"The company has an excellent name in the market. However, the production method needed to be revised. There was no line production at all. The factory hall was full of half-finished vehicles, with someone walking around with a screwdriver now and then. And even though the company was making a profit, everyone could see that the efficiency could be increased enormously."

Two years ago, you received a call through Boer & Croon from a commissioner of Van Hool, a Belgian family company that manufactures buses. Why did he call?
Van Hool also has a significant business unit making industrial vehicles. These include tankers, semi-trailers and a chassis to transport containers. The family was mainly interested in the buses. That commissioner thought it was high time an outsider with business knowledge was responsible for modernising the industrial vehicle plant and restructuring the organisation. Van Hool had a good name in the market and was known as a very high-quality engineering company. But the way the plant was organised could have been more modern. It was not running at a loss but potentially much more profitable.

Then you go and see that factory first. What did you find there?
To begin with, there was no line production. With about 700 men, around 3,500 vehicles were built annually. It was all completely individual. People individually ordered the stuff they needed for the vehicle they were currently working on. It was very much effort-oriented rather than result-oriented. There was no modern, organized supply chain, and there was no flow in the factory. This led to vast amounts of work in progress and excessive stocks of materials. The number of defects and changes was also enormous.

Which steps did you take first?
First, I made a few organisational changes, from power management to modern operations with a less hierarchical structure. Then, we started converting the final assembly of trailer production to a line assembly with a matching budget-driven procurement and supply chain. It then turned out that we had a hall empty and could produce 30 percent more with the same people, resulting in a much higher operating result. 

We also launched several new activities, including revamping containers with stainless steel tanks. This was positive from an environmental point of view, and lucratively had the necessary certifications. You don't get those just like that because you work with many chemicals and hazardous substances, so you must meet several specific requirements. So, we made the most of our know-how and certifications.

That sounds good. But another development was taking place, threatening to throw everything back into disarray.
Yes, while modernising that factory with all our might, things suddenly went downhill with the bus company, from which our factory was still inseparable. On 8 April 2024, the entire Van Hool NV company went bankrupt. And it was a sad development because the company could have been saved. It failed because the family that owned Van Hool could not agree to bring in additional cash. The receiver then asked me to stay on to give maximum support to potential buyers to acquire our plant. 

There was ample interest from potential buyers, as we are talking about a profitable company with a good name in the market. But you also have to factor into the selection process which candidate best suits our business. It soon became apparent that GRW, a South African producer of petrol tankers, was an ideal match. Also, it is a family business with a good name, knowledge, and experience in the operational field, especially regarding the (line) production of (Alu) tankers. After a visit with some key employees to the factory in South Africa, they unanimously decided to support a new venture: Van Hool iv.

That sounds like a great result. Or were you guys not there at the time?
Of course, we did sit with a company that had just gone bankrupt. And when you go bankrupt in Belgium, you do lose everything. So you must renegotiate contracts, rehire people, and negotiate collective labour agreements, and our precious ISO certifications must be reapplied. The entire supply chain had to be set up again, which was not a straightforward story because suppliers no longer deliver on credit after such a bankruptcy. 

Ultimately, we restarted with a core team of about 40 people. We now have over 200 employees again, and we expect this to grow to 350 soon. And we managed to retain almost all the contracts, which shows something about our customers' trust in the company. In two years, they are going to build a new factory. It's nice that the new owner has the confidence to invest money.