Complete heat Bronswerk Heat Transfer

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COMPLETE HEAT

Netherlands-based petrochemical and power solutions provider Bronswerk Heat Transfer is continuing its successful strategy to add value to its technically advanced equipment with its total solutions provision. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to the director Jan Wallet and the manager business for development Remco Kruit to find out more.

Established in the Netherlands in 1940, Bronswerk Heat Transfer has been privately owned since 1988 and continues to supply heat exchange products and solutions to industrial clients, with a notable focus on petrochemicals, power generation, renewables, sustainability and related thermal issues. Able to deliver equipment, engineering and complete systems, the company was originally dedicated to the equipment aspect.

The sustainability and renewables issues have also been an important part of the company’s business strategy since the beginning. In fact, long before ‘sustainability’ became a buzzword, Bronswerk was already focused on making products and delivering solutions which were as energy efficient as possible and needed less material or maintenance, as well as being cheaper to run. These are still aspects which rank very highly in its priority list today.

Director Jan Wallet explained how this strategic, logical progression started. He said, “About 15 years ago we realised that, having spent 56 years working hard to develop and manufacture expert heat transfer products, we had gathered a considerable expertise on the subject! Many customers would ask our professional opinion on complete systems and we realised that our potential as a complete systems provider would add value for the customer and be great for business.” Sharing the wealth of knowledge

Mr Wallet pointed out that Bronswerk’s considerable understanding of the intricacies of the problems faced by its industrial clients allows it to respond quickly, effectively and accurately.

Today, Bronswerk operates two units, one in the Netherlands and one in the Czech Republic, as well as having a sales office in Moscow. Employing 280 people, the company is dedicated to continual training of its people as well as investment in its facilities. Mr Wallet explained, “Perhaps one of the most challenging and important aspects of our business is making sure we understand exactly what our customers want, well in advance of creating any systems for them.

We pride ourselves on our ability to look behind and beyond the client data sheet so that we really know what the customer needs – today and tomorrow. We can then create a future-focused solution that makes the most of their investment and offers the most value to their operation.”

Operating worldwide, Bronswerk is seeing an increasing demand for its products and solutions in the emerging BRIC countries, and is actively seeking selected partners to work alongside them in these regions. Mr Kruit added, “The industries in which we are active can be categorised by there extensive local regulations and legislations, so strategic partners offer an appealing way in which we deliver our expertise more efficiently. This setup means that we can harness our knowledge and the partner’s local client base. We already have this structure working effectively in both Brazil and India, where we have mutually beneficial partnerships.”

Such cooperations allow Bronswerk to maintain its high-end technical knowledge in energy heat transfer systems from low-cost bases, which can considerably reduce costs for its customers but still brings its expertise to these markets. With the company’s Czech Republic office focusing mainly on its neighbouring Russian market, the company is seeing strong growth in this area.

Ahead of industry trends

In terms of changing demands on a technical level, Mr Wallet said, “We are finding that trends in our industry match our strategic development. The demand for total solutions is certainly continuing, so this is perfectly in tune with our decision 15 years ago to go beyond our product and engineering offer and into complete systems for heat transfer applications. The great part

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Rhenus Ocean

Rhenus Ocean has been managing the packing, handling and shipping of a large number of project shipments to destinations worldwide for Bronswerk Heat Transfer since 2008.

We continuously develop and expand our expertise to face the challenges presented by Bronswerk and are proud to have become their main supplier of logistics services worldwide.

The Rhenus Group has an annual turnover of €3 billion, making it one of Europe’s leading logistics service providers. Rhenus has over 18,000 employees based at 290 locations worldwide.

is that we have been doing this for a while now, so we’ve had a head start!”

A key aspect in Bronswerk’s continuous success in meeting its customers’ total solution demands is the fact that it works hard to keep its employees motivated. With its average employee age of 42, the company trains its sales force to be ‘ambassadors’ of the company and encourages entrepreneurial thinking, as well as providing weekly training and discussion sessions with outside professionals to address issues such as technical and commercial developments.

Investment in people and places

Bronswerk’s latest development plans itself involves further investment in its Czech office. Mr Wallet added, “We see our people not as a labour force but rather as knowledge. If we look after our people, we are also protecting our continued success as the expert in our field. We will also be expanding our office in the Netherlands in the near future in order to maximise our solutions-focused offer.”

The next year represents a concerted effort in further development of new products and solutions in order to capitalise on the investments made in 2010. Bronswerk will be bringing new technologies to market as well as building its total service provision, enabling it to continue to meet the demanding requirements of its customers worldwide. Mr Wallet concluded, “With the right partners on board joining our current roster of valued partners, our skilled engineering and sales teams are ready to bring our unique approach to heat transfer complete solutions to customers in both emerging countries and our European heartland. We will continue to share our knowledge with an ever-widening customer base.” n