Zuidberg then, now and in the future

In this fortieth and final story of our series of forty anniversary stories, the three Zuidberg directors are in discussion together. What do they think have been the most important moments of the past forty years? And how do they envision the future of Zuidberg? The final words belong to Managing Director, Jeroen Zuidberg, Commercial Director, Klaas Jan Bijker and Technical Director, Kees Pruim.

What has been the most profound development for Zuidberg in recent years?

Technical Director Kees Pruim: “Without a doubt, that was the shift from the production of front linkage systems and PTOs for the aftermarket to OEM customers. We are increasingly supplying our products directly to OEM tractor manufacturers, where previously, we mainly supplied dealers for retrofitting. That requires a completely different way of working.”
General Manager, Jeroen Zuidberg: “Twenty years ago, the OEM market was still in its infancy for us. Today, we produce larger volumes, deliver higher quality and work far more professionally.”
Commercial Director, Klaas Jan Bijker: “This turnaround is good for our business; you can see that we are taking huge steps forward. The aftermarket also benefits from the quality increase we initiated. At the same time, it also presents us with an enormous challenge. The OEM customer demands a great deal of commitment and dedication, but we also want to retain the aftermarket. The OEM wants that too, because it is important to know how the end-user experiences the products. If something goes wrong at the OEM, it goes very wrong immediately. Through the aftermarket, feedback trickles in a drop at a time. So, end users are a valuable source for OEMs and us.”

What other changes have been important?

Kees: “In 2006, we took over Staalservice Lelystad and, five years later, Westtrack Tracksystems. Those acquisitions have had a major impact. With the acquisition of Staalservice, we now call it Components, we also took over Staalservice's customers. Among them were many companies with small orders. We feel that our operations, the flow in our factory, fit better with larger customers.”
Klaas Jan: “Our operations have changed over the years. Previously, we would get a customer's drawing and simply make that. But we are now much more than an assembly company; we are a production company. We want to contribute ideas to our customers to arrive at the best solution, also in Components.”
Jeroen: “In addition, electrification is very important for the market we are in. That development particularly affects our transmissions. We have already taken the first steps in that regard. We have designed an electrically driven transmission that is placed between the electric motor and the wheel. Electrification will play an increasingly more significant role in the future.”

Zuidberg's mission statement reads: Zuidberg, Performance Pioneers for future-proof agricultural and industrial solutions.
Zuidberg's vision is: Zuidberg is the leading global partner focused on a healthy working environment and a sustainable future. We are committed to partnership and a complete service concept.

What, for you, are the most important elements of Zuidberg's mission and vision?

Klaas Jan: “To be successful in the OEM market, partnership is crucial. Our knowledge and expertise is our distinguishing strength. This allows us to be a reliable partner for our customers. We want to establish a long-term relationship with them; co-engineering and partnership are indispensable for doing so.”
Kees: “In addition, we also want our own people to be well-off. One way we do this is by offering our employees a healthy and safe working environment. With us, you are seen and heard and entrusted.”
Jeroen: “We are a family business and we think it's important that people feel at home with us. We want to convey that feeling. You are allowed to make mistakes; in fact, it’s an opportunity to improve yourself.”
Klaas Jan: “We really want everyone to feel at home. That's why we offer Dutch lessons to people who have come from abroad to live here with their families. That is greatly appreciated.”
Jeroen: “In recent years, we have also put a lot of effort into career development opportunities. We offer everyone who is able and willing the opportunity to develop further within Zuidberg. This can be done, for example, by working towards a different job, such as moving from an operational to a coordinating role. But there are also many opportunities to go in-depth within one's own job. You can become a top turner or a versatile assembly worker.”
Kees: “Of course, making a career is not an obligation. Above all, you should do the work you are good at and enjoy doing.”

Kees: “We are Performance Pioneers. We like our employees to constantly look for ways in which they can improve themselves and their work. How can I do things even better tomorrow than I did them today? That is why we have introduced a new structure, giving team managers more time to empower our employees.”

Jeroen: “We also pay attention to a sustainable future. In doing so, we focus on the three Ps: People, Planet, Profit. We want to be a family business that, decades from now, will still be known as a committed employer with an awareness of the environment. That’s why we collaborate with schools, students and Perron038, among others. We want to provide permanent employment.”
Klaas Jan: “Sustainability also means that we have to join the energy transition. We have to get aboard that train. We are going to focus even more on technical sustainability and extending maintenance intervals.”
Kees: “We are looking into automating certain production processes. That may sound like we are taking away jobs by doing so, but the opposite is true. If we don't look for automated solutions, we won't keep the work in-house, and we will actually lose out on business.”

Have all the set targets been achieved in the past year?

Kees: “No, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resource scarcity, our performance has been severely dented in recent years. Of course, those external factors affected everyone, but we couldn't respond quickly enough. That could have been done better.”
Klaas Jan: “We learned from that, and it won't happen to us again. Too much happened to us then, and our weaknesses were exposed. This made it clear to us that we have to have backup scenarios for deliveries of critical products and operations.”
 
Jeroen: “Even though production certainly didn't run smoothly, we nevertheless performed well. The extra efforts of our employees certainly contributed to this. Moreover, we achieved a great deal in terms of partnership. Our engineers and customers' engineers talk to each other much more than before and we have taken important steps in areas such as testing. We have also achieved many of our goals.”

What opportunities do you see for Zuidberg in the coming years?

Klaas Jan: “We have to continue on the path we have taken. We are doing well, but there is still a lot of work to do to become truly OEM-worthy throughout the entire supply chain. From procurement to production and from sales to service: we've made great strides in all these areas, but there's still a lot for us to achieve.”
Kees: “We have made choices that provide clarity. To that end, we have drawn up a clear roadmap. Moreover, we have excellent quality in-house. So, I'm convinced that we'll achieve our goals.”
Jeroen: “Customers know exactly where to find us. That applies to OEMs, but also to small, innovative companies. New products will be scrutinised by the market. For example, our transmission is now driving an electric-powered shovel. That's great advertising for us and opens up opportunities.”

What will be your focus in the next five years?

Kees: “Providing a safe environment for our people, we need to maintain that. People have to do what makes them happy. We offer them the opportunity to grow, which can be in breadth or depth. You can become even better at what you do or use what you have learned more broadly or in a new position.”
Klaas Jan: “There is still much to be gained in the coordination between departments. Processes need to be better aligned. Especially in logistics, we are still losing too much at the moment. With the weekly second-line day start, we are working on improving this step by step.”
Kees: “What we are trying to achieve is becoming increasingly clear throughout the organisation. We have thoroughly coordinated with each other on what portfolio we are working on. We have made clear choices in our products. That prevents confusion and frustration and allows us to focus.”
Klaas Jan: “We still need to gain more insight into what automation will bring us. When we perform maintenance on a machine nowadays, we do it because we think it has to be done once after a certain amount of time, but it can also be done based on data. Information becomes key.”
Kees: “Our PACE controller will certainly play an important role in this. That is a newly developed module for controlling the PTO. This module collects all kinds of data, such as the number of starts and stops and the operating time. This will allow us to provide the customer with a much better optimised product, based on data and facts rather than assumptions.”

In conclusion, what would you like to impart to people about Zuidberg?

Kees: “We have chosen a clear direction and know what we are good at. The market offers plenty of opportunities. Together, we are capable enough to capitalise on those opportunities.”
Klaas Jan: “We are constantly developing and paying attention to people. Growth is not the most important thing for us; what matters most is that you feel at home with us.”
Jeroen: “We have complete confidence in our people, our customers, and our future. It starts with people feeling good with us and being committed and proud. That is the foundation. And when that's taken care of, then you can truly deliver quality.”