“This is a partner that really gets involved and is of great added value to us”
As a self-employed businessperson, it is very important to have reliable partners with high-quality products. After all, the quality of the products they offer helps to determine how satisfied your own customers are. This applies to sheet suppliers, paint manufacturers and also the producer and supplier of adhesive.
When Herbert Groeneveld founded his interior construction firm at the end of the 1990s, he looked carefully in his immediate surroundings for businesses to work with. There were various adhesive suppliers, one of which was Bijlard. “I contacted them and spoke to their representative. He listened to my ideas, offered advice and made it clear that he was always available to answer questions. For me, that was reason enough to give Bijlard a chance and now, almost twenty years later, I still prefer them to any other supplier. I don't just use their adhesives myself, I even sell them.”
Much has happened in the last twenty years. A year and a half after founding the company, André Poirot joined him as a partner, and Groeneveld&Poirot was born. The company became a VOF (partnership), with most work coming from private home-owners. “It was mostly luxury homes and occasionally a dental practice where we designed and built the interior. How was this possible? The private market is a pretty large market. In recent years in particular, people have had more and more to spend, and invest a lot of money in their homes. Even when building new homes, they choose their own team. They discuss directly with the contractor what they wish to be done differently, instead of accepting what the construction company offers as standard. People want to decide things themselves. They want something unique. And we are able to reap the rewards of this.”
In 2016, both men also founded the Plankencentrale (Plank Centre). Here they offer a wide range of planed planks of various wood types. Since then, the connection with Bijlard has become even stronger. “Bijlard simply has a great reputation in the interior construction sector. And so people who buy planks from us also ask for associated products. And what do they want? Bijlard adhesives. Because Bijlard is a wholesaler that doesn't sell to private individuals, they direct everyone to us – to the Plankencentrale. And so we don't just use the adhesives ourselves, we also sell them.”
They have sold Bijlard adhesives for almost twenty years. This makes perfect sense for Groeneveld. “It suits us very well on all fronts. If I didn't think the products were good, I would look for another supplier. But you don't just walk away. You build up a connection. What they offer is simply good. What's more, their representative Sven Westerholt is a great advertisement for the company. He really is always available. I'll give you an example. We wanted to bond Teak. This is special type of wood. And so I asked Sven which adhesive would work best. He arrived with a number of samples and we did some tests. In this way, we came up with the best solution together. They are a partner that really gets involved and is of great added value to us. This is a unique partnership that benefits us both.” Text by Rob Buchholz, magazine "Binnenwerk".
Date: 21-07-'17
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