EMMA & HvO DEXIS: together for protection and experiences
19 November 2024Danny van Schendel has been the branch manager since September 2023. Under his watchful eye, the company is modernising. For example, the showroom has been fully renovated and now carries a product range that also appeals to younger people. Among the most major changes in recent times has been the addition of an EMMA wall in the store. The result of years of fine collaboration.
HvO DEXIS supplies a range of products for construction and industry, from workwear to tools and from workplace necessities to company furnishings or personal protective equipment (PPE). Mainly the latter are addressed today, as we speak to branch manager Danny van Schendel about safety shoes and EMMA Safety Footwear's role in this.
A world of waste and raw materials
Danny was 19 years old when he went to work for a waste processor where he encountered PPE. He bought his first pair of work shoes from Henny van Ommeren B.V., a local store. It turned out to be the start of a remarkable career in the world of waste, raw materials and processes. “Through roles with various employers, including Rockwool and Suez, I became a manager. In that role, I was responsible for my employees' safety. I made sure they were wearing dust masks and proper safety shoes.” Danny was the Head of Raw Materials at RD4 and was perfectly happy there when HvO DEXIS called. “They asked whether I wanted to become a branch manager in Stein. A unique opportunity, which I seized with both hands. That was how I landed up in safety shoes, work clothing, industrial machines and road signage.”
Time for a makeoverWhat Danny immediately noticed when he started at HvO DEXIS, however, was that the company looked exactly as it did when he bought his first pair of work shoes there, over thirty years ago. “Time for a makeover!” says Danny. “I'm pragmatic in the things I do – I am a real doer. Since I started here a year and a half ago, a lot has changed. I've had the outside of the premises painted, created a wonderful reception area, rejuvenated the offices and renovated the entire showroom. The glowing centrepiece of that is the wall with EMMA Safety Footwear's safety shoes.”
“I'm pragmatic in the things I do – I am a real doer. Since I started here a year and a half ago, a lot has changed.”
Around the table with the manufacturer and supplier
The wall Danny is talking about came about in close collaboration with EMMA. “We've been working with EMMA for years. On top of that, I'd confidently wager that we're EMMA's single point of sales in the south of the country. When customers approach EMMA directly, they refer them on to us because we have almost the entire collection here. And we naturally place a lot of orders with EMMA, to supplement our shop's stocks or meet our customers' demands. Mutual contact has been good since forever, but also continues when colleagues change. When I started at HvO DEXIS, EMMA's people were on the doorstep for an introduction within two weeks! In any case, there's very little distance between us. I can walk in the door at EMMA and vice versa. Very informal! We often go together to customers so they can see us at appointments as a team. For a customer to be sitting directly at the table with the manufacturer and supplier often makes the difference in them choosing us. We consult a lot together, keep each other up to date and are at the front of the queue with new innovations.”
“When I started at HvO DEXIS, EMMA's people were on the doorstep for an introduction within two weeks!”
Total peace of mind
Despite all the renovations, the corporate philosophy for which HvO DEXIS is well-known remains intact. “What we do is give the customer total peace of mind,” explains Danny. “For example, we work with a permanent driver who knows the companies well, meaning he knows exactly who to report to or where he needs to deliver things. This person is aware of the arrangement made, as well as the direct point of liaison for our business contacts. Customers really enjoy that – a permanent contact. We're also well-known for our rapid delivery. The aftercare we offer is highly valued as well. Large organisations often order fifty pairs of safety shoes in one go. But that one employee who has more tricky feet or finds some irritation is sent over to us. We look at the problem, measure the feet and look for an appropriate solution.”
HvO DEXIS treats not only the customer, but also its own employees in this decent way. Danny listens to his staff, keeps a good eye on what is going on, shares company developments directly and helps employees with their personal development. “I don't manage from atop a tower, but among the people. I can just as often be printing a T-shirt on the work floor as being in the showroom helping a customer with fitting, or in Amsterdam sitting around the table with a major partner. I'm ‘just’ part of the organisation, like everyone else.” HvO DEXIS' colleagues celebrate how they stand together for it every week. For example, by making fries every Thursday afternoon, drinking a beer together every Friday after working hours or making somebody's birthday truly memorable. “That's how I try to keep it fun and sociable,” Danny concludes.