing impact (snowball effect) on all logistic activities, including road transport. For that reason, service departments in various countries are actively involved in international projects, as soon as our deliveries have started. Basically, our International Key Account Managers will act as coordinators and guide this flow of information.”

“Finally, I feel that this does capture the essence of cooperation. It is a matter of sharing information with each other continuously. Especially, in an international environment, where you are dealing with cultural and linguistic differences, and are not always able to have contact face-to-face, you need to give it your full attention.”

Jan Langerak: ‘Almost everywhere in the world customers can use Jungheinrich’ products and services Jan Langerak 31

ING: Strategic Partner

Sander Roos (left) and Joost Berkhout (ING).

Your company

IS EXPANDING , the world is getting smaller Knowledge of the local market is crucial for companies, who are also economically active outside their homeland. However, the globalization of our economy, which is an unstoppable development and many borders are fading rapidly, circumstances, cultures and habits still differ per country and even per region. This diversity can mean the difference between success and failure for an enterprise.

TEXT ING l PHOTOGRAPHY ING EN REGIOSTOCK/OSCAR VAN DER WIJK

At the same time, gathering this knowledge can become a very long and costly process.

That’s why most entrepreneurs, who are active abroad and are looking to expand internationally want a reliable and strategic partner. A knowledgeable partner, who knows his business and can offer professional advice about relevant issues. A partner, who is able to add value to an enterprise.

ING is exactly that kind of partner. With their roots and almost nine million clients in the Netherlands, ING is sharing their knowledge with clients. Of course, concerning banking products, but regarding the economic performance and perspectives of various industries as well. ING is using her network to bring entrepreneurs together, in order to create new partnerships.

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Companies, that are considering going into international business, want to be able to control their business across borders and prefer to work with one local point of contact, where they can discuss their concerns with and have them take care of matters which need to be arranged. All international knowledge and skills are easy to access by reaching out to your own Relation Manager at ING. The Relation Manager is your strategic partner in the Netherlands, as well as the liaison for our establishments in twenty European countries, Turkey, India and China. Our colleagues are also put to work there, fully up to date about the local market. Your Relation Manager offers custom-made solutions. Whether it concerns payments, lease or credit. This

simplifies international business and keeps it in safe hands.

By combining the international network and knowledge of local markets, ING gives meaning to strategic partnership.

Joost Berkhout Director of Business Banking District of Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 6 54 98 39 85 E Joost.Berkhout@ing.nl Stefan Urlings Senior Relation Manager District ‘Zuid-Holland’ T 0031 6 30 90 70 28 E Stefan.Urlings@ing.nl

Brothers Raghoober now focusing on France and Germany

The world comes together

AT CHAN’S Chan’s, a leading producer and supplier of for instance rice, beans, sauces, marinates, essences, colouring powders and drinks, is most successful in the Netherlands and Belgium. However, director Winooht Raghoober has now put his sights on France and Germany as their new market.

TEXT DENNIS CAPTEIN l PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/MICHEL TER WOLBEEK

At the moment Chan’s, located in Alphen aan den Rijn, is doing extensive research in these countries regarding the market possibilities.

Additionally the company is speaking with agents who know the local ropes and want to introduce Chan’s with conviction. “The markets of France and Germany are becoming ripe for Chan’s”, says Winooht who, together with his brother Kishen, forms the management of the company. He explains: “The Netherlands have always been in lead when it comes to international tastes and I noticed that in Germany and France the demand for Oriental and Surinam ingredients has been

on the rise. We would like to respond to that trend; for instance a product like rice. I’m convinced I could sell at least five types of rice with the largest grain and the best quality in a country like Germany.”

LABORATORY

Chan’s, a premium brand, supplies the market of under which caterers, restaurants, wholesalers and supermarket chains. “Only with high quality products”, Winooht clarifies. “When it comes to food and drinks; a lot of products with less or no quality are available. Products to which other ingredients;

Winooht Raghoober

such as flour and water, are added just to reduce the cost and therefore increase the profit. Often you pay a little less for them, but we immediately refuse these products.

Only pure and original goods will gain access to our company. This is one of the method to maintain the best quality for our customers and end consumers.”

CHAN’S

Distributieweg 33 2404 CM Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 24 03 70 I www.chansbv.nl 33

Business and private banking in SAFE HANDS at ABN AMRO and MeesPierson At the ABN AMRO office in Alphen aan den Rijn, things are getting back to normal. The integration with Fortis Bank has recently been completed, which means that Director of Business Banking, Joep Nollet, now has two more highly skilled employees on his staff. Everyone in the office can now focus on what they do best: working with and on behalf of businesspeople. And successful entrepreneurs whose smart approach to business has brought them liquid investable assets in excess of €1 million can now turn to ABN AMRO MeesPierson for private banking services.

TEXT LINDA VAN ‘T LAND l PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/OSCAR VAN DER WIJK

“Internally, the merger with Fortis Bank required a lot of hard work,” says Joep Nollet. “Just after we had made the necessary arrangements in 2008, the banking crisis began. Before you know it, you are suddenly busy dealing with all sorts of internal processes rather than dealing with clients.”

That was no fun at all for the Director of Business Banking in the Alphen aan den Rijn region, who enjoys nothing more than working with businesspeople. He is therefore very pleased that the final phase of the merger was completed in March this year.

“The two banks looked at each other to see what they could use, to cherry-pick the best bits of each other, as it were. By combining Fortis and ABN AMRO, we have created ‘the best of both worlds’.”

From his experience with business clients, Nollet knows that a smooth lending process is a key factor in ensuring businesspeople are happy with the service provided by their bank. “The merger has enabled us to make significant improvements in that area. We can now deal with 70% to 80% of all credit applications within a week and I think that’s very important. Businesspeople often think long and hard about the plans they want 34

to implement and when they take action, they want the financing to be sorted out straightaway.”

but it could also have been generated by a successful business venture or through a directorship in a public company,” says Heizenberg.

HIGH NET WORTH INDIVIDUALS

ABN AMRO can attend to all the business banking needs of entrepreneurs and now, thanks to the integration with Fortis and thus also (again) with MeesPierson, wealthy businesspeople can also go to the same bank for all their private banking needs. Paul Heizenberg is a Senior Private Banker at ABN AMRO MeesPierson and has about 125 clients in his portfolio. “That is a relatively low number, which means I can give each of them a lot of attention. I aim to speak personally with each client at least twice a year. Since private banking matters, such as holdings of securities or cash, real estate assets or one’s general personal situation can change frequently, it is important to thoroughly review the client’s financial situation on a regular basis, including matters such as wills etc.” Anyone wanting to take advantage of MeesPierson’s private banking services must have liquid investable assets of €1 million or more. “That might be old money, acquired through inheritance, for example,

The Private Bankers employed by ABN AMRO are, without exception, highly trained and also go on a large number of additional courses, both inside and outside the bank, to ensure they can offer clients significant added value. In addition, Private Bankers can call on the support of a strong network of professional specialists in a variety of fields.

“I often call myself a financial GP,” says Heizenberg. “I listen to the client, take an inventory of their opportunities and wishes, and then provide advice. In effect, I am a generalist and it is my greatest ambition to become a trusted confidant for the client. If necessary, I can call in a team of specialists to provide the client with the best possible service. These might include, for example, estate planners with a legal background, investment advisers, pension specialists or asset managers.”

The ABN AMRO MeesPierson branch in Wassenaar works on behalf of businesspeople in the South-West region –

Joep Nollet (left) and Paul Heizenberg.

broadly speaking, the area from Noordwijk to Woerden – and from the southern edge of the bulb-growing region to The Hague. “Because our focus is on individuals with a net worth in excess of €1 million, the area we cover will naturally be quite large,” explains Heizenberg. “Ultimately, not everyone is a millionaire.”

TEAMWORK

Where possible, Heizenberg likes to work with his clients’ existing advisers. “Together we take a financial X-ray of the client. What is his/her income and his/her assets, what does he/she need, and what do you do with the rest? This allows us to draw up a wealth plan, enabling the client to enjoy a very pleasant standard of living and pass on his/ her wealth to the next generation as tax

efficiently as possible. We then subject this wealth plan to regular reviews, to see if it needs to be modified in any way.”

Teamwork is something that comes naturally to the various ABN AMRO employees.

Heizenberg stays in the office in Alphen aan den Rijn at least one day a week to discuss which clients he should include in his portfolio and how to provide further help to other businesspeople. The new Fortis employees have also been slotted into the existing team without any problems. “It’s amazing how easy people find it to work together sometimes,” says Nollet. “That applies to our office in Alphen, but also to our employees worldwide. As a local bank with personal contacts, we play a pivotal role in directing this teamwork. If I specify that something

will be of benefit to one of our clients, our colleagues abroad will start working tirelessly on his or her behalf. The world is getting smaller all the time. ABN AMRO is ready and able to do business internationally, whether it be for clients with a high net worth or for those of more modest means.”

ABN AMRO

Stadhuisplein 12 2405 SH Alphen aan den Rijn T 0172 - 44 81 88 I www.abnamro.com ABN AMRO MEESPIERSON

Lange Kerkdam 1 2242 BN Wassenaar T 070 - 515 60 14 I www.abnamro.com 35

Vogelpark Avifauna

An absolute STAR ATTRACTION Vogelpark Avifauna, an absolute star attraction in Alphen aan den Rijn, is also suited for business visitors.

This parc, with a broad and rich bird collection, attracts more than 100,000 visitors a year from every part of the world. It also offers restaurants, a casino, meeting facilities and event- and party locations.

The ‘Van der Valk Hotel Avifauna’ (four stars) has everything you can imagine to make sure guests have an excellent stay. Enjoying beverages in the hotelbar or a gourmet dinner at the restaurant. Hotelguests have free access to the ‘Vogelpark’, where among many other ‘sights’ spectacular live shows with birds of prey can be attended. Besides that, all guests can go on a relaxing cruise for a day with the famous Avifauna boats,

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and if they like, take a dip in the nextdoor located pool; ‘De Hoorn’.

Avifauna is also an outstanding location to arrange any business meeting. There are many possibilities to put together a fitting conference package for your business needs.

Everywhere in Avifauna, guests have access to a WIFI network.

On the doorstep of the hotel, is the ‘Casino Avifauna’. The variety of games consist of

three electronic roulette tables and there is a wide range of tables suited for more players at the same time, and of course, the well known slot machines.

VOGELPARK AVIFAUNA

Hoorn 65 2404 HG Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 487575 I www.avifauna.nl

In Archeon the past comes to life

Melting pot of education, fun

AND ADVENTURE Archeon is a melting pot of education, fun, adventure and action, where three historical time periods are highlighted and come to life: the prehistoric, Roman and Medieval times. 43 buildings are actually re-built, e.g. city halls, farms, wooden and mud huts. All buildings are based on archaeological digs or historical architectural research. The habitants are called ‘Archeo-tolken’ (Archeo-translators).

They will show you during live-shows, and while being in their houses and buildings, how life used to be a very long time ago. All of them are dressed according to the fashion of their century.

TEXT DENNIS CAPTEIN l PHOTOGRAPHY ARCHEON

Every day a large number of guests are welcomed into the historic theme-park, which is a unique combination of education and recreation. Archeon is a favourite destination to many Dutch guests, but is also proud to yearly welcome thousands of foreign guests as well. “Every year we see an increased number of guests from Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom. It’s clear that Archon is getting more popular abroad”, says Monique Feldman, who has been the director of Archon for over 12 years, together with her husband Jack.

ROMAN MUSEUM

The part of Archeon, where the prehistoric era is re-created, depicts the time from 8800 BC and continues to the Iron Age 800 BC. During that period, people used to hunt with spears, for instance from tree

canoes. In ‘Trajectum ad Rhenum’, the Roman city in Archeon (second century AD) visitors can participate in various activities, like a colourful mosaic workshop, shopping at the potter, look around in the herb garden and relax in the bathhouse ‘Triclinium’. In this building the Provincial Archaeological Centre, the Archaeological Work Community of the Netherlands and the Roman Museum of Alphen aan den Rijn are located.

PARTIES AND EVENTS

In the Medieval town of Gravendam, our visitors can experience life in the 14th century.

They can visit a blacksmith, a carpenter, the barber-surgeon, the baker and enjoy themselves with medieval games like knucklebones. On www.archeon.nl you will find the necessary information about our businessevent packages, possibilities for schools, and internationally interested parties.

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From left to right: Joop Daamen, Sven Lap and Antoine Willems

Brazil and the Middle East form the main growth markets of Frames

STRONG

in oil and gas technology The world of Frames is, especially for Alphenian terms, not your everyday world. The company is a developer and fabricator of process equipment for under which the purification of gas and oil. This happens on-site: there where the gas and oil emerge from the ground. The company is thus active world-wide.

TEXT DENNIS CAPTEIN l PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/MICHEL TER WOLBEEK

Frames operates in the Netherlands from five locations: Zoeterwoude, Woerden, Vollenhoven and two locations in Alphen aan den Rijn. In the Netherlands Frames has 250 employees, world-wide about 300. Frames holds Alphen aan den Rijn dear, there where they have establishments on the Eikenlaan and the Dr. A.D. Sacharov-laan, and where a large amount of her highly qualified employees are from. The specialization within Frames is so large, that the employees receive in-company training and are prepared for working for and in foreign countries.

Because furthermore the company has locations in India, Abu Dhabi, Malaysia, Brazil, the United States, Germany, Russia and Saudi Arabia.

UNIQUE IN THE WORLD

Frames is unique in the world due to the possibility of offering a complete package.

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Sven Lap, the one within Frames responsible for public relations, explains: “The gas and oil in the ground is polluted. It’s mixed with water, sulphur and other substances.

Wherever it emerges from the ground, the oil and gas needs to be purified immediately and prepared for transport and further use. This treatment and security is Frames’ strength.”

The company develops and builds the

systems from A to Z. The treatment of gas is an advanced scientific process, continuously improved by Frames. The company is on a conservative market, on which the highest quality standards apply. Before you are allowed to operate within the oil and gas industry you need to have more than earned your clients trust. Therefore Frames’ reputation is to be immaculate at all times. This is a heavy workload on our employees. “However”, sales manager Joop Daamen says, “on the other hand it’s one of the reasons why our employees have chosen to work for Frames: they want to be active on the highest level possible.”

FRAMES

Dr. A.D. Sacharovlaan 2 2405 WB Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 50 48 00 I www.frames-group.com

Geomet active both nationally and internationally, and:

‘Our bond with Alphen aan den Rijn IS LASTING’ Geomet is mainly known in The Netherlands for foundation design and site investigations using electric cone penetration testing. The latter activity should never be absent from the portfolio of a company designing the foundations of all types of constructions, according to the managing director Roy van Hooydonk. “In order to make proper designs you need reliable data on the soils you are building on. It is always best to collect those data yourself”, Van Hooydonk clarifies about his company’s vision. Geomet belongs to the top three of geotechnical consultants in The Netherlands.

TEXT GHISLAINE BRONGERS l PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/MICHEL TER WOLBEEK

However, Geomet certainly is not active in The Netherlands only. To the far corners of the world the company, which operates internationally under the name Conewel, is hired by developers, contractors and consultants.

For site investigations abroad, we usually work with equipment from local companies and Conewel will then be hired for the supervision, the execution of specialized measurements and the interpretation of the data. Van Hooydonk: “Recently for instance, a project was realized in the Dominican Republic, for a construction company building a large bridge .” In Hong Kong we were involved in a huge land reclamation project.

“We worked over water off a special platform . That allowed us to gather good quality data in four to five weeks of time. Such a platform will cost the client thousands of Euros a day, but normally you will see the returns quickly, just like the investment in our expertise.

The costs associated with delays or postponement

of the construction when your design turns out to be faulty, are many times higher.”

HIGHLY SPECIALIZED WORK

Conewel also specializes in offshore work during the installation of platforms, mostly needed for the exploitation of oil and gas.

“Oil and insurance companies require certainty with regard to the bearing capacity of the piles that support the platforms”, says Van Hooydonk. “We analyse the drivea-

bility of the piles that are designed and during the installation of the piles we carry out measurements; based on the results of these measurements we determine the bearing capacity of the piles “as-installed”.

GEOMET

Curieweg 19 Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 44 98 22 I www.geomet.nl

Roy van Hooydonk, in front of Geomet’s offices at Alphen aan den Rijn.

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Multi-Crane International turns twenty

The adventure

CONTINUES An American customer was interested in a tower crane from Multi-Crane International. Meaning the crane had to be dismantled, loaded into containers and delivered Free on Board on a vessel in a nearby harbour within a week. “Practically impossible”, says Karel Breijer, who is managing the Alphen company together with his son Ralph. “Imagine the size of such a crane.”

TEXT DENNIS CAPTEIN l PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/OSCAR VAN DER WIJK

He continues: “This American customer was wearing a tie-clip with an inscription. It read: ‘Y.C.D.B.S.O.Y.A.’ I asked him what it meant.

When he explained the meaning, it made me laugh, while at the same time I realized how incredibly true it was. Anyway, I promised to do my utmost in order to fulfil his request, but as a reward I asked him the tie-clip in return. The American customer agreed. We started the project immediately, had to pull many strings, made countless phone calls and used all our persuasive skills. And we succeeded, the crane was delivered Free on Board of the ship in time. Of course I did get the tie-clip and I decided to make a number of copies. I now present these clips as business gifts. The reaction of our customers is always the same as mine when I heard what the abbreviation means. What the meaning is…please continue to read.

“the need of construction equipment was at that time tremendous. One of our largest projects in those days was the supply of tower cranes for the construction of the new airport of Kuala Lumpur. Furthermore we have been working a great deal for the main Japanese construction companies.”

Within a few years Multi-Crane International established an excellent reputation in different continents, and the newly entered market appeared to be good for many more years to come. So he thought... “But six years after the foundation of Multi-Crane, Asia was hit by a large economic crisis. Our company was also struck by this crisis. However we were fortunate that we managed our company in a conservative way, having created sufficient reserves to survive this crisis. This conservatism wasn’t really a choice, that’s how I was, and how I still am today.”

NEW AIRPORT

ALWAYS ALERT

Multi-Crane International was founded in 1991 by Karel Breijer. He purchased tower cranes, self-erecting cranes and other construction equipment in Europe and sold this equipment mainly in Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia. He explains that

Breijer proved to be conservative regarding the finances of the company and therefore turned out to be, consciously or not, prepared for the crisis. But he was always alert as well. He explains: “You need to be really focused in order to be successful

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Project in Haarlem (the Netherlands), a self-erecting crane.

in this market. Don’t forget, for instance, that you are dealing with various cultures.

You need to know these cultures, respect them, and where necessary adapt to their habits. Otherwise you have a problem.”

Where there are threats (crisis in Asia), opportunities are created as well.

Ralph (left) and Karel Breijer.

fleet, counting fourty machines today.

FIVE LANGUAGES

Project in Hungary, a tower crane with a hookheight of 120 meter.

Multi-Crane shifted the market during the second part of the nineties partly to other areas, such as Africa, the Middle East, Scandinavia, Germany, France and SouthAmerica. On top of that Multi-Crane was not any longer only active buying and selling, but Breijer gradually created a rental

In 2002 Ralph Breijer joined the team of Multi-Crane International. Originally he hadn’t planned to work for his father’s company, but somehow Multi-Crane did appeal to him.

Ralph explains: “I love trading in general, but I quickly discovered that the crane business is quite complicated. It starts with the professional knowledge of tower cranes. What are the needs of the market? Remember that many cranes have different capacities and specifications. The dismantling and erection of large cranes requires craftsmanship and apart from that not everybody is willing or able to work on such great heights. And what about logistics if one talks about transport?

The construction equipment in our range is mostly transported by vessel. The regulations concerning the logistics are really complicated. And we haven’t even discussed all the legal aspects and the international laws, the calculations regarding reinforcements (safety) and the amount of containers needed to transport a specific crane. And what about the fact we speak five languages here? English, Dutch, German, French and Italian.”

“All these elements are what make the job so incredibly interesting.” So interesting, that father and son started preparing for the transfer of the company in 2007. They did not need much time however, as on the 31st of December, 2007 Multi-Crane International was sold to Ralph for one hundred percent. His father Karel is still full-time involved in the company. “And this situation will remain like this during the coming years, as I enjoy the work too much.”

At the Multi-Crane office in Alphen aan den Rijn seven people are employed. The Breijer family themselves say that they are ‘real Alphenians’. They happily live, work and relax in the city. The office has an excellent location close to Schiphol Airport. Furthermore, near Rotterdam, they have a yard of 23.000 square metres for the temporary storage of cranes; close to the container harbours of Rotterdam and Antwerp and less than an hour drive from Alphen aan den Rijn.

Multi-Crane is a financially strong company.

According to Karel Breijer he and his son have always been the owner of their own equipment, which has increased their independence. Additionally they only work with reliable partners who, just like Multi-Crane, have a decent payment moral and strictly keep to the agreements made. For this reason the global financial crisis, shocking the world in 2008, had significantly less influence on Multi-Crane than the Asian crisis in the nineties. Ralph Breijer: “We have proven to be a solid company. Next to that we are really competitive. At this moment worldwide there are only thirty companies at the same level and with the same know-how.”

PERSEVERANCE

As the market is moving, Multi-Crane International is moving as well. Finally one can conclude that the success of a company is not only based on knowledge of the world and knowledge of the product. The tie-clip explains, every time again, that perseverance and hard work are just as well essential ingredients to a successful company.

Y.C.D.B.S.O.Y.A. puts that into words: You Cannot Do Business Sitting On Your Ass. MULTI-CRANE INTERNATIONAL BV

Chr. Huygensweg 21 2408 AJ Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 44 04 81 I www.multi-crane.com 41

Piet Tel, in the production hall where the skids are manufactured.

Owner of Tekoma satisfied with successful company structure

‘Everything that’s built

WILL GO ABROAD’ Tekoma is a so called skid builder. This Alphen’ company works for the oil & gas industry all over Europe and often beyond. The key factor of this company’ success, is described by managing director and owner Piet Tel as: “The right people in the right place.” It gives him a free hand to operate in the field, where he’s at his best.

TEXT GHISLAINE BRONGERS l PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/MICHEL TER WOLBEEK

“Tekoma is a manufacturer of skids; composition of systems, based among other filters, pumps, valves, vessels and instruments”, Piet Tel clarifies. “Although there are more branches, where our skids are being used, in our line of business it’s mainly in the oil & gas industry.” Modules are all being manufactured at one of Tekoma’ three production locations: Hungary, India and Alphen aan den Rijn, and finally transported to their final location.

Tel: “Let’s say, for an instance, a client needs a flow meter. The locations where they are being used are often in the middle of now42

‘We are in a very specific segment, so we often meet the same players’ here. But a single flow meter is not feasible; a special system needs to be manufactured in order for it to be implemented in the current operating system. This kind of customer, has two options: either the flow meter is installed on site, which means welders have to go there, cranes need to be hired et cetera, or he chooses the ready-to-

use solution, which can be added on a plugand-play basis, so to speak. The flow meter is the heart of the installation, however, it is everything around it what really makes sure it works properly and fits into the system perfectly. So, our concept is aimed to deliver as much of these ready-to-use solutions as possible. On site, only the main process connections need to be taken care of.”

TEKOMA

Koperweg 3 2401 LH Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 41 80 00 I www.tekoma.nl

P&S Staalproducties BV

‘In principle,

ANY PROBLEM can be taken care of’

Sander den Hertog (left) and Peter Haasnoot.

Peter Haasnoot and Sander den Hertog are - in a modest kind of way - proud of what they have achieved.

Bragging doesn’t fit these gentlemen at all. Their company ‘P&S Staalproducties BV’ has been with both feet on the ground for 12.5 years. Even though they have manufactured more than 10,000 steel related products - often customized for their clients - during those years. An anniversary, worthy of giving it some thought.

TEXT DENNIS CAPTEIN l PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/MICHEL TER WOLBEEK

It’s remarkable that a lot of ‘P&S Staalproducties’ clients are from Alphen aan den Rijn. Construction companies, for which ‘P&S’ works as a subcontractor, industrial companies and builders of bodywork in cars, operating cranes, ‘kippers’ (modernised trucks, for dumping contents in different ways) and interiors. Indirectly, Haasnoot and Den Hertog’ company is internationally orientated, because the whole world is the market where many of their products are sold at.

THINKING IN SOLUTIONS

The strength of this company is thinking in solutions. “In principle, any problem can be taken care of”, Den Hertog says. “Since the establishment of our company, we often received assignments that were completely new to us and therefore we needed to re-invent the wheel. But even so, we always

managed to meet the client’s demands and deliver on time.”

‘P&S Staalproducties’ witnessed the light of day in 1998; Peter Haasnoot says: “From the beginning, we were never without work and that flow of orders was never really limited during all these years. We were lucky that we hardly had to do any acquisition. We stick with what we do. This is known by all companies we are doing business with. The result is that they keep on coming back. We have settled in quite well. We have got the needed floor space and necessary height.

In the meantime, we have been here for quite a few years already, and on top of that we have the necessary machines at our disposal. In the beginning, we used to outsource some of our work, because we didn’t have the equipment ourselves, but in the meantime we are able to do most of the work on our own. Nowadays, we are often

called by similar companies ‘’for operational assistance where we have the equipment for, while they have not.” When we inquire about the specialty in products of ‘P&S Staalproducties’, Haasnoot answers: “We are all-round in our business. Just as before, we can still solve any problem. We carry out light- and heavy steel construction work, which involves a diversity of products: from extensions to complete production halls, from plating to frame building and from staircases to gates, to machines for agricultural purposes. Sometimes it concerns complete projects, sometimes parts of projects and in other cases repairs.”

P&S STAALPRODUCTIES BV

Bedrijfsweg 1 2404 CB Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 241270 I www.ps-staalproducties.nl 43

Total solutions for high-quality production systems

Grimbergen have everything under their

OWN ROOF

Grimbergen, a company located in Alphen aan den Rijn (the Netherlands), provide total solutions in the form of high-quality production systems in various industries. Driven by experience, guts, technological know-how and innovative thinking, the company undertakes if desired, the realization from A to Z. From design to installation and from delivery to after care.

Clients do not only get good advice during the initial stage, but will also get professional support during the implementation and operation of the production system.

TEXT DENNIS CAPTEIN l PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/MICHEL TER WOLBEEK

Officially the company has been registered as H.J. Grimbergen, named after the present owner Henk-Jan Grimbergen and his grandfather, who with the same initials founded the company as H.J. Grimbergen N.V. The company is normally referred to as ‘Grimbergen’ and for their foreign business relations it’s Grimbergen Constructive Partner. The addition ‘Constructive Partner’ stands for offering full support to reach the optimal performance of production systems.

TRUSTED PARTY

Grimbergen is well experienced in among others the prefab concrete industry, the steel processing industry, the ship-building and offshore. The company works for clients mainly in The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and United States, but also realized 44

Henk-Jan Grimbergen (left) and Peter Tersteeg.

production systems in Korea, Malaysia and the Middle East.

“We pitch a lot in these countries”, Henk-Jan Grimbergen says. “Eventually companies choose us because on the one hand we think along and deliver custom-made products and on the other hand because we are allround and have everything under one roof.

Especially that last part is important, as clients only have one contact then. We employ our own project managers, designers, software engineers, engineers, production workers and mechanics.”

He continues: “Nationally as well as internationally we have a reputation to keep up. As a company we have over sixty years experience in realizing production systems

and associated control systems. Only with expertise and innovation power you can be a sound and reliable party for that long.”

H.J. GRIMBERGEN B.V.

Bedrijfsweg 23-25 2404 CB Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 43 27 21 I www.grimbergen.nl 45

New chapter added to Dick Houweling’ impressive career

Spectra-Cell Ltd.

CONQUERS

the rest of the world When we’re talking international business, Dick Houweling from Alphen aan den Rijn has made his mark. In his hometown he is considered a shining example in this field. The power of his way of doing business is two-fold. On one side he is a perfectionist who only brings those products to market which have been tested thoroughly and eventually are of the best quality. On the other hand he is a people person which makes him a genuine relationship manager.

TEXT DENNIS CAPTEIN l PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/MICHEL TER WOLBEEK

Houweling wishes us welcome in his office.

He is cordial, makes sure you’ve got everything you need, loves to share his experiences and is full of energy. His career has evolved and is ready for the next chapter.

He has recently started a new company in Hong Kong, called Spectra-Cell Ltd. With this company, he would like to - as he puts it - serve the rest of the world with his infrared heat cabins. The European branch has already formed an area of distribution, together with another company. “We have so much to add and offer outside of Europe as well”, Houweling says.

Spectra-Cell has outsourced the manufacturing of the cedar case to South-Korea and China. From Europe the necessary technique will be added. After that, thru a dealer network, the cabins find their way across the world. The majority is exported to South America, the Asian countries and Australia.

MEDICAL CERTIFICATION

According to Houweling, who runs his business together with his mate Anja van der Leest, there is an international need for his infrared heat cabins. As the only 46

supplier in the world his heat cabins carry a medical certification, which he is very proud of. “These heat cabins have been thoroughly developed, in the field of technique as well as design. These developments form a continuous process; because we have a large head start on our competition, they can hardly catch up.”

The heat cabins are an addition to the steam cabins and traditional saunas. The big difference is that infrared has nothing to do with water and steam and it doesn’t make you feel lazy. It actually makes you feel more energetic. Houweling states: “Infrared rays work like the first sunrays after winter.

They are being transformed into soothing body heat. It is relaxing and can also lessen all kinds of physical ailments. Or even make them disappear. With our infrared cabins, and they will last a lifetime, body and mind will become stronger. And if you think this is all too good to be true, you should try the cabins yourself. It is good for skin problems like psoriasis and it stimulates the blood circulation and metabolism. If you spend half an hour in this cabin each morning, you will start the day feeling re-born.”

Index Business-to-business companies established in Alphen aan den Rijn (selection) ACCOUNTANCY, TAXES AND ADVICE

CHEMICALS

BDO Laan der Continenten 172 2404 WE Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 223 2400 AE Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 535300 I www.bdo.nl

BIESTERFELD NEDERLAND Eikenlaan 20 2404 BR Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 41 2400 AA Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 483666 I www.biesterfeld.nl

FLYNTH ADVISEUR & ACCOUNTANTS Henry Dunantweg 34 2402 NR Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 2023 2400 CA Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 435383 I www.flynth.nl

HELM CHEMICALS Hoorn 75 2404 HH Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 160 2400 AD Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 467100 I www.helm-chemicals.nl

GRANT THORNTON INTERNATIONAL Raoul Wallenbergplein 29-31 Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 330 2400 AH Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 423870 I www.gt.nl

MAVOM Handelsweg 6 2404 CD Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 5 2400 AA Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 436361 I www.mavom.nl

LANSIGT Herenweg 113 Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 2150 2400 CD Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 750150 I www.lansigt.nl

CONSTRUCTION

AUTOMOTIVE

BIK & GESMAN Ondernemingsweg 5 2404 HM Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 422655 I www.bikengesman.nl

VLASMAN BETONBEWERKINGS- EN SLOOPTECHNIEKEN (DEMOLITION) Steekterweg 27 2407 BD Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 16 2400 AA Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 495770 I www.vlasman.nl FOOD

BAGNOLES (IMPORT AND EXPORT CARS) A. van Leeuwenhoekweg 38-K 2408 AN Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 449100 I www.bagnoles.nl BANKS ABN AMRO Stadhuisplein 12 2405 SH Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 448188 I www.abnamro.nl ING Castellumstraat 1 2405 CB Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 654 983985 (Joost Berkhout) I www.ing.nl RABOBANK RIJNSTREEK Flemingweg 8 P.O. Box 55 2400 AB Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 485511 I www.rabobankrijnstreek.nl

AANNEMINGSBEDRIJF VAN MIL Curieweg 8f 2408 BZ Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 477000 I www.vanmil.nl

BLANKSMA BOUWBEDRIJF Koperweg 19 2401 LH Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 438755 I www.blanksmabouw.nl

CHAN’S Distributieweg 33 2404 CM Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 24 03 70 I www.chansbv.nl FROMAGERIE EUROPE J. Keplerweg 8 2408 AC Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 422624 I www.fromagerie-europa.nl THE CANDY COMPANY Linnaeusweg 15 2408 BX Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 178 2400 AD Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 424200 I www.van-vliet.com FURNITURE ALLWOOD A. van Leeuwenhoekweg 54 2408 AN Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 496343 I www.allwood.nl MR. HIGGINS Steekterweg 33 2407 BD Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 475404 I www.mrhiggins.nl HEALTH

BOUWBEDRIJF WOUBRUGGE Magazijnweg 15 2404 CE Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 420070 I www.bouwbedrijfwoubrugge.nl TIGGELOVEN VERANKERINGSSYSTEMEN Linnaeusweg 7 2408 BX Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 325 2400 AH Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 0172 431753 I www.tiggeloven.nl

ELYSEE DENTAL SOLUTIONS Handelsweg 16 2404 CD Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 653300 I www.elysee-dental.com GREINER BIO-ONE Albert Einsteinweg 16 2408 AR Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 420900 I www.gbo.com HEALTH COMPANY Hooftstraat 209 2406 GH Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 460 055 I www.healthcompany.eu 47

SAKURA FINETEK EUROPE Flemingweg 10 A 2408 AV Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 362 2400 AJ Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 88 5920000 I www.sakuraeu.com

AVIO-DIEPEN J. Keplerweg 16 2408 AC Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 566 2400 AN Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 449777 I www.avio-diepen.com

NOVO NORDISK FARMA Flemingweg 18 2408 AV Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 443 2400 AK Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 449494 I www.novonordisk.nl

BAC J. Keplerweg 22 2408 AC Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 477143 I www.bac-pakkingen.nl

HOME PRODUCTS ELECTROLUX HOME PRODUCTS NEDERLAND Vennootsweg 1 2404 CG Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 468468 I www.electrolux.nl NUMATIC INTERNATIONAL Vennootsweg 15 2404 CG Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 101 2400 AC Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 467999 I www.numatic.nl IMPORT EN EXPORT BOLAND PARTY PARTNERS Anthony van Leeuwenhoekweg 39-41 2408 AK Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 518 2400 AM Alphen aan den Rijn I www.bolandparty.nl CANENCO Albert Einsteinweg 10 2408 AR Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 427171 I www.canenco.nl OLMAN HANDELSMAATSCHAPPIJ Albert Einsteinweg 3 2408 AP Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 84 2400 AB Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 424100 I www.olman.nl INDUSTRY/TECHNOLOGY/ENGENERING ALECS A. van Leeuwenhoekweg 38h 2408 AN Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 494990 I www.alecs.nl ASTRO CONTROLS Eikenlaan 235 2404 BP Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 399 2400 AJ Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 424247 I www.astro.nl 48

BREVINI NEDERLAND Rรถntgenweg 24 2408 AB Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 429 2400 AK Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 476464 I www.brevini.nl DUIJVELAAR POMPEN Kalkovenweg 13 2401 LJ Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 28 2400 AA Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 488388 I www.dp.nl

GLOBE BENELUX Eikenlaan 261e 2404 BP Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 426608 I www.globe-benelux.nl iSLOEP Hoorn 316 2404 HL Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 416763 I www.isloep.nl H.J. GRIMBERGEN Bedrijfsweg 23-25 2404 CB Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 432721 I www.grimbergen.nl HIGHFLIGHT INTERNATIONAL Kalkovenweg 16 2401 LK Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 484848 I www.highflight.nl HYVA GROUP Ondernemingsweg 1 2404 HM Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 423555 I www.hyva.com

ESCO AANDRIJVINGEN Ondernemingsweg 19 2404 HM Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 349 2400 AH Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 423333 I www.esco-aandrijvingen.nl

KLUTHE BENELUX Produktieweg 8 2404 CC Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 312 2400 AH Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 516000 I www.kluthe.nl

EST GROUP EMEA Hoorn 312a 2404 HL Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 418841 I www.curtisswright.com

KOOLHAAS ALPHEN AVIATION TRADE & SERVICES Eikenlaan 261j 2404 BP Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 468050 I www.koolhaas.com

EUROTHERM BENELUX Genielaan 4 2404 CH Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 411752 I www.eurotherm.nl FRAMES Dr. A.D. Sacharovlaan 2 2405 WB Alphen aan den Rijn T 003 172 504800 I www.frames-group.com

LAVERMAN TECHNISCH HANDELSBUREAU Distributieweg 31 2404 CM Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 250 2400 AG Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 475153 I www.laverman.nl

GEOMET Curieweg 19 2408 BZ Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 460911 I www.geomet.nl

MUNTERS NETHERLANDS Energieweg 69 2404 HE Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 229 2400 AE Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 433231 I www.munters.nl

GEOMETIUS/AGROMETIUS Maatschapslaan 39 2404 CL Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 88 4366300 I www.geometius.nl/www.agrometius.nl

NETHERLOCKS SAFETY SYSTEMS J. Keplerweg 14 2408 AC Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 471339 I www.netherlocks.com

P&S STAALPRODUCTIES Bedrijfsweg 1 2404 CB Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 241270 I www.ps-staalproducties.nl SWA Distributieweg 10 2404 CK Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 430 2400 AK Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 504570 I www.swaholland.nl

ALL IN LIFTTECHNIEK Curieweg 17 2408 BZ Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 147, 2400 AC Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 446116 I www.all-in-liften.nl

STORAGE DENIOS Chr. Huijgensweg 4a 2408 AJ Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 506466 I www.denios.nl

JUNGHEINRICH NEDERLAND H.A. Lorentzweg 3 2408 AS Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 231, 2400 AE Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 446789 I www.jungheinrich.nl

DEXXON DATA MEDIA AND STORAGE Curieweg 15 2408 BZ Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 636666 I www.dexxon.eu

TECHNAG Flemingweg 7 2408 AV Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 488 2400 AL Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 427330 I www.technag.nl

MULTI-CRANE INTERNATIONAL Chr. Huygensweg 21 2408 AJ Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 440481 I www.multi-crane.com

IRON MOUNTAIN J. Keplerweg 2 2408 AC Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 10 4254444 I www.ironmountain.nl

MACHINERY

TRANSPORT

TEKOMA Koperweg 3 2401 LH Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 418000 I www.tekoma.nl

ESKENS BENELUX Distributieweg 6 2404 CK Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 119, 2400 AC Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 430181 I www.eskens.com

RUTEX LOGISTICS Bedrijfsweg 21 2404 CB Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 51 2400 AB Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 418900 I www.rutex.nl

TOUR & ANDERSSON Rรถntgenweg 20 2408 AB Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 188 2400 AD Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 492041 I www.tourandersson.com

STESA SYSTEMS Anthony van Leeuwenhoekweg 36a9 2408 AN Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 470410 F 0031 172 490550 I www.stesasystems.nl

LEGAL ADVICE

MARKETING

SCHOUTEN LOGISTIEK Eikenlaan 30 2404 BR Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 93 2400 AB Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 468001 I www.schoutenlogistiek.nl

LA GRO ADVOCATEN Prins Bernhardlaan 35 2404 NE Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 155 2400 AD Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 503250 I www.lagrolaw.nl

M+ GROEP Hoorn 131 2404 HH Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 428800 I www.mplus.nl

VT VERKERK TRANSPORT A. Einsteinweg 9-11 2408 AP Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 447144 I www.vt-verkerk.nl

VERHEUL COMMUNICATIE A. van Leeuwenhoekweg 38b18 2408 AN Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 1243 2400 BE Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 477733 I www.vrhl.nl

WHOLESALE

MOVERS

FASHION 2 WEAR Rรถntgenweg 20a 2408 AB Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 737 2400 AS Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 236000 I www.f2w.nl

TEEKENSKARSTENS Prins Bernhardlaan 4 2405 VZ Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 402 2400 AK Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 419844 I www.tk.nl WILLE DONKER Leidse Schouw 2 2408 AE Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 357 2400 AJ Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 442417 I www.willedonker.nl

KHZ INTERNATIONALE VERHUIZERS B.V. A. van Leeuwenhoekweg 50 2408 AN Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 354 2400 AJ Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 449977 I www.khz-movers.com

LOGISTICS/INTERNAL TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT

NOTARYSHIP

AERIAL WORK PLATFORMS Van Foreestlaan 7b 2404 HC Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 496502 I www.awp.nl

KROES EN PARTNERS Prins Bernhardlaan 4 2405 VZ Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 19 2460 AA Ter Aar T 0031 172 426025 I www.kroesenpartners.nl

BUIKEMA FASHION Curieweg 8c 2408 BZ Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 447722 I www.buikema.com

HAVENA Linnaeusweg 11-13 2408 BX Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 150 2400 AD Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 234299 I www.havena.nl

49

SERVICE POINT NEDERLAND Genielaan 2 2404 CH Alphen aan de Rijn P.O. Box 164 2400 AD Alphen aan de Rijn T 0031 172 504000 I www.servicepoint.nl

SSC Industrieweg 14-20 2404 BZ Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 131 2400 AC Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 467500 I www.ssc.nl

VELDHOVEN GROUP Gouwelandenlaan 11 2408 ZG Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 429000 I www.veldhovengroup.com

Media, hospitality, recreation en sports MEDIA AD GROENE HART (NEWSPAPER) Raoul Wallenbergplein 9 2405 CZ Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 487404 I www.ad.nl ALPHEN.CC (NEWSPAPER) Julianastraat 34 2405 CH Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 234778 I www.alphen.cc ALPHENS NIEUWSBLAD (NEWSPAPER) Prins Bernhardlaan 16m 2405 VT Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 447330 I www.alphensnieuwsblad.nl INTOBUSINESS MAGAZINE (BUSINESSMAGAZINES) A van Leeuwenhoekweg 36a5 2408 AN Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 515200 I www.intobusiness.nu RECREATION ARCHEON Archeonlaan 1 2408 ZB Alphen aan de Rijn T 0031 172 447744 I www.archeon.nl

AVIFAUNA Hoorn 65 2404 HG Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 487575 I www.avifauna.nl THEATRE CATELLUM/CINEMA Rijnplein 1-3 2405 DB Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 429292 I www.theatercastellum.nl

‘S MOLENAARSBRUG HOTEL RESTAURANT ‘s Molenaarsweg 2 2401 LL Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 432087 I www.molenaarsbrug.nl TRATTORIA IL DELICATO Swaenswijkplaats 29 2405 AV Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 478880 I www.ildelicato.nl

HOTELS, RESTAURANTS AND BARS GRAND CAFÉ ALLE HENS Julianastraat 50 2405 CJ Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 425231 I www.allehens.com

VAN DER VALK HOTEL AVIFAUNA Hoorn 65 2404 HG Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 487575 I www.avifauna.nl SPORTS FACILITIES

RESTAURANT ALFREDS Cornelis Geellaan 43 2406 JE Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 425757 I www.alfreds.nl RESTAURANT CHIQUE! Hooftstraat 151 2406 GG Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 515016 I www.restaurantchique.nl

JAWI (FITNESS) A. van Leeuwenhoekweg 27B 2408 AL Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 492962 I www.jawi.nl SWIMMINGPOOL DE HOORN Van Foreestlaan 4 2404 HC Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 418700

Business and municipality organizations VOA (BUSINESS CLUB) P.O. Box 103 Raoul Wallenbergplein 21b 2404 ND Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 172 424468 I www.voaonline.nl

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE THE HAGUE Raoul Wallenbergplein 21A 2404 ND Alphen aan den Rijn P.O. Box 29718 2502 LS Den Haag I www.kvk.nl

Emergency ALARM NUMBER (POLICE, FIRE DEPARTMENT, HOSPITAL) Alarm number: 112

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MEDICAL EMERGENCY (FIRST AID) Rijnland Ziekenhuis Meteoorlaan 4 2402 WC Alphen aan den Rijn T 0031 715 828282

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