Choose quality to supply quality

‘My wife has worked for ten years at a florist. I was employed by a furniture maker’, thus Egbert Verheij introduces his story. ‘I certainly wanted to start with self-employment. After a good talk, Anneke also took to the idea. The first big question was: what shall we do? Combining flowers and furniture did not seem all that obvious. But then I thought: why not? Flowers and plants in pots and vases are all eventually put on tables and cupboards. And I could make them myself. So the idea of our shop began to take shape’.

 

Flowers and Wood opened its doors in March 2015, and the reactions were all positive, says Verheij. ‘Customers who bought flowers, soon asked where they could buy that beautiful furniture. The answer was simple. Simply from us. I make everything myself’. That is how the first orders for customised furniture soon starting coming in. As already mentioned, Verheij has experience and knowledge of the trade. Partners and suppliers were soon found too. ‘At my previous employer, we already traded with Bijlard. We ordered all our adhesives there. When I started for myself, I contacted them straight away. For me, that was a logical step. They have a very wide range, they deliver quality and the price is simply top! The latter was certainly important for me as a starting entrepreneur’.

 

Verheij started buying two types of glue. ‘It was not my intention to make big investments. That is a growth process. Since starting in the spring of 2015, Sven Westerholt of Bijlard has paid us regular visits to check that the glue was satisfactory, but also to keep me informed of any new types of adhesive. There were also other products that delivered a better end result. This way you grow gradually towards other and better choices. Now I also use among others Bijlard's PU-TX, PU-Bond, ContactKit and ContactTix. I use the last two mostly with HPL. All products are easy to work and that makes my job even easier’.