haarlem_schiphol_deel by INTO business

APRIL 2012

Business Magazine for Schiphol, Hoofddorp, Nieuw-Vennep and wider area

Schiphol Real Estate

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, a dynamic and inspiring working environment

Rabobank Regio Schiphol Bringing people together

PKF Wallast Value for money

Labourlink Serving two groups of people

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FOREWORD

Perspective in turbulent times

You are now reading the first special Schiphol edition of Haarlemmermeer Into Business. This is an excellent initiative by the publishers to bring developments in the area to the attention of international readers. And a lot is happening! As an entrepreneur at the Schiphol office locations, you naturally know all about that. Schiphol is important for the region: it is the economic engine for growth and development and for attracting international companies to the area. One of the latest developments is the Schiphol Logistics Park (SLP). Official construction recently commenced on the premises of the first company to be based there: Rapid Logistics. A well-known brand that shows how you can start small and grow into a company that combines airfreight, sea freight and storage. The SLP is being developed under the banner of Amsterdam Connecting Trade (ACT), whose motto is ‘Beyond Logistics’. ACT is an innovative scheme for the development of three business parks for logistics and related businesses, as well as a recreational park in the direct vicinity of Schiphol. Located at the centre of the capital’s logistics ‘Westas’ (Western Axis), ACT focuses its activities on the area between Greenport Aalsmeer, Schiphol and the port of Amsterdam. The aim is that it should grow into the most sustainable logistics hub in the Netherlands. The quality of working locations is very important, both to you and to us, as is improving accessibility to the area. The N201 bypass, which is almost finished, will be a big step forward in this regard. The access routes to the A4 and A9 are also being improved. The working locations have outstanding transport links by motorway, rail, air and inland waterways, with the port of Amsterdam just ‘around the corner’. Companies can see this, and place a high value upon it. Via the Amsterdam Inbusiness agency, we seek to attract national and international companies who wish to establish a presence in the region. At Amsterdammetropole.com you can find an interesting presentation on the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area and Haarlemmermeer. Entrepreneurship and sustainability go hand in hand. Sometimes, however, it is difficult to know how exactly to put that into practice as an entrepreneur, company or developer. On 23 April 2012, the SHARE event is being held for the fifth time, with the theme: ‘Perspective in turbulent times’. SHARE stands for Sustainable HAarlemmermeer Real Estate, i.e. sustainable business practices in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer. The aim of the event is to bring together and share opinions, knowledge and experience in the area of sustainability. We have invited two very interesting keynote speakers to come and tell us about their experiences: Professor Klaas van Egmond and influential trendwatcher Adjiedj Bakas. I am sure that once again it will be a very instructive afternoon where meeting people and making new connections will play a central role. If you turn this magazine around and read the Haarlemmermeer version, you will be able to get to know the founders of SHARE and find some information about the event. I hope to meet you at SHARE! Arthur van Dijk Alderman for Economy, Schiphol and Culture SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 05

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword Alderman Arthur van Dijk

Foreword Thomas Hendriksen

PUBLISHER:

Schiphol News

CHIEF EDITOR:

Coverstory Schiphol Real Estate

Report Quick Parking

Ruud Blaazer (+31 6 512 354 42)

Dennis Captein (+31 6 169 525 12) EDITORS:

Ghislaine Brongers, Jan van Grondelle, Sandra Zuiderduin and Sjaak Blaazer COLUMNISTS:

Dick Braam, Andries Stokvis and Patrick Verboom

Interview Paul Wevers, chairman ORAM

TRANSLATIONS:

LocalEyes, Amsterdam

Report Worldwide Flight Services

GRAPHIC DESIGN:

Sevenwords, Erik Straver and Martijn Broere

Report PKF Wallast

PHOTOGRAPHY:

Jan van Grondelle, Sjaak Blaazer and Michel ter Wolbeek

Report Municipal Marketing Haarlemmermeer

EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE:

Linda Persoon SALE:

Report Rabobank Regio Schiphol Bringing people together

Ruud Blaazer (+31 6 512 354 42)

ADMINISTRATION:

Monique Bakkum

AEG Power Solutions Reliable back up power

PRINTED BY:

Okay Color Graphics DISTRIBUTION:

Report LocalEyes

Mail Management International PUBLISHED BY:

Report Best Western Hotel De Rustende Jager

Report LabourLink Serving two groups of people

Report Airport Partners

Interview CANSO Transforming Global ATM Performance

The next issue of Schiphol IntoBusiness

SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 06

H’meer IntoBusiness (RBM) Kerkstraat 5 2405 CD Alphen aan den Rijn +31 6 512 354 42 +31 172 51 55 50 ruud@intobusiness.nu www.intobusiness.nu

Special thanks to Alderman Arthur van Dijk (Municipality Haarlemmermeer), Thomas Hendriksen (Businesspark Nieuw Vennep Zuid), Anko van Ek (PKF Wallast) and Schiphol Real Estate.

FOREWORD

Two worlds, one goal?

Our polder region is one of a kind. After the war, as part of the reconstruction process, we wanted to move away from an exclusively agricultural economy. Schiphol was, of course, very welcome as a turbocharger for economic development. After a lot of effort, we are now the no. 1 municipality in the economic field (not in terms of culture etc., but we are catching up fast) and we have a sort of multinational-focused and Schiphol-oriented economy. The perfect match, you might say. Well, that remains to be seen… In this challenging economic climate, it seems to me that the airport and the surrounding polder region are not making the most effective use of each other, not by a long way. Of course, many of the companies based in the municipality are suppliers to Schiphol. But, in spite of that, Schiphol is still an island, mostly focused inwards on itself. Business networks meet only rarely, and there is far too little political or strategic cooperation, even though our economy is in need of a pick-me-up right now. For this reason, I make the following plea: Schiphol and Haarlemmermeer must work together to create a new climate for SMEs.

Schiphol and Haarlemmermeer must work together to create a new climate for SMEs Goal: the revival of a very stable and significant factor in our national and local economy: the SME. In terms of attention and support, SMEs have had a very raw deal in recent decades. Happily, however, the Minister of Economic Affairs promised a lot of good things for Dutch SMEs in the Budget. For instance, creating more space for entrepreneurship and innovation and a stronger positioning of the Netherlands in high-growth markets. Hey, now we’re talking! Our own Alderman for Economic Affairs and the entrepreneurs themselves can also see that SMEs, start-ups and the self-employed represent our future. Start talking, quickly Now, I happen to be the chairman of the finest business park in the region, namely Business park Nieuw Vennep Zuid, where some excellent entrepreneurs, prize winners even, are based. I guess around 80% to 90% of our companies are SMEs, so I think I know what I’m talking about. My view is that the entrepreneurs, administrators and banks in our municipality must, together with Schiphol, rapidly and decisively create a welcoming, open, innovation-oriented atmosphere for SMEs, entrepreneurs and start-ups. This cooperation needs to cover a lot of different areas: sustainability, permits, services provided by the municipality, cheap premises, organising clusters of companies, the transfer of knowledge, the right schools, logistics and also financial support — venture capital and funding for innovation. This is a process that will take many years to establish, so Schiphol and Haarlemmermeer need to start talking, fast. Thomas A.M. Hendriksen Entrepreneur and Chairman of the Businesspark Nieuw Vennep Zuid E I

THOMAS@HENDRIKSEN.EU WWW.NIEUWVENNEPZUID.NL SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 07

SCHIPHOL NEWS Convenience store at Schiphol East People working at Schiphol East can now pop into their ‘local shop’ to buy essentials, get lunch or just have a chat. You can go there for magazines, newspapers, food, sandwiches, toiletries, ice cream, cigarettes and over-the-counter medicines such as aspirin or throat lozenges. There is also a dry-cleaning service and a mini-post office where you can send packages or buy stamps. And just like a real local shop, you can also just pop in for a chat. You can also take advantage of a large reading table, plus a smoking room which can be used as an alternative to smoking outside the office building in which the store is located. The convenience store, which is a welcome addition to the facilities available to people working in this part of Schiphol, is open five days a week between 8 am and 6 pm (5 pm on Fridays) and is located in Building 144 at Stationsplein 254, just round the corner from the Oude Verkeerstoren at Schiphol East.

Iconic new building for the Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol hotel

Triport being redeveloped into a vibrant centre Triport is the office complex at Schiphol Centre and is familiar to most people as the place where they go to pick up their Schiphol Pass. The building, however, dates from the ’80s, and in view of its good condition and central location at Schiphol, it’s high time to breathe new life into the office complex and make it available to new tenants. The new Triport will be a great venue to meet people and will reflect a new way of working. The grey-green facade will be replaced by a sleek dark frontage, while the three office towers will be connected by a high-ceilinged spacious atrium housing a company restaurant, espresso bar, the Badge Centre and the familiar recruitment agencies. The new entrances will really invite people to come into the building to enjoy an appetising lunch or a tasty coffee in the espresso bar. The renovation work is expected to take place between mid-2012 and late 2013, but you can visit the building right now to enjoy a healthy and delicious breakfast or lunch, and you can also hold a reception or drinks party there: Triport Restaurant. www.triportrestaurant.nl SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 08

Schiphol Real Estate and Hilton Worldwide have signed an agreement for a new building for the current Hilton hotel at Schiphol Centre, to replace the current hotel building. The new hotel has been designed by Mecanoo Architects together with Merkx+Girod and Hirsch Bedner Associates (UK). The new hotel will be a real landmark for Schiphol Centre and, with its 433 rooms (currently 280), a meeting area with 17 meeting rooms, 6 boardrooms, a ballroom (600 people), a spa & fitness centre and two high-quality restaurants, it will be a welcome addition to the facilities available to the international business community at Schiphol. Construction will start in the first half of 2013 and the new building is expected to be ready by mid-2015. The current Hilton hotel at Schiphol Centre will remain open as usual during the construction work.

18-hole golf course at Schiphol almost ready to open The waiting is almost over. This summer, the golf course at Schiphol, the Amsterdam International Golf Club, will be opening. The new golf course is located between the A9 and A4 motorways and the Nieuwe Meer area. Since there are already many golf courses in the region, this new course will stand out from the rest by offering the highest levels of quality. Amsterdam International will be aimed at private individuals from Badhoevedorp, Amstelveen and South Amsterdam and at the international companies based at Schiphol, the Zuidas district of Amsterdam and in Hoofddorp. The 18-hole golf course will be characterised by expansive, undulating greens surrounded by large, deep bunkers, and by wide fairways stretching out over an area of 78 hectares. Vast quantities of soil were moved to create the hilly championship course and 10,000 trees were planted. The tee of the eighteenth hole is fourteen metres higher than the lowest point on the course. This course, which is around 6,535 metres long (par 73) from the championship tees, is a real test and offers new challenges at every turn. Ian Woosnam, who was responsible for designing the course in conjunction with Mastergolf, was able to draw on his expe-

rience as a player and as a winner of a Major Championship when it came to devising a course that was challenging but fair. It will genuinely be one of the top golf courses in the Netherlands. It has already been announced that it will be hosting a prestigious tournament: from 2013 the Deloitte Ladies Open will be played at the Amsterdam International Golf Club. This means that sponsors such as Deloitte, ABN AMRO and KLM are confirming their confidence in the quality of the course and its facilities. www.amsterdam-international.nl

Schiphol: health and medical

You can visit the pharmacy or the physiotherapist during office hours at Schiphol - a great way to save precious time.

Doing business at Schiphol Schiphol is home to over 500 companies with around 70,000 employees who create a vibrant, international and dynamic atmosphere in and around the business parks at Schiphol. Would you too like to make Schiphol your base for doing business? If so, please contact Schiphol Real Estate on T: (020) 601 2888 or take a look at www.schiphol.nl/realestate.

Airport Medical Services for the provision of first aid: Schiphol Centre (020) 649 25 66, Schiphol East (020) 649 14 03 Pharmacy (Schiphol Plaza, terminal): www.apotheekschipholplaza.nl Physiotherapist (Schiphol Centre and East): info@fysiotherapieschiphol.nl Chiropractor (WTC, Schiphol Centre): www.chiropractienatuurlijk.nl Achmea Vitale (Avioport, Schiphol Centre): (088) 462 40 00 Dentist (WTC, Schiphol Centre): www.dentalcareinternational.nl Fitness & Spa (Sheraton hotel, Schiphol Centre): www.sheraton.nl/fitness-spa SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 09

REPORT

‘Surprising, convenient, flexible and sustainable’

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, a truly inspiring and

welcoming

working location for businesses In an international business environment such as Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, companies have high demands for their business accommodation and the surrounding area. To ensure that it can continue to respond to this growing demand for a flexible, inspiring and mobile workplace, Schiphol Real Estate is also innovating. “We not only take care of the management of various office and commercial buildings at Schiphol, we are also developing the business locations at Schiphol in a broader sense,” says Managing Director, André van den Berg. “Schiphol is a dynamic and inspiring working environment, which we want to make even more efficient, more pleasant, more welcoming and even more attractive.” TEXT SANDRA ZUIDERDUIN l PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/MICHEL TER WOLBEEK AND PR

What exactly makes Schiphol so distinctive? Is it the hundreds of day-trippers milling around alongside busy businesspeople and foreign tourists in an atmosphere that is as dynamic as it is cosmopolitan and attractive? Or is it its strategic location with its unique accessibility by road, rail and air and its extensive array of contemporary facilities that make working here so much more inspiring? The fact is that the airport and the whole area surrounding is a unique working location. “It is the only business park with a top four European airport, a shopping centre and more than 49 million visitors passing through each year,” says André van den Berg of Schiphol Real Estate, beginning his introduction. As the Managing SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 10

Director of the real estate subsidiary of Schiphol Group, he walks around here every day, “And it never gets boring.” Together with his colleague, Kim de Munnik, the Leasing and New Business Manager, he took us on a tour of this inspiring working environment that Schiphol Real Estate has had a hand in shaping - which, according to De Munnik, is a fantastic and ongoing challenge. “Precisely because we have such a broad portfolio of land, buildings and infrastructure at Schiphol, we are able to build long-term relationships with our clients and to create unique working locations. We are also businesspeople ourselves and we are convinced that an integrated

André van den Berg en Kim de Munnik.

approach to the area and the buildings, in partnership with our tenants, is the best and most sustainable solution, both for the airport and for the companies that are based here.” With an extensive range of services and concepts, varying from offices to flexible workplaces and separate buildings, Schiphol Real Estate can be of service to all kinds of companies - from large to small, from start-ups to multinationals. “In this way, we can offer our clients outstanding support, whether they are brand new or well established.” Multinationals such as Danone and Microsoft feel completely at home here in the dynamic atmosphere of an international airport,

but there are also plenty of opportunities for start-ups. We walked past the Aerospace Flex Office at Schiphol East, which is a perfect example of that. “It’s a renovated office building in which we can offer ready-made offices, including Internet access and office furniture, at a fixed, competitive price per month,” explains De Munnik. “It’s a sort of plug-and-play solution: anyone can come and pay the monthly rent and then move in and start working on the very same day.” This integrated approach also allows them to make great strides in terms of sustainability. “For example, we have a large-scale cold and heat storage facility, which several buildings can make use of. In addition, in the near future, we will be offering green lease contracts, in which the tenant invests in a sustainable use of the premises and we will take care of the sustainable development of the building”, continues De Munnik. Van den Berg adds: “We are also very pleased to welcome initiatives by third parties. This summer Better Place will be opening the first batSCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 11

tery switch station for electric vehicles in the Netherlands. They are real trailblazers in the field of sustainability. Their concept makes driving electric vehicles particularly easy: you drive into the station, the battery is changed fully automatically and you drive away within five minutes. And that’s truly unique.” It is no wonder then that over five hundred companies are based in this dynamic working environment. The people at Schiphol Real Estate believe it is important that in twenty years’ time, these companies should be just as happy and excited about this unique environment as Schiphol themself is. “Our strategy is to make Schiphol a ‘preferred location’, a particularly welcoming and inspiring working environment for businesses and their employees,” says Van den Berg. “That also fits in perfectly with these times in which change is happening ever faster, and our clients are developing new aspirations; not just in terms of work, but also with regard to personal matters.” His colleague adds: “Responding to the fact that, influenced by the ‘New World of Work’ (Het Nieuwe Werken), our personal lives and our business lives are becoming increasingly entangled, we will also be offering new services that meet that need for flexibility, such as the ‘New Way of Renting’, in which there won’t be any longterm contracts, but sustainable and client-oriented contacts.”

building, by making it more sustainable and redeveloping it into a modern office complex with all sorts of interesting facilities,” the two colleagues enthusiastically explain. “The three office towers at Schiphol Centre will be connected to each other by a covered atrium, allowing new facilities to be added. Triport will be housing various facilities for companies, employees and clients, such as a contemporary restaurant, an espresso bar and a cosy café. The central focus here will be on making it easier for people to meet each other. The Triport Restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with live music, is already a good example of this.”

The Outlook

Although Schiphol already offers all the necessary facilities for both business and personal purposes, over the coming years, these will have to be expanded even further. “We want to focus even more explicitly on facilities for employees ” explains Van den Berg. “That means that even more convenience concepts are being developed, such as restaurants, coffee bars, shops, but also concepts in the areas of relaxation, sport and culture. Moreover, we want to continue to be a welcoming location by keeping our environment clean, tidy and accessible with good public transport links and parking facilities nearby.” This process of creating a ‘preferred location’ has already begun. For instance, in recent years, Schiphol East has undergone a complete metamorphosis. Anyone walking through this part of the airport now will be pleasantly surprised by the wide boulevards, the attractive green spaces, the Wings restaurant and conference centre in the Oude Verkeerstoren, the Dorint hotel with its 24-hour sports bar which the surrounding businesses make full use of, and even a convenience store in the Aerospace Flex Office where you can go for a coffee, a newspaper, lunch or dry-cleaning services. De Munnik continues: “The new terminal for business jets (General Aviation Terminal Schiphol) has also reinvigorated the area with its distinctive architecture and the combination of office space with fantastic views, where a special new concept in catering will soon be opening its doors. So the first steps in the development have already been taken, but there will definitely be many more to come, because it is an ongoing process.” For the next few years, there are a large variety of ambitious plans in the pipeline. “For instance, after the summer we will be making a start on the metamorphosis of the Triport SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 12

Triport Restaurant

Another innovative example of development in tune with this client-centred focus is the construction of the new building for the Hilton Amsterdam Airport hotel. “This summer, we will be starting on the construction of a completely new hotel for the existing Hilton,” explains Van den Berg, “An iconic new landmark for Schiphol Centre which will transform business meetings, lunches or dinners into a real experience. We are convinced that this will also contribute to reinvigorating Schiphol and, of course, the business community.” Add to that the WTC Schiphol Business Club which for several years now has been connecting entrepreneurs in and around Schiphol with one another, and it is not difficult to see that there are plenty of factors that contribute to Schiphol’s dynamic and welcoming atmosphere. “These are the very things our clients consider to be important. We want to work together with them to make Schiphol the most welcoming and inspiring working environment to do business.” E Realestate@schiphol.nl I www.Schiphol.nl/realestate

PKF WALLAST PRESENTS

Quick Parking: faster, cheaper and more convenient parking at Schiphol Parking at Schiphol Airport can be a whole lot quicker and easier with Quick Parking. With rates that are attractively low for a high-quality parking space, it is the smart, straightforward and worry-free alternative to airport parking. TEXT SANDRA ZUIDERDUIN

“We operate car parks and parking garages on our own sites, from where we whisk our clients to the airport in less than four minutes, bypassing all the traffic jams,” says company founder and proprietor, Albert Weerman, as he explains the smart parking solution he offers. “For a client, it’s much quicker, because it’s simply a question of arriving, dropping off the car, loading up the baggage (we help out with that) and driving off to the airport. We take each client individually back and forth to the airport in one of our shuttle buses, so no time is wasted waiting. It is also very convenient: no more searching for your car, no long distances to walk, no waiting for the bus. What’s more, your car will be parked securely, in a covered location if required.”

“Quick Parking is not only very fast, convenient and inexpensive, it is also very easy and straightforward.” As Quick Parking works in conjunction with practically every travel company, it is possible to book parking by phone, on the website or via the travel companies themselves. Moreover, Quick Parking makes things really easy for commercial clients. “Not only are the rates many times cheaper than the standard prices at Schiphol, companies are also given a single account which all their employees can use. This means that Quick Parking is not only very fast, convenient and inexpensive, it is also very easy and straightforward.” Quick Parking B.V. Kruisweg 381 1437 CH Schiphol-Zuid T 0900 - 381 0000 E info@quickparking.nl I www.quickparking.nl

Parkeren bij de luchthaven Schiphol kan een stuk sneller en comfortabeler met Quick Parking. Met tarieven die wel heel aantrekkelijk laag zijn voor hoogwaardige parkeergelegenheid, is het zelfs een heel slim, zakelijk overzichtelijk en zorgenvrij alternatief. “Op eigen terreinen hebben we parkeerplaatsen en parkeergarages en vanaf daar rijden we onze klanten in maximaal vier minuten filevrij naar de luchthaven”, begint oprichter en eigenaar Albert Weerman zijn slimme parkeeroplossing uit te leggen. “Voor een klant is dit dus sneller, want het is aankomen, auto neerzetten, bagage inladen (wij helpen daarbij) en wegrijden. Voor iedere klant rijden we met één van onze shuttlebussen heen en weer. Geen wachttijden. Daarnaast is het comfortabel: geen gezoek naar de auto, geen grote stukken te lopen, niet wachten op de bus. Ook staat de auto veilig en eventueel overdekt.” De samenwerking met nagenoeg alle reisorganisaties maakt het mogelijk om per telefoon, via de website of reisorganisatie te boeken. Bovendien maakt Quick Parking het voor bedrijven wel heel eenvoudig. “Niet alleen liggen de tarieven al zo veel malen goedkoper dan de normale tarieven op Schiphol, ook krijgen bedrijven één account waarvan alle medewerkers gebruik van kunnen maken. Zo is Quick Parking niet alleen heel snel, comfortabel en goedkoop, maar ook nog eens heel gemakkelijk en overzichtelijk.” SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 13

REPORT

ORAM chairman Paul Wevers:

“Advocacy and networking make us

very interesting for businesses at Schiphol”

Paul Wevers: “Wij behartigen ook de belangen van ondernemers op Schiphol.”

TEXT JAN VAN GRONDELLE l PHOTOGRAPHY ADVANCE PHOTOGRAPHY

From the offices of the Amsterdam Region Business Association (ORAM) on the 13th floor of the Havengebouw (Port Building), there is a commanding view over the city and the port. It is something that the Association’s chairman, Paul Wevers, almost takes for granted: “It is a beautiful view, but we look just as much in the direction of the businesses at Schiphol, because the Haarlemmermeer region is without question one of our key focus areas.”

SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 14

Het uitzicht vanuit de kantoorruimten van Ondernemersvereniging Regio Amsterdam (ORAM) op de 13e etage van het Havengebouw biedt een imponerende blik over de stad en de haven. Voorzitter mr. Paul Wevers is er inmiddels aan gewend: “Wij richten onze blik echter net zo krachtig op de ondernemers op Schiphol want de regio Haarlemmermeer is zondermeer een van onze belangrijke aandachtsgebieden.”

ORAM’s activities are divided into two main elements: advocacy and networking. Wevers: “Don’t forget that Schiphol, in addition to its significance for our port, industry, logistics and services, is above all a major point of contact with the rest of the world. For this reason, it is very important to us that the companies based at Schiphol should be members of our association, so that we can promote their interests in Amsterdam, Haarlemmermeer and the region.”

De activiteitenmedaille van ORAM kent twee kanten: belangenbehartiging en netwerken. Wevers: “Vergeet niet dat Schiphol, naast het belang van onze haven, industrie, logistiek en dienstverlening, vooral ook een belangrijk contact met de rest van de wereld is. Daarom is het voor ons van groot belang dat de op Schiphol gevestigde bedrijven lid van onze vereniging zijn zodat wij ook voor hen de belangen in Amsterdam, Haarlemmermeer en de regio kunnen behartigen.”

Unity and influence ORAM has around 600 members, of which a third are based at Schiphol. Some 50 meetings a year are organised for these members, held at their various premises, including breakfast sessions and themed events. Members find meeting and networking opportunities particularly valuable, for instance at the ‘Schiphol Breakfast’. The ‘Schiphol Economic Table’ is also very popular. In May, Hans Alders, Chairman of the ‘Alders Table’, a body advising the government on the future of Schiphol Airport, will be addressing ORAM members as a guest speaker. For international companies, the combination of seaport, airport and Greenport is so important that they have decided to join ORAM. The question arises: if you are not a member of this business association, what exactly are you missing? Wevers responds resolutely: “Unity and influence. Yes, I would put it as strongly as that. If every company had to act alone in its own particular industry, it would be impossible to take a stand. In that case, you would have no influence. No matter how big a company you are, if you are part of ORAM you can achieve more with regard to municipal, provincial or even national government, than you could if you were acting alone, even if you were a member of a trade association. Although it is true that we were originally an advocacy group for the port of Amsterdam, our activities have now become so broad that we have a presence in every sector. It is all about infrastructure, mobility, legislation, the further development of the seaport and airport... in short, our specialists are active in a whole range of focus areas. Our role is to lobby and network in the interests of our members. Our ‘strength’ may indeed be collective in nature, but the ‘power’ belongs to our members. We also have excellent contacts with The Haarlemmermeer Business Platform (HOP), enabling us to jointly coordinate and address issues.”

Eenheid en invloed ORAM telt zo’n 600 leden waarvan een derde op Schiphol is gevestigd voor wie op jaarbasis 50 bijeenkomsten worden georganiseerd op de locaties van haar leden met ontbijtsessies en themameetings. Het elkaar ontmoeten en netwerken is bijzonder waardevol, zoals onder andere tijdens het Schiphol Ontbijt. Ook de Economische Tafel Schiphol wordt druk bezocht. In mei komt Hans Alders van zijn gelijknamige Tafel als gastspreker de ORAM leden toespreken. Voor internationale bedrijven is de combinatie van Seaport, Airport en Greenport dermate belangrijk dat zij zich om die reden hebben aangesloten bij ORAM. De vraag dient zich aan: als je geen lid zou zijn van deze Ondernemersvereniging, wat zou je dan missen? Wevers, resoluut: “Eenheid en invloed. Ja, ik kan het niet krachtiger omschrijven. Want als iedere ondernemer het in zijn branche alléén zou moeten doen dan kun je echt geen vuist maken. Dan heb je geen invloed. Ook al ben je als bedrijf nóg zo groot, als je deel uitmaakt van ORAM kun je méér bereiken richting gemeente, provincie en veelal ook de landelijke overheid, dan wanneer je het alleen zou moeten doen, ook al ben je lid van een brancheorganisatie. Weliswaar waren wij van oorsprong de belangenbehartiger voor de haven maar inmiddels zijn onze activiteiten dermate breed dat wij ons in alle branches profileren. Daarbij gaat het over infrastructuur, mobiliteit, wetgeving, verdere ontwikkeling van zee- en luchthaven, kortom: onze specialisten zijn werkzaam op talrijke aandachtsgebieden. Onze taak is lobbyen en netwerken in het belang van onze leden. Onze ‘macht’ is weliswaar het collectief maar de ‘kracht’ zit nog steeds in de onderdelen. Wij hebben overigens een goed contact met Het Ondernemers Platform (HOP) in Haarlemmermeer om zaken met elkaar af te stemmen.”

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PKF WALLAST PRESENTS Marc Claesen, Vice President of World Flight Services:

“We are a worldwide air cargo handler with an emphasis on local clients” The slogan ‘Think global, act local’ is a recurring theme in the conversation with Marc Claesen, Regional Vice President of WFS: “That’s exactly what we do, because even though we’re global air cargo handlers, our central focus is on the importance of our local clients. That is the strength of our organisation, especially here at Schiphol.”

De slogan Think Global, Act local, loopt als een rode draad door het gesprek met regional vice president Marc Claesen van WFS: “Dat moet ook wel want als luchtvaart vrachtafhandelaar zijn wij weliswaar wereldwijd gevestigd maar stellen wij het belang van onze locale opdrachtgevers centraal. Dat is de kracht van onze organisatie, dus ook hier op Schiphol.”

TEXT JAN VAN GRONDELLE l PHOTOGRAPHY ADVANCE PHOTOGRAPHY

According to Claesen, up until 2004 there was something of a blind spot in the European WFS organisation, because although the group was active at Schiphol, it did not yet have its own handling operations: “In 2004, we set up our Dutch operations at another site within the airport and in 2007, we moved to a 6,100 m2 hangar with a further 1,550 m2 of office space. I had the privilege of setting up the new location, and I’m also responsible for our sites in Belgium, Germany and Scandinavia.” WFS’s extensive customer base includes major airlines transporting goods for many different industries and the company is one of five medium-sized to large handlers at Schiphol.

Volgens Claesen zat er tot 2004 een blinde vlek in de Europese WFS organisatie want tot dat moment was het concern op Schiphol weliswaar actief maar had het concern nog geen eigen afhandelingactiviteiten: “Vanaf toen zijn wij hier gestart en na een eerdere locatie op de luchthaven zitten wij sinds 2007 met onze Nederlandse vestiging in een 6100 meter vierkante grote loods met nog eens 1550 kantoorruimte. Ik mocht zelf de nieuwe locatie starten en ben daarnaast ook verantwoordelijk voor de locaties in België, Duitsland en Scandinavië.” Tot de uitgebreide klantenkring behoren grote vliegmaatschappijen die in velerlei branches goederen vervoeren. Daarmee behoort WFS tot een van de vijf (middel)grote afhandelaars op Schiphol.

E-freight Claesen continues: “Our strength lies in the efficient, effective and secure loading and unloading of goods. We focus primarily on operational activities with well-trained staff who are constantly receiving further training. Paying attention to our employees is a top priority within our corporate philosophy. We only take on a small number of temporary staff, because we have a permanent workforce of around eighty employees who have considerable experience in this field and we expect that

E-freight Claesen: “Onze kracht zit in het efficiënt, effectief en veilig laden en lossen van goederen. Wij focussen ons vooral op de operationele werkzaamheden met goed geschoolde medewerkers, die continu worden getraind. Veel aandacht voor de werkvloer is zondermeer topprioriteit binnen de bedrijfsfilosofie van WFS. Op jaarbasis huren wij weinig personeel in want wij hebben een vast bestand van rond de tachtig personeelsleden die een ruime ervaring hebben in dit vak. Dat aantal zal op korte

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number to soon rise to around one hundred. “Despite this growth, the interests of our clients will always come first. We are, of course, constantly looking for new clients, but not at the expense of our existing ones. We believe that quality is more important than quantity – which is precisely why clients choose WFS. Our margin of error is also very small. We not only think in a client-centred way, we really put it into practice! “That philosophy, which is highly valued by our clients, represents our main added value. We are currently specialising in the handling of pharmaceutical products; these generally require special treatment, such as temperature control and quick throughput. Although ours is a labour-intensive sector, innovation is still a major priority. One example of this is e-freight, a system in which there is no waybill and everything is scanned and processed electronically.”

termijn tot honderd uitgroeien is de verwachting. Ondanks die groei staat het belang van de klant voorop. Uiteraard zijn wij altijd op zoek naar nieuwe opdrachtgevers maar het moet niet zo zijn dat bestaande klanten daar de dupe van worden. Kwaliteit gaat bij ons boven kwantiteit. Dat is ook de reden waarom opdrachtgevers voor WFS kiezen. Onze foutenmarge is trouwens erg gering. Wij dénken niet alleen klantgericht maar wij dóen dat ook echt! Onze meerwaarde zit ‘m vooral in die filosofie hetgeen door onze opdrachtgevers hoog wordt gewaardeerd. Wij zijn bezig ons te specialiseren in de afhandeling van farmaceutische producten die in het algemeen een speciale behandeling nodig hebben zoals temperatuurcontrole en snelle afwikkeling. Ondanks dat wij een arbeidsintensieve sector zijn staat innovatie hoog in het vaandel. Denk daarbij aan E-freight. Bij dit systeem verdwijnt de vrachtbrief en wordt alles elektronisch gescand en administratief verwerkt.”

Efficiency Claesen does not hesitate to confirm that the cargo sector is also suffering from the economic downturn: “For this reason, we hold constant discussions with our clients. Of course, competitive pricing is important, because if airline ticket prices and the various surcharges come under pressure, we also feel the effects as a cargo handler. The airlines are in a difficult position and need to make savings, so they come to us and ask us to review our prices. When times are hard in the aviation industry, cargo handlers are unfortunately always the first to be hit. But I have to say that thanks to our efficiency, we already have a competitive pricing structure in place, combined with a very high quality of handling. These two factors mean that our market position is extremely strong, both worldwide and right here at Schiphol.”

Efficiency Dat ook de vrachtsector te lijden heeft van de economische dip onderschrijft Claesen zondermeer: “Daarom vinden er actuele gesprekken plaats met opdrachtgevers. Uiteraard is een scherpe prijsstelling belangrijk want als in de luchtvaart de tickettarieven en allerlei toeslagen onder druk staan, merken wij dat ook als vrachtafhandelaar. De airlines hebben het moeilijk want die moeten besparen dus komen ze ook bij ons om de prijzen tegen het licht te houden. Als er in de luchtvaart klappen vallen sta je als afhandelaar helaas altijd vooraan. Maar ik moet zeggen dat wij vanwege onze efficiency zondermeer al scherpe prijzen hanteren in combinatie met een hoge kwaliteit van afhandeling. Die beide pijlers maken onze marktpositie wereldwijd, maar zeker ook hier op Schiphol, uiterst concurrerend.” SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 17

REPORT

PKF Wallast looks ahead to ensure increased value for money

Jan Roeland

Anko van Ek

Riding alongside clients on the front seat

Eric Gort

TEXT SANDRA ZUIDERDUIN l PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/MICHEL TER WOLBEEK

Financial statements, tax returns, bookkeeping, auditing, and tax and legal advice. Just like any other firm of accountants & tax advisers, PKF Wallast offers its clients all these services. But there is one big difference. “By starting with the (tax) adviser, rather than with the accountant, we are able to look ahead together, knowing that we can call on our specialist knowledge if required.”

SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 18

Jaarrekeningen, belastingaangiftes, boekhouding, controle alsook belasting- en bedrijfsjuridisch advies. Net als bij andere accountants & belastingadviseurs kunnen organisaties ook voor deze vakgebieden bij PKF Wallast terecht. Maar dan met één groot verschil. “Door niet te beginnen bij de accountant, maar juist bij de (belasting) adviseur zijn wij in staat samen vooruit te kijken. Met de specialistische kennis om op terug te vallen.”

It is no coincidence that the market defines PKF Wallast as ‘an accountancy-based consultancy organisation’. “The services we offer may be the same,” explains tax adviser and chartered accountant Anko van Ek, “but the way in which we approach them is different. With us, the client’s first point of contact is not the accountant but the (tax) adviser, who sits right up alongside the client on the front seat. At the same time, we guarantee the independence of an audit by letting our accountant ride along on the back seat.” The ‘PKF’ part of the firm’s name represents the international network of accountants and tax advisers of which PKF Wallast is a member. PKF operates in 125 countries and in terms of size, is the tenth largest such organisation in the world. The ‘Wallast’ part represents the national practice which, with 164 employees spread over four offices, targets a wide variety of businesses. “These include listed companies, for whom we predominantly provide tax advice or administrative support, even though we hold one of only 14 licences that have been issued for auditing this type of company. But our client base is also made up of medium-sized companies, whom we assist in a wide range of areas,” says Eric Gort, tax adviser and chartered accountant. “This includes tax, economic and legal services. The client’s first point of contact is an adviser who possesses outstanding technical knowledge in these fields and who can oversee the whole process. If the adviser identifies issues that require specialised knowledge, he or she will bring in the appropriate colleague.” One person on point Gort’s tax colleague, Jan Roeland, illustrates this special approach with an example: “We were recently able to help an American multinational that wanted to take over a company in the Netherlands, by providing them with advice in various disciplines. The process began by mapping out the target company’s legal, financial and tax position. We then had a seat at the negotiating table and were able to ensure that our tax and legal advice was reflected in the acquisition contracts. From start to finish, up to and including the signing of the contract, we oversaw the whole process. This involved several different specialists, but they were under the supervision of one person on point. The big advantage of this approach is that it is much more solution-oriented.” Van Ek adds: “That is what we mean by a different approach. Think of our first point of contact as being like a general practitioner with a comprehensive overview who you can go to with most ailments, but who can also call on the assistance of specialists within the same organisation. Ultimately, this results in increased value for money.” PKF Wallast Amsterdam Beechavenue 78-80 Schiphol-Rijk T 020 - 6531812 E amsterdam@pkfwallast.nl I www.pkfwallast.nl

Niet voor niets omschrijft de markt PKF Wallast als ‘een adviesorganisatie met accountancy als basis’. “Het aanbod mag dan hetzelfde zijn”, zo licht belastingadviseur en registeraccountant Anko van Ek toe, “de manier waarop is anders. Bij ons is het eerste aanspreekpunt voor de klant niet de accountant, maar juist de (belasting)adviseur. Waar een accountant op de achterbank zit, zit een adviseur als bijrijder naast de ondernemer op de voorbank. Terwijl we bij een controle de onafhankelijkheid waarborgen door onze accountant op de achterbank mee te laten rijden.” PKF staat voor het internationale netwerk van accountants en belastingadviseurs waar PKF Wallast onderdeel van uit maakt. PKF is actief in honderdvijfentwintig landen en komt daarmee qua grootte op de tiende plaats in de wereld. Wallast staat voor de nationale praktijk die zich, met 164 medewerkers verdeeld over vier kantoren, richt op een grote diversiteit aan bedrijven. “Hieronder vallen beursgenoteerde ondernemingen die we, hoewel we één van de 14 uitgegeven vergunningen hebben om dit soort ondernemingen te controleren, vooral fiscaal adviseren of administratief ondersteunen. Maar ook het MKB en met name het MKB+ is cliënt, die wij in de breedte bijstaan”, geeft belastingadviseur en registeraccountant Eric Gort aan. “Breed in de zin van fiscale, bedrijfseconomische en juridische dienstverlening. Het eerste aanspreekpunt voor de ondernemer is een adviseur die op deze vakgebieden uitstekende vaktechnische kennis heeft en die het gehele speelveld kan overzien. Signaleert de adviseur zaken die specialistische kennis eisen, dan schakelt hij/zij een collega in.” Eén spin in het web Zijn fiscale collega Jan Roeland licht deze bijzondere aanpak toe met een voorbeeld. “Zo hebben we laatst een Amerikaanse multinational, die een bedrijf wilde gaan overnemen in Nederland, vanuit verschillende disciplines kunnen helpen. Dat begon bij het in kaart brengen van hoe het over te nemen bedrijf er juridisch, financieel en belastingtechnisch voor stond. Vervolgens zijn we bij de onderhandelingen aan tafel aangeschoven en hebben ons fiscale en juridische advies weten te vertalen in de overnamecontracten. Van voor tot achter, tot en met de ondertekening van het contract aan toe, hebben we het gehele proces begeleid. Met meerdere specialisten weliswaar, maar dan wel onder supervisie van één spin in het web. Het voordeel is dat de oplossingsgerichtheid met deze aanpak veel groter is.” Van Ek vult hem aan: “Dat is wat we bedoelen met die andere aanpak. “Vergelijk ons eerste aanspreekpunt maar met een gespecialiseerde huisarts bij wie je met de meeste kwalen terecht kunt, maar die binnen de eigen organisatie ook nog bij specialisten terecht kan. Uiteindelijk resulteert dat in meer ‘value for money’.”

SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 19

REPORT

The three most important aspects of municipal marketing:

RELATIONSHIPS, RELATIONSHIPS,

RELATIONSHIPS Mustafa Tanriverdi (l) en Jeroen van der Ven SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 20

Economically speaking, the task of marketing the municipality of Haarlemmermeer is in the hands of ‘amsterdam in business’. On the face of it, it might seem odd that an organisation with ‘Amsterdam’ in its name should be responsible for promoting Haarlemmermeer, but in fact it makes perfect sense: ‘amsterdam in business’ works tirelessly for the economic development of the regions of Amsterdam, Almere, Amstelveen and Haarlemmermeer, via the jobs generated by foreign companies.

Economisch gezien ligt marketing van Haarlemmermeer in handen van ‘amsterdam in business’. Dat klinkt niet echt Haarlemmermeers, maar dat is slechts schijn. Het gaat hier namelijk om een organisatie die zich sterk maakt voor de economische ontwikkeling van de regio’s Amsterdam, Almere, Amstelveen en Haarlemmermeer, via de arbeidsplaatsen die buitenlandse bedrijven genereren.

TEXT ILSE HESP l PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/MICHEL TER WOLBEEK

These four cities harbour in their midst a precious treasure: Schiphol Airport. In 2010, Schiphol occupied 15th place on the list of the world’s leading airports. That not only represents a large number of passengers, but also a great deal of trade. And that is what the people at ‘amsterdam in business’ are all about: one of the positive effects of that trade is that foreign companies are keen to establish a base in the region. But that’s just the beginning, say Mustafa Tanriverdi and Jeroen van der Ven, who both work for ‘amsterdam in business’. They aim to put in place a strategy that will encourage foreign companies to base themselves in the region, find the right location as quickly as possible and without too much red tape, become integrated in Dutch business life and society, and then stay here indefinitely. Royal trips In 2010, ‘amsterdam in business’ succeeded in attracting 118 foreign companies to the four-city region, resulting in the creation of 2,000 jobs. In 2009, they did even better, bringing in 122 companies. That is a remarkable feat, especially in the current economic climate. “We work for Haarlemmermeer, but sometimes we say ‘no’ and refer a company to Almere, for example,” says Tanriverdi, “because that might happen to be the ideal location for that particular company. You have to be honest, as that gives added value to the work we do.” So, how do we as a small country manage to attract interested foreign companies when ultimately, there are other more favourable trading regions in the world? “We organise our own contacts, but sometimes we also participate in trade delegations,” explains Van der Ven. “We focus on countries such as China, Japan, India, South Korea, Turkey, Brazil and other nations that are undergoing significant growth at present.” They might, for example, travel with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, on which occasions they may even be accompanied by members of the Dutch royal family. Recently, Arthur van Dijk led a trade delegation to South Korea on behalf of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. Many contacts, however, arise from the feedback given by foreign companies that are already established here. And of

Deze vier steden koesteren in hun midden een waardevolle schat: de luchthaven Schiphol. Op de ranglijst van belangrijke luchthavens in de wereld bezette Schiphol in 2010 de vijftiende plaats. Dat betekent niet alleen veel passagiers, maar ook veel handelsverkeer. En dat is waar het de mensen van ‘amsterdam in business’ om gaat: dat handelsverkeer. Want dat heeft ondermeer tot gevolg dat buitenlandse bedrijven zich graag vestigen in de regio. Maar dat gaat zomaar niet, vertellen Mustafa Tanriverdi en Jeroen van der Ven, beiden werkzaam voor ‘amsterdam in business’. Zij volgen namelijk een strategie die ervoor moet zorgen dat buitenlandse bedrijven zich willen vestigen, zo snel mogelijk op de juiste locatie belanden zonder teveel rompslomp, geïntegreerd raken in de Nederlandse zaken- en samenleving, en voorts willen blijven tot in het oneindige. Koninklijke reizen In 2010 wist ‘amsterdam in business’ 118 buitenlandse bedrijven in de regio’s van de vier steden te vestigen, goed voor 2000 arbeidsplaatsen. In 2009 was dat zelfs nog wat meer: 122 bedrijven. Dat maakt nieuwsgierig, zeker gezien de huidige economische omstandigheden. “Wij werken voor Haarlemmermeer maar zeggen soms ‘nee’ en verwijzen een bedrijf bijvoorbeeld door naar Almere”, aldus Tanriverdi, “omdat dit juist voor dat bedrijf de ideale locatie zou zijn. Zo eerlijk moet je kunnen zijn, dat geeft immers een meerwaarde aan ons bemiddelingswerk.” Om bij het begin te beginnen: hoe kom je als klein land aan geïnteresseerde buitenlandse bedrijven? Er zijn tenslotte nog meer gunstige handelsregio’s te verzinnen in de wereld. “Wij organiseren onze contacten zelf, maar soms sluiten wij ons ook aan bij handelsdelegaties”, legt Van der Ven uit. “Wij richten ons op landen als China, Japan, India, Zuid-Korea, Turkije, Brazilië, en andere de landen waar nu sprake is van groei.” Of ze reizen bijvoorbeeld mee met het Koninklijk Concertgebouw Orkest, waar soms zelfs leden van het Koningshuis bij aanwezig zijn. Recent heeft Arthur van Dijk namen de Metropool Regio Amsterdam een handelsdelegatie geleid naar Zuid-Korea. SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 21

course, trade delegations also come to the Netherlands. For instance, the Mayor of Amsterdam, Eberhard van der Laan, will shortly be receiving Dr Abdullah Gül, the president of Turkey, at the Royal Palace on Dam Square. Facilities made to measure Even after these fact-finding trips, Tanriverdi and Van der Ven stay in contact with interested companies. “We want to prevent them from getting bogged down in all kinds of administrative red tape and being sent from one government office to another,” explains Tanriverdi. “So we find the right estate agents for their business premises, arrange all the permits, establish contacts with suitable lawyers, find the appropriate specialists in recruitment, and so on.” In this way, they organise a made-to-measure set of facilities. For business premises, they coordinate the sale of land, but if necessary can also fall back on the older offices that are on the market. They know which companies can transform an existing office with a ‘D’ energy rating into an ‘A’-rated office. Tanriverdi and Van der Ven also have specialist contacts for expat housing and international schools for children, and know precisely which lawyers are well versed in the field of expat and IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service) issues. They also accompany foreign investors to the “Expatcenter” in Amsterdam that provides help in obtaining the residence permits required to be able to live and work here. Once the company has settled in the country, ‘amsterdam in business’ helps them to integrate within the region, on both a business and a social level. They organise a large number of events to allow foreign companies to become acquainted not only with other companies from the same country or in the same field, but also with the other businesses in the region. In addition, they endeavour to put newly established companies in contact with potential partner companies or businesses that have common commercial interests. For instance, it transpired that a recently established Japanese company was sourcing specific components elsewhere in the Netherlands for its own production line. It turned out that these components originated from another Japanese company which was in fact located nearby; this knowledge enabled them to make their supply lines considerably shorter. Integration in the future “More than half of our work consists of maintaining our existing relationships,” continues Mustafa Tanriverdi. “Companies that relocate here grow, make plans, have new needs.” “For this reason, we keep our finger on the pulse and visit a number of companies every week,” adds Jeroen van der Ven. That represents a substantial amount of work, given that Haarlemmermeer can now boast 530 foreign companies. Tanriverdi and Van der Ven are keen to prevent these firms leaving the region. It is not just a question of the jobs that these companies provide directly: they are also major clients for smaller suppliers, there are homes that need to be purchased or rented, schools and sports clubs for the expats’ children, and so on. “Just call us account managers,” says Mustafa Tanriverdi, SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 22

Veel contacten ontstaan echter juist weer door de feedback van buitenlandse bedrijven die hier al gevestigd zijn. Voorts komen er natuurlijk ook handelsdelegaties naar Nederland. Zo zal de Amsterdamse burgemeester Eberhard van der Laan binnenkort Abdullah Gül, de huidige president van Turkije, ontvangen op het Paleis aan de Dam. Facilitair maatpak Ook ná deze kennismaking (Fact Finding Trips) houden Tanriverdi en Van der Ven contact met geïnteresseerde bedrijven. “Wij willen voorkomen dat deze hier verzanden in allerlei organisatorische klussen en van loket naar loket worden gestuurd”, legt Tanriverdi uit. “Dus zoeken wij de juiste makelaars voor de huisvesting, regelen alle vergunningen, leggen contacten met geschikte juristen, de juiste specialisten in personeelswerving, en noem maar op.” Zo organiseren zij een maatpak aan faciliteiten. Voor huisvestiging coördineren zij verkoop van grond, maar vallen ook terug op de verouderde kantoren op de markt. Zij weten precies welke bedrijven een kantoor met een D- label voor energie kunnen transformeren naar een A-label. Tanriverdi en Van der Ven hebben ook de juiste contacten voor expat-housing, internationale scholen voor de kinderen, en weten precies welke juristen thuis zijn in het veld van expats en IND (de Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst). Ook begeleiden ze buitenlandse investeerders naar het in Amsterdam gevestigde “Expatcentre” dat helpt bij het verlenen van de juiste verblijfsvergunningen om hier te kunnen werken en wonen. Is het bedrijf eenmaal gesetteld dan zorgt ‘amsterdam in business’ voor de integratie in de regio, zowel zakelijk als maatschappelijk. Zij organiseren vele gelegenheden waarbij buitenlandse bedrijven kunnen kennismaken met andere landen lotgenoten, maar ook met de rest van het bedrijfsleven in de regio. Ook gaan ze op pad om nieuw gevestigde bedrijven in contact te brengen met collega-bedrijven, of bedrijven die qua werksfeer gemeenschappelijke belangen hebben. Zo bleek op een bepaald moment dat een recent gevestigd Japans bedrijf bepaalde onderdelen elders in Nederland bestelde voor haar eigen productielijn. Die onderdelen bleken afkomstig van een andere Japans firma die vlakbij gevestigd was; de leveringslijnen zijn daardoor een stuk korter geworden. Integratie in de toekomst “Meer dan de helft van ons werk schuilt toch in het bijhouden van onze relaties”, vervolgt Mustafa Tanriverdi. “Bedrijven die zich eenmaal hebben gevestigd groeien, maken plannen, hebben nieuwe behoeften.” “Dus houden we de vinger aan de pols en bezoeken wekelijks een aantal bedrijven”, vult Jeroen van der Ven aan. Dat is een omvangrijk stuk werk, want Haarlemmermeer telt inmiddels 530 buitenlandse bedrijven. Tanriverdi en Van der Ven willen daarmee voorkomen dat bedrijven uit de regio vertrekken. De firma’s vertegenwoordigen immers meer dan alleen een aantal arbeidsplaatsen. Er zijn ook toeleveranciers die ze tot klant hebben, woningen die gekocht of gehuurd zijn, scholen en sportverenigingen voor de kinderen van de expats, en zo meer.

Jeroen van der Ven (l) en Mustafa Tanriverdi

quickly whipping out his iPhone to take a foreign call. “Turkey,” he gestures, “a potential client.” “Our main concern,” says Jeroen van der Ven, taking up what Tanriverdi was saying, “is that the client should have a central point of contact that they can go to at any time, no matter what the issue. We facilitate their arrival, their accommodation, both commercial and personal, and their business needs name it and we’ll take care of it. We’re able to do that because we’ve built up such a huge network. We also always try to integrate the company into the region. For example, we don’t immediately look for a major national accounting firm but will bring in a local firm, if that’s what the client wants. That is another way of keeping the lines of communication as short as possible, while at the same time helping the company to integrate into Dutch society.” Given their experience in bringing people together, Tanriverdi and Van der Ven also have plans for the future: for example, they are exploring the possibility of setting up an International Business Club in Haarlemmermeer as a platform for foreign companies. The two men will undoubtedly succeed in doing so because in the final analysis, they have at their disposal the three most important requirements: relationships, relationships, relationships.

“Noem ons maar gewoon accountmanagers”, zegt Mustafa Tanriverdi en pakt zijn iPhone om snel een buitenlands gesprek af te handelen. “Turkije”, gebaart hij, “een mogelijke klant.” “Waar het ons vooral om gaat”, vervolgt Jeroen van der Ven het relaas van Tanriverdi, “is dat de klant één centraal aanspreekpunt heeft waar hij altijd bij terecht kan; wáár het ook over gaat. Wij faciliteren hun komst, hun verblijf, zowel zakelijk als privé, hun zakelijke behoeften, verzin het maar en wij vullen het in. Dat kunnen wij omdat we zo’n enorm groot netwerk hebben. Wij kijken ook altijd naar de inbedding in de regio. Wij zoeken voor de klant bijvoorbeeld niet meteen naar een groot landelijk accountantsbureau, maar schakelen een lokaal bureau in, als de klant dat wenst. Want ook dat is een manier om de lijnen zo kort mogelijk te houden, en tegelijkertijd het bedrijf te helpen integreren in de Nederlandse samenleving.” Gewend als ze zijn lijnen met elkaar te verbinden hebben Tanriverdi en Van der Ven ook wensen voor de toekomst: zo onderzoeken ze de mogelijkheden om in Haarlemmermeer te komen tot een International Business Club, een platform voor buitenlandse bedrijven. Dat zal de heren wel lukken, want zij hebben tenslotte de drie belangrijke voorwaarden in eigen hand: relaties, relaties en relaties. SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 23

REPORT

Rabobank Regio Schiphol

‘We are very good at

bringing people together’ The fact that the business climate in this region is still relatively positive is all the more reason for Rabobank Schiphol Region to be even more active, to take more initiatives and to be more alert to any new opportunities. With Mart Pfeiffer joining the team as the new Director of Wholesale Banking and the continuing commitment of this cooperative bank to the local community, they will undoubtedly be succesfull. “We are very good at bringing people together. From small startups to big international companies. As a bank, we do not merely our business to provide finance, but also to bring people together.”

TEXT SANDRA ZUIDERDUIN l PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/MICHEL TER WOLBEEK

Considering Mart Pfeiffers many years of experience in various disciplines within the Rabobank Group, the management team of Rabobank Schiphol Region has undoubtedly gained a man with a great depth of knowledge in his profession. In turn, SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 24

Mart is delighted with his new challenge as Director of Wholesale Banking in this dynamic Rabobank. “Commercial activity at Schiphol and in Haarlemmermeer is still going strong, despite the economic crisis,” he says, opening the conversation

on an optimistic note. “I still consider the opportunities in this region to be very positive. Business people are not just sitting around being gloomy; on the contrary, there is a really enterprising spirit here. Networks are flourishing, companies are growing and we are part of that. Our bank has 14.000 members, including many business owners and entrepreneurs, who we try to encourage in all sorts of ways.” Chairman Leo Peeters Weem adds: “For instance, we are closely involved in initiatives surrounding startups, such as the meetings that we organise for startups in cooperation with the city council of Haarlemmermeer. Our study ‘The Power of the Schiphol Region’ which we conducted last year revealed that the percentage of startups in the region was below the national average. That was rather surprising, and something that we ourselves had never suspected. Our initiatives are designed to bring that area up to speed, because we would like to encourage young entrepreneurs to establish themselves here. For this reason we have also set up a Young People’s Council, in order to help them all about the trends of tomorrow.” International ambitions “Large companies now feel right at home in this region. The worldwide tracking of multinationals is common practicehere. “How could it be otherwise in a region containing such a high percentage of large, internationally oriented businesses?. With their years of background in corporate banking and their predilection for internationally oriented companies, both Mart Pfeiffer and Leo Petters Weem feel that they are in precisely the right place. “We have gradually built up a leading market position in all sectors, including internationally. That’s not always an area in which we get sufficient recognition, even though it’s Leo Peeters Weem (l) a sector that without and Mart Pfeiffer doubt represents a great opportunity for this Rabobank. We are, therefore, definitely going to ratchet up our international ambitions even further.” These enthusiastic bankers naturally already have a clear idea about how they are going to do that. “Because we are represented in every level of society, we get to hear and see a lot of things. We are very good at connecting people. It is not just about providing finance, but also about making connections. Finance is no longer the only thing our bank has to offer; we can provide a whole range of specialisms, such as risk solutions, cash flow management and insurance. This means that all sorts of solutions are available close by. We are not just financiers, we are bankers. A partner with whom the client is able to discuss issues right across the board, and with whom they can look ahead to a future in which both parties need each other. But above all, a partner with whom it is pleasant to work with while striving to achieve that solution.”

Mark Meester, Senior Account Manager and Schiphol Branch Manager

‘You have to be able to smell the aviation fuel to fully understand this business’ “Our strength is that we have in-house specialists in every area, whether for a small company or a large business,” says Mark Meester, as he begins to describe the distinctive strength of the Rabobank Regio Schiphol branch. “Together with our extensive experience in internationally oriented companies, cargo and the many links that are involved in this dynamic process, that means we can be of service to any type of business from our office in the WTC. For example, we can offer an outstanding service for international payments, insurance and financing, but we are just as good when it comes to leasing and private banking. We can also provide a specially tailored Schiphol accommodation package to the approximately 60.000 people who fly in and out of this working area every day. In this way, employees of international companies can take out a residential mortgage with us on favourable terms.” To try and explain briefly what Rabobank at Schiphol stands for, Meester sums it up as follows: “The needs of the client come first, to which we can respond with our specialisms, for example, we collaborate closely with the Corporate Banking team and draw on their skills when necessary. In short, we always make sure that the right people are sitting around the table. How do we do that? It is – in our view – primarily a question of setting out to do so. We have a large number of international companies here, and their mentality is really very different from what you might find in a town or village office. That means we have to be actually present here, in order to establish the connections between the various parties. You will notice that there is a 24/7 mentality here. And you have to be able to taste it, to smell it; you have, in a manner of speaking, to be able to smell the aviation fuel to fully understand the business. In other words, you have to have a ‘Schiphol heart’.”

SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 25

PKF WALLAST PRESENTS

Peter Lussing (l) en Gert Buist

AEG Power Solutions:

Reliable back up power with the lowest operating costs TEXT SANDRA ZUIDERDUIN l PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/MICHEL TER WOLBEEK

The runways and baggage handling facilities at Schiphol, the Velser tunnel under the North Sea Canal, the coronary care unit in a hospital or the many data centres in our region... We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t often stop to think about it, but what would happen in these places if the power failed? In such cases, we can rely on AEG Power Solutions, who offer solutions for the reliable and continuous supply of energy for the lowest possible operating costs, thus enabling the clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s critical business processes to continue running normally. SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 26

De landingsbanen van en bagageafhandeling op Schiphol, de Velsertunnel, de hartbewaking in een ziekenhuis of de vele datacenters in onze regio... We staan er niet altijd bij stil, maar wat nu als daar de stroom uitvalt? Dan hebben we AEG Power Solutions die oplossingen biedt voor een betrouwbare en continue energievoorziening tegen de laagste exploitatiekosten. Zodat bedrijfskritische processen bij de klant gewoon door kunnen gaan.

While most people are familiar with AEG’s ingenious consumer brand, AEG Power Solutions is a wholly independent listed company. From its head office in Zwanenburg, its staff can easily fly to and from the foreign factories or sales and service offices, or to any of its clients’ worldwide international projects in sectors such as oil and gas, transportation, data and IT, energy generation, utilities and renewable energies. The issues that AEG Power Solutions has to deal with are, therefore, international in nature. “Across the world, the demand for energy is increasing, which means the supply is less certain,” begins Peter Lussing, Vice President of Human Resources. “In addition, ever higher demands are being placed on the quality of energy, in terms of reliability, safety, emissions and efficiency. This requires not only an understanding of our own areas of expertise, but also an in-depth knowledge of our clients’ critical business processes. As well as engineering client-specific solutions, service is therefore one of the most important factors in our success. Installing UPSs (uninterruptible power supplies) is all well and good, but high reliability is much more important. If you need it, you have to make sure it will be there when required. We are, therefore, very strong when it comes to highly demanding solutions and robust systems that have to keep running in tough conditions, such as in the process industry, the offshore industry and on the variable message signs along our motorways.” Distinctive position in the green energy revolution His colleague Gert Buist, Managing Director for North-West Europe, adds: “Thanks to our combination of expertise in both AC and DC power technologies, and our knowledge of both conventional and renewable energy generation, we are uniquely positioned. This enables us, with innovative systems and excellent customer service, to provide a high level of added value for our clients. In addition, we are able to derive maximum benefit from the growing demand for intelligent green energy solutions, in particular micro energy grids in which the supply of and demand for energy are integrated.” Within its Renewable Energy Systems division, AEG Power Solutions focuses primarily on the solar sector. For example, the international group provides solutions for both the collection and conversion of solar energy, an area in which AEG Power Solutions anticipates major developments. “It is, after all, green energy and relatively easy to implement in areas in which no infrastructure is present.” In this way, the company is not just continuing to focus on the here and now, but also has an eye on the future, where reliability, sustainability and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) will remain important distinguishing features. “Because,” as both Peter Lussing and Gert Buist conclude, “it is only by continuously innovating that you can retain your distinctive position.” AEG Power Solutions Weerenweg 29, 1161 AG Zwanenburg T 020 - 4077800 I www.aegps.com

Waar de meeste mensen het A-merk vooral kennen van vernuftige consumenten producten, is AEG Power Solutions een geheel zelfstandig gevestigde en beursgenoteerde onderneming. Vanuit het hoofdkantoor in Zwanenburg is het moeiteloos vliegen van en naar de buitenlandse fabrieken of sales en service kantoren, of één van de internationale projecten van een wereldwijde klantenkring in sectoren als Olie & Gas, Transport, Data- en IT, Energie-opwekking, utilities en duurzame energie. Het vraagstuk waarmee AEG Power Solutions te maken heeft, is dus net zo internationaal. “Wereldwijd neemt de vraag naar energie toe, waardoor het aanbod minder zeker is”, begint Peter Lussing, Vice President Human Resources. “Daarnaast worden er ook steeds hogere eisen aan de kwaliteit van energie gesteld zoals betrouwbaarheid, veiligheid, emissies en efficiency. Dat vergt niet alleen verstand van wat wij doen, maar vergt ook diepgaande kennis van de kritische bedrijfsprocessen van onze klanten. Naast het engineeren van klantspecifieke oplossingen is Service bij ons dan ook een belangrijke succesfactor. Neerzetten van UPS’en (uninterruptible power supplies) is één ding, maar hoge betrouwbaarheid is nog veel belangrijker. Als je ze nodig hebt moeten ze het ook doen. We zijn dus sterk in veeleisende oplossingen en robuuste systemen die onder zware omstandigheden moeten kunnen blijven draaien, zoals in de procesindustrie, in de offshore en de matrixborden langs onze snelwegen.” Onderscheidend in de groene energie revolutie Zijn collega Gert Buist, Managing Director Noordwest Europa, vult aan: “Door de combinatie van kennis van zowel gelijkstroom- als wisselstroom technologie alsmede kennis van conventionele en duurzame groene energieopwekking zijn wij uniek gepositioneerd. Hierdoor zijn wij in staat om met innovatieve systemen en een excellente klantenservice een hoge toegevoegde waarde voor onze klanten te leveren. Ook van de groeiende vraag naar intelligente groene energie oplossingen, met name de zgn. micro energy grids waarbij vraag en aanbod van energie zijn geïntegreerd, kunnen wij maximaal profiteren.“ Binnen die Renewable Energy Systems is het met name de solarsector waar AEG Power Solutions zich op richt. Zo levert het internationale concern oplossingen voor zowel het opvangen als het omzetten van zonne-energie. Iets waar AEG Power Solutions grote ontwikkelingen in ziet. “Immers, het is groene energie en relatief eenvoudig te realiseren in gebieden waar nog geen infrastructuur aanwezig is.” Zo blijft het bedrijf niet alleen gericht op het hier en nu , maar ook op de toekomst, waarbij betrouwbaarheid, duurzaamheid en Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) belangrijke onderscheidende kenmerken zullen blijven. “Want” , zo concluderen beiden, “alleen door continu te blijven innoveren kun je onderscheidend blijven.” SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 27

REPORT

‘Apple-level quality is our standard’

TEXT SANDRA ZUIDERDUIN l PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/MICHEL TER WOLBEEK

Every organisation needs documents translated from time to time, be it a single business letter, a website or even a complete CMS system. In practice, it is often difficult to translate the text in a way that precisely reflects the author’s intentions. Adagré van de Munt, General Manager of LocalEyes Netherlands, knows the recipe for a good translation: “You need, of course, to know who your client is and understand the target audience- but a knowledge of the local market and culture is just as important.” SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 28

Elke organisatie heeft wel eens een tekst die vertaald moet worden. Soms is dat een enkele brief, maar het kan ook gaan om een website of een compleet CMS-systeem. In de praktijk blijkt het vaak lastig om de tekst precies zo te vertalen als de auteur bedoeld heeft. Adagré van de Munt, general manager van LocalEyes Nederland, kent het recept voor een goede vertaling: “Natuurlijk moet je weten wie je opdrachtgever en wie de doelgroep is. Maar kennis van de lokale markt en cultuur is minstens zo belangrijk.”

LocalEyes translates with respect for local culture

LocalEyes provides high-quality language services in virtually every language. The company started out twenty years ago as a collaborative network of translators for the computer manufacturer and electronics company Apple, which places very high demands on quality. Since then, LocalEyes has grown into an international organisation with eight local offices and a large number of regular partners. Together, they can translate texts in practically any language. “We still do a lot of manuals and other materials for Apple worldwide,” says Van de Munt, “but over the years, we have also acquired many other clients. These include both large and small companies. For example, we work for a large engineering company in the port of Rotterdam, but also for the estate agent around the corner.” This variety of clients results in a similar variety of translation projects. These might consist of a website, a company presentation, a letter or a report, but equally might involve a large POS system or another application, or perhaps translating and reformatting a brochure. That’s no problem for LocalEyes, because in addition to translation, the company also has extensive expertise in copywriting, editing, file formats and automation. But with all these different projects, how do you make sure that everything is kept on the right track? “The recipe is basically the same in each case. You need to know who your client is and for which target audience the text is intended. You need to be able to place the text in its context and, in the case of a translation, you have to know how to convey the same message in a different language without moving too far away from the source text. For this reason, we only ever work with native speakers who live in their country of origin. They know the local market and culture, and can ensure that the translation is as authentic as the source text,” explains Van de Munt. As part of this process, LocalEyes likes to work closely with the client. “Good communication before, during and after the project leads to better results. We therefore talk to our clients a lot and ask them for feedback. Our experience suggests that clients appreciate this.” And what about quality? Companies have no need to worry about that when they work with LocalEyes, says Van de Munt. “Apple-level quality has become the standard for all our translation projects.”

LocalEyes levert hoogwaardige taaldiensten in vrijwel elke taal. Het bedrijf begon twintig jaar geleden als een samenwerkingsverband van verschillende vertalers voor computerfabrikant en elektronicabedrijf Apple, dat zeer hoge kwaliteitseisen stelt. Ondertussen is LocalEyes uitgegroeid tot een internationaal werkende organisatie met acht lokale kantoren en een groot aantal vaste partners. Samen kunnen zij de vertaling van teksten in praktisch elke taal aan. “We doen nog steeds veel handleidingen en andere uitingen voor Apple wereldwijd”, vertelt Van de Munt, “maar in de loop der jaren zijn er veel andere klanten bij gekomen. Dat zijn grote, maar ook kleinere bedrijven. We werken bijvoorbeeld voor een groot technisch bedrijf in de haven van Rotterdam, maar ook voor de makelaar om de hoek.” Variatie in klanten brengt variatie in opdrachten. Het kan gaan om een website, een bedrijfspresentatie, een brief of jaarverslag, maar ook om een groot kassasysteem of andere applicatie of het vertalen en opnieuw opmaken van een brochure. Dat is geen probleem voor LocalEyes, want naast vertaling heeft het bedrijf ook copywriting, tekstschrijven, redactie, bestandsopmaak en automatisering als expertise. Maar hoe zorg je bij al die verschillende opdrachten steeds weer dat dit allemaal in goede banen wordt geleid. “Het recept is eigenlijk steeds hetzelfde. Je moet weten wie je opdrachtgever is en voor welke doelgroep de tekst is bedoeld. Je moet de tekst in zijn context kunnen plaatsen en bij een vertaling moet je weten hoe je dezelfde boodschap overbrengt in de andere taal zonder te ver af te wijken van de brontekst. Daarom werken we alleen met native speakers die in hun eigen land wonen. Ze kennen de lokale markt en cultuur en zorgen voor een tekst die net zo authentiek is als de brontekst”, licht Van de Munt toe. LocalEyes werkt daarbij ook graag nauw samen met de klant. “Goede communicatie voor, tijdens en na de opdracht zorgt voor betere resultaten. We overleggen daarom veel en vragen onze klanten om feedback. Uit ervaring weten we dat klanten dit op prijs stellen.” En de kwaliteit? Daar hoeven bedrijven zich bij LocalEyes geen zorgen over te maken, verzekert Van de Munt. “De Apple-kwaliteit is onze norm geworden voor al onze vertaalprojecten.”

LocalEyes Nederland Burgemeester Hogguerstraat 791 1064 EB Amsterdam T 020 - 423 23 23 F 020 - 423 23 24 I www.localeyes.com SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 29

REPORT ‘A friendly family hotel in a superb location’

Best Western Hotel De Rustende Jager combines the best of both worlds Located in an attractive rural setting, but just a stone’s throw from Schiphol Airport and busy urban centres such as Amsterdam, Hoofddorp and Haarlem, the Best Western Hotel De Rustende Jager in Nieuw Vennep combines the best of both worlds: the peace and tranquillity of a traditional Dutch village with the dynamic energy of the modern world, brought together in a charming four-star hotel with extensive facilities. With its very convenient location, this a hotel in which friendly hospitality and modern professionalism go hand in hand.

TEXT SANDRA ZUIDERDUIN l PHOTOGRAPHY REGIOSTOCK/MICHEL TER WOLBEEK

When you set foot in the Best Western Hotel and Restaurant De Rustende Jager for the first time, you will be amazed at what lurks behind its modest, yet inviting exterior: a wide choice of meeting rooms, 42 cosy yet fully equipped guest rooms, two luxury suites and a brasserie, with a delightful blend of homeliness, authenticity and professionalism. You will be immediately struck by the tremendous hospitality and friendly service for which this four-star boutique hotel is justly renowned. From the signpost to the various meeting rooms, guest rooms and restaurants, the inviting terraces in the covered food court, the abundance of cosy seating areas in the foyer, down to the cup of coffee with which visitors are greeted - every detail reflects the hotel’s 150 years of experience in providing hospitality in the dynamic Haarlemmermeer area of Holland. From its modest beginnings as an inn, it has today grown into a multi-purpose hospitality facility that is part of the largest hotel chain in the world. “Since 2007, we have been affiliated with Best Western,” explains director Marcel de Jong. “And since 2010, we have been a four-star hotel.” A hotel, moreover, that does everything to make its guests happy. “For instance,” adds De Jong, mentioning just one of the many opportunities open to guests, “we have recently introduced the ‘Jagervaart’, a convivial boat trip through the Haarlemmermeer.” Add to that the hotel’s excellent accessibility, free parking, variety of meeting rooms, warmly furnished guest rooms and extensive facilities including a bar, restaurant and billiard table - and the benefits of staying at this Best Western hotel are obvious. Or as De Jong himself concludes: “For all business or social gatherings, and overnight stays, you’ve come to the right place!” SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 30

Wytze van den Berg, director of Best Western Netherlands:

‘Staying at De Rustende Jager is like being a guest of the De Jong family’ “The feedback we receive from our customers about this hotel is always the same. People have an immense choice of hotels around Schiphol and Amsterdam, but if you choose to stay at the Best Western Hotel De Rustende Jager, you are opting for friendly, personal service in a superb location. When you stay at De Rustende Jager, you genuinely are a guest of the De Jong family. And that fits in perfectly with the DNA of Best Western. It is no coincidence that our slogan is ‘The World’s Biggest Hotel Family’. Anyone staying at De Rustende Jager is not spending the night in one of the many big, anonymous multinationals, but in a family hotel where hospitality is still a high priority.”

De Rustende Jager Venneperweg 471 2153 AD Nieuw Vennep T 0252 - 62 93 33 E info@hotelderustendejager.nl I www.hotelderustendejager.nl

REPORT Nigel Wood, Director of LABOURLINK:

‘We serve two groups of people:

Directeur Nigel Wood: “Wij hebben een Europese databank met tijdelijke krachten.”

our clients and our staff’ Halfway through the conversation, LabourLink owner/ director Nigel Wood sums up his business in a nutshell: “You know, we actually serve two groups of people: our clients, of course, but also our staff. If those two groups do not match up correctly, we have failed in our role as an employment service. We therefore do everything in our power to place the right staff with the right client.”

Halverwege het gesprek omschrijft LabourLink directeur/eigenaar Nigel Wood het kort en krachtig: “Weet je, in feite hebben wij eigenlijk twee soorten klanten: onze opdrachtgevers maar ook onze medewerkers. Want als die twee niet matchen dan is onze taak als arbeidsbemiddelaar niet geslaagd. Dus doen wij er alles aan om de juiste uitzendkrachten bij de juiste opdrachtgever te plaatsen.”

TEXT JAN VAN GRONDELLE l PHOTOGRAPHY ADVANCE PHOTOGRAPHY

Wood, who has lived in the Netherlands since 1992, is originally from the UK, where he also worked in the recruitment industry. After subsequent spells in the Netherlands and Germany, he now runs his own successful recruitment agency, which supplies a number of clients at Schiphol with temporary personnel, primarily in technical professions and in the cargo sector. These employees are under the direction of Airport Operations Manager, Paul Bennett.

Wood, sinds 1992 als Brit woonachtig in Nederland, heeft na zijn periode in zijn vaderland, waar hij ook in de arbeidsbemiddeling werkzaam was, en nadien ook in Nederland en Duitsland, inmiddels een succesvol eigen adviesbureau in arbeidsbemiddeling waarbij hij ook een aantal opdrachtgevers op Schiphol voorziet van tijdelijk personeel in vooral technische beroepen en in de cargosector. Deze medewerkers staan onder leiding van airport operations manager Paul Bennett.

LabourLink’s strength Nigel Wood says: “When I started my own company in the Netherlands, I wanted to do it differently from what I was used to in the UK. I didn’t want to set up a cumbersome organisation, but an approachable consultancy that could provide staff for various sectors, including cargo handling at Schiphol. Another consideration was that I didn’t want to be placing temporary

De kracht van LabourLink Directeur Wood: “Toen ik in Nederland voor mezelf begon wilde ik het anders doen dan ik was gewend in Engeland. Geen logge organisatie maar een laagdrempelig adviesbureau dat arbeidskrachten inzet in diverse sectoren waaronder vrachtafhandeling op Schiphol. Ik wilde ook niet dat uitzendkrachten die vaak uit het buitenland komen ergens worden geplaatst SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 31

staff, who often come from abroad, without giving appropriate consideration to their accommodation and support. In short, we focus not just on our clients, but also on the people that we place with them. LabourLink has offices in London, Abcoude and at Schiphol Airport. We supply many national and international clients with highly motivated staff. The great advantage of our agency is that we are extremely flexible, have expertise in many sectors, have an extensive network and in many cases can quickly deploy personnel on the spot. Not just Dutch and English staff, but people from right across Europe find work with clients through our firm. There are several competing agencies at the airport all offering their services, but our strength is that we can find specialists for specific positions without being dependent on the local labour supply: in other words, we offer a bespoke solution!” Database According to Wood, the unique feature of LabourLink is that it can source staff from practically the whole of Europe: “We have a database and can select the best people from it. The most important thing is the employees’ skills, not where they come from.” This enthusiastic recruitment specialist puts his clients first, of course, but also believes that the personnel he supplies must fit into the culture of the company in which they will be working: “It’s essential therefore that we are given a good briefing by the client, so that we can ensure that the right person is supplied for

Labourlink heeft eigen teams met luchtvracht specialisten.

zonder dat er verder over hun huisvesting en begeleiding wordt nagedacht. Kortom: wij stellen niet alleen onze klanten centraal maar ook onze mensen die wij daar te werk stellen. Als LabourLink hebben wij kantoren in in Londen, Abcoude en op de luchthaven Schiphol. Wij voorzien vele (inter)nationale opdrachtgevers van gemotiveerd personeel. Het grote voordeel van ons adviesbureau is dat wij uiterst flexibel zijn, deskundig in vele branches, een uitgebreid netwerk hebben en veelal on the spot snel personeel kunnen inzetten. Niet alleen Nederlanders en Engelsen maar mensen uit heel Europa werken via onze bemiddeling bij opdrachtgevers. Op de luchthaven zitten meerdere concurrerende uitzendbureaus die allemaal hun diensten aanbieden maar ónze kracht is dat wij specialisten zoeken voor bepaalde functies waarbij wij niet afhankelijk zijn van het lokale aanbod van medewerkers: een oplossing op maat dus!”

Airport operations manager Paul Bennett: “Op Schiphol werken namens ons veel technische specialisten en cargo medewerkers.” SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 32

Database Volgens Wood is het unieke van LabourLink dat zijn personeelsbestand praktisch in heel Europa zit: “Wij hebben een database en kunnen daar de beste mensen uit halen. Want het gaat primair om de competentie van de medewerkers en niet waar zij vandaan komen.” De gepassioneerde arbeidsbemiddelaar stelt uiteraard zijn klanten primair maar vindt wel dat het personeel dat hij levert zondermeer moet passen in de cultuur van het bedrijf waar dat komt te werken: “Dus is een goede briefing van de opdrachtgever essentieel waarna wij er als adviesbureau voor zorgen dat de juiste persoon voor de beschikbare functie wordt geleverd. Op ons recruitment office in Londen zitten om die reden meerdere stafleden die een bestand bij-

the job. For that reason, at our recruitment office in London, there are several staff members who maintain a database of people who work in specific industries. Quality comes first. On average, our people here at Schiphol work for the same client on a contract basis for a period of 18 months, with half of them working for us for over two years and some for much longer. Most of our clients find us by word-of-mouth recommendation, which we consider to be the best possible compliment. We have very little turnover in terms of clients or staff, which is something we are very proud of, because we believe that a long-term relationship is essential. Even when a client asks us if they can employ one of our temporary employees on a permanent basis, we see that as a compliment, because it shows that we supplied them with the right person.” Skills It is certainly true that LabourLink is a significant supplier of personnel to aviation-related companies, but it is also active in various other industries, including metalworking, catering, printing and logistics and manufacturing companies, to whom it can supply engineers, CAD designers, CNC programmers, welders and fitters. LabourLink not only provides staff on an hourly basis, it can also take care of air cargo handling per pallet. This results in considerable savings for the client. Wood wraps up the conversation, saying: “Don’t forget that around 60,000 people work here at Schiphol, so it’s actually like a city in itself. There are companies here in a wide variety of industries that hire a lot of staff on a temporary basis. With our expertise and our way of doing business, we can supply the right people for them. Our approach is that we do not initially try to find employees from this area, but instead we look at someone’s skills. That’s what determines the quality of the employee. Our philosophy, wherever possible, is to build a long-term relationship with our clients. That is LabourLink’s strength.”

houden van mensen die in bepaalde branches werkzaam zijn. Kwaliteit staat voorop. Onze mensen hier op Schiphol werken gemiddeld 18 maanden op contractbasis bij dezelfde opdrachtgever, de helft werkt zelfs langer dan twee jaar bij ons. Er zijn zelfs diverse medewerkers die al jarenlang voor ons werken. De meeste klanten komen via mond tot mond reclame en dat is voor ons het grootste compliment. Verloop in klanten en personeel hebben wij nauwelijks dus ook dat is iets waar wij trots op zijn want een duurzame relatie vinden wij essentieel. Zelfs als een klant ons vraagt of hij ons tijdelijk personeel officieel in dienst mag nemen, vinden wij dat een compliment. Dat geeft aan dat wij hem de juiste persoon hebben geleverd.” Competentie LabourLink is weliswaar een belangrijke personeelsleverancier voor aan de luchtvaart gerelateerde bedrijven maar is ook actief in diverse andere branches waaronder metaalnijverheid, horeca, drukkerijen en logistiek- en productiebedrijven. Het gaat hier om engeneers, CAD tekenaars, CNC programmeurs, lassers en mechanische monteurs. LabourLink levert niet alleen op uurbasis, maar neemt ook luchtvrachtafhandeling per plaat aan. Dit levert een aanzienlijke besparing op voor de opdrachtgever. Wood: “Vergeet niet dat hier op Schiphol zo’n 60.000 mensen werken dus dat is in feite een stad op zich. Daar zitten bedrijven in talloze branches die ook veel personeelsleden tijdelijk inhuren. Met onze expertise en manier van ondernemen kunnen wij voor hen de juiste medewerkers leveren. Want onze insteek is dat wij niet in eerste instantie medewerkers uit deze omgeving zoeken maar vooral kijken naar iemands competentie. Dát bepaalt de kwaliteit van de medewerker. Wij hebben als filosofie om, waar mogelijk, een langjarige relatie met onze opdrachtgevers op te bouwen. Dát is de kracht van LabourLink.”

For more information: LabourLink Pelikaanweg 43, Schiphol T 020 - 653 33 13 I www.labourlink.nl SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 33

REPORT

AirportPartners directeur Richard Buijs:

AirportPartners directeur Richard Buijs

“Onze klanten hoeven zich over hun wagenpark geen zorgen te maken” Het ziet er letterlijk rood en geel van het equipment in de grote serviceruimte van AirportPartners op Schiphol West. Niet zo verwonderlijk omdat de ervaren monteurs en technici de luchthaven als grootste klant hebben en ervoor zorgen dat de wagens technisch gezien in uitstekende staat zijn. Directeur Richard Buijs: “Niet alleen hoeft Schiphol zich geen zorgen te maken over haar mobiliteit maar ook andere klanten krijgen van ons dezelfde zekerheid.” TEXT JAN VAN GRONDELLE l PHOTOGRAPHY ADVANCE PHOTOGRAPHY

De geavanceerde apparatuur en kennis die ervoor zorgt dat het wagenpark van de luchthaven in prima conditie blijft, is de basis waarmee AirportPartners haar andere klanten op Schiphol bedient. Vorig jaar augustus besloot de luchthavendirectie, na een Europese aanbesteding, haar wagenpark servicetechnisch uit te besteden aan AirportPartners, een onderdeel van Pon Holdings, ondermeer de Nederlandse importeur van VW en Audi. Buijs: “De consument kent Pon primair vanwege haar importfunctie. Maar de horizon van Pon is veel breder. Met negen strategische business units is Pon wereldwijd met 10.000 mensen actief in diverse industrieën. Binnen alle business units is feitelijke toevoeging van waarde de belangrijkste strategie. Dus de complete “package” van consulting, engineering, procurement, finance én operations.” SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 34

Wagenparkbeheer De filosofie van de AirportPartners directeur is dat zijn bedrijf niet alleen voor de luchthaven belangrijk is maar dat de talloze, op Schiphol gevestigde, bedrijven ook gebruikmaken van zijn technische serviceverlening: “Alle ondernemers met (rollend) materieel zijn gewoon onze potentiële klanten. Want wat wij hier doen voor de luchthaven kunnen wij zondermeer ook doen voor andere opdrachtgevers,” stelt Buijs. Bedrijfsleider Shahram Haidari kan dat als geen ander haarfijn omschrijven: “Bij mobiliteit gaat het altijd om onderhoud en reparaties, maar ook vaak om allerlei modificaties en aanpassingen. Wij beperken ons niet tot aan de luchthaven gerelateerde voertuigen als brandweerwagens, sneeuwschuivers, veegmachines en dergelijke. Wij kunnen ook andere klanten bedienen.” Buijs voegt toe: “Wij onderscheiden voor de luchthaven drie

categorieën binnen de portefeuille: Van de arbeidsvoorwaardelijke VW Polo tot de strategische crashtenders en sneeuwvloot. Voor dit brede palet zijn wij verantwoordelijk en toegerust. Maar wij willen onze activiteiten op de luchthaven verder uitbreiden en met name dus richting alle ondernemers met mobiele equipment.” Onder één dak Alhoewel de diversiteit aan materieel bij opdrachtgever Schiphol erg groot is, halen de vakkundige monteurs van AirportPartners beslist niet hun neus op als het gaat om het onderhoud en de reparatie van personenauto’s of vrachtwagens van andere klanten. Buijs resoluut: “Welnee, en het maakt niet uit wat voor materieel het is want als we het hier op onze locatie niet zouden kunnen dan zorgen wij ervoor dat aan het materieel in één van onze eigen satelliet MAN/VW vestigingen adequate service wordt verleend of gerepareerd. De dichtstbijzijnde locatie is die in Hoofddorp. Diezelfde hoge vorm van dienstverlening, die wij aan de luchthavendirectie bieden, hanteren wij ook voor andere opdrachtgevers. Onze expertise in de automotive branche is zo groot omdat wij in de Pon organisatie alle disciplines hebben die maar denkbaar zijn. Niet alleen dus ten aanzien van luchthavenmaterieel maar ook als het gaat om minder specifieke voertuigen. Trouwens, wij kunnen ook “tailormade” transport oplossingen aanbieden aan de gebruiker. Of het nu een geld- of koelwagen is, onze specialisten binnen Pon hebben daar grote ervaring mee. Ook het installeren van communicatieapparatuur in auto’s behoort tot onze werkzaamheden. Daarnaast hebben wij nog Pon Equipment en Rental & Lease die financiering van dit materieel aanbieden als opdrachtgevers daar belangstelling voor hebben.” Mobiliteit op maat Bedrijfsleider Haidari en zijn team schrikken er niet voor terug

AirportPartners bedrijfsleider Shahram Haidari.

wanneer opdrachtgevers zich met allerlei soorten van ground support equipment melden: “Wij zijn goed toegerust voor die taak en als wij op een gegeven moment ook de bagagewagentjes kunnen servicen of repareren past dat volledig in ons model, evenals allerlei vormen van elektrisch transport. Buijs tot slot: “Nogmaals, elk bedrijf dat op de luchthaven Schiphol gevestigd is en gebruik maakt van mobiele equipment, is voor ons interessant, en wij voor hén. Alles onder één dak en dat maakt ons zo uniek.” Eén ding is zeker: wie op de luchthaven een bedrijf heeft met eigen materieel zou er goed aan doen om de expertise van AirportPartners eens serieus te gaan onderzoeken. Daar zit alles onder één dak zodat opdrachtgevers niet overal hoeven te shoppen om hun maatwerk verzoeken gehonoreerd te zien. Voor informatie: AirportPartners E richard.buijs@man-dealer.nl T 020 - 601 41 79

SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 35

PKF WALLAST PRESENTS

Meet CANSO A global organisation dedicated to transforming air navigation services worldwide, with its headquarters right here next to Schiphol Airport

IMAGE COURTESY OF LVNL

As you travel through busy airports like Schiphol, have you ever wondered what happens behind the scenes? I decided to find out from Timothy Hoy, head of communications at CANSO, an organisation based near Schiphol Airport, and it turns out he’s just as keen to chat as I am. As he puts it: “It’s great to be able to talk to people we can see from our office, but who’ve probably never heard of us!” CANSO stands for Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation. It’s an international trade association that represents the interests of Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) worldwide. Around 85% of world airspace is supported by CANSO’s 70 ANSP members, including our own Luchtverkeersleiding Nederland (LVNL) and companies like Fokker Services, HITT Traffic, the National Aerospace Laboratory, and Quintiq. Their joint goal is to support the delivery of safe, efficient and costeffective air traffic management services, worldwide. Sharing knowledge worldwide Timothy explains that one of the reasons CANSO is based near Schiphol, is because of the excellent international transport connections it provides. “CANSO brings together leaders and experts in air traffic management worldwide to share knowledge, expertise and best practice exactly where it’s needed. Every region has its own priorities, but we have one global goal: seamless air navigation services.” Optimising airspace, smoothing journeys One of CANSO’s top priorities is efficiency and Timothy explains why: “We only have a certain amount of airspace and we can’t create more of it. Our challenge is to use the sky more efficiently, without compromising on passenger safety.”

Facts & Figures CANSO - the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation is an international body that represents the interests of Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) worldwide and is the global voice of companies that provide air traffic control. Members are responsible for supporting over 85% of world air traffic - approximately 4.5 million flights per month. CANSO’s goal is to deliver safe, efficient and cost-effective air traffic management, globally. Its membership is made up of ANSPs from around the world, and associate members are drawn from across the aviation industry. CANSO’s headquarters are near Amsterdam, next to Schiphol Airport.

SCHIPHOL INTOBUSINESS 36

And as you relax with a drink or an in-flight movie, CANSO members are working hard to smooth your passage across international borders: “Imagine a plane that’s flying from Australia to the Netherlands, crossing lots of countries on the way. Whereas aircraft travel the global skies without noticing borders, pilots are handed over from nation to nation when they cross each national boundary. CANSO works with all its aviation partners to harmonise the air traffic management systems and procedures in order to deliver a seamless global airspace for all aircraft operators.” International perspective from the Netherlands CANSO is a not-for-profit organisation established in 1996 and although it’s based in Schiphol, it’s very much a global outfit. And the fact that current chairman, Paul Riemens, CEO of LVNL hails from the Netherlands is purely coincidental, explains Timothy: “A chairman down the road comes in handy of course.” Originally from the UK, Tim now lives on Amsterdam’s IJburg and after working for CANSO for the last three years, he considers himself a local. So does he miss England? “No,” he says convincingly, “the longer I’m away, the less I miss it. And the Dutch people are so warm, welcoming and friendly.” So next time you pass an airport office building, be sure to wave. Someone like Timothy may just wave back! Find out more: www.canso.org

What CANSO does - Maintains an international forum on air traffic management issues - Develops an international network for air navigation experts - Liaises with transport industry stakeholders such as airlines, airports, air traffic controllers and suppliers - Contributes to the continuous global air transport debate - Represents the views and interests of the air traffic management industry

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Please call or mail to Ruud Blaazer Cellphone: +31 6 51 23 54 42 E-mail: ruud@intobusiness.nu Website: www.intobusiness.nu/haarlemmermeer