A jack of all trades at a small Cartec

Pieter de Kooter joined Cartec 32 years ago, as a 17-year-old student. School wasn’t really his thing, and almost any alternative seemed more appealing. When his cousin, who worked at Cartec, left the company, a position became available. Pieter applied and was hired straight away.

“The company was small, and I was only the third employee. When I joined, Cartec was based on Cobaltstraat in Zoetermeer, but shortly afterwards we moved to Verbreepark in Benthuizen,” Pieter recalls.

“Back then, there were no job titles. I was responsible for packing and filling products. Everyone did a bit of everything, and we all worked together. Over the years, I’ve done just about every job except Finance. But that wouldn’t have gone very well anyway, I’d spend far too long thinking everything through,” he laughs.

Still a family business

According to Pieter, the family atmosphere within the company has never changed. “I could easily name five colleagues I could call in the middle of the night who would be there for me. That was true in the past, and it still is today. A lot has changed, but the foundation remains the same. Fortunately, the way we treat each other has never changed.”

Pieter has experienced more than just growth and success. Every growing company faces challenges and difficult times. The transition to the second generation was no exception. “I was able to reassure Johan. We’d already been through so much together, and I knew we’d get through this too. And just look at where we are now! Marianne and Jos, the second generation, are successfully running the company together, with their father as their biggest supporter.”

Cartec’s growth worldwide

Over the past 30 years, the work has increased in volume and become more professional and demanding. “It also became much more international, as I started building relationships with customers all over the world. What I really enjoy is that I’m still in contact with some of our very first customers, while also getting to know new ones.”

Seeing customers who once ordered a single pallet now ordering an entire trailer full of products brings a smile to Pieter’s face. “We grow together. Cartec grows, and our partners grow with us.”

Pieter also finds it particularly rewarding to see the second generation joining the businesses of various Dutch dealers and international importers. “The foundation and the partnership have to be strong enough for them to feel confident passing their business on to their children. It’s great to see that the next generation also places its trust in us.”

Customer & Sales Support

A lot goes on behind the scenes to ensure customers and partners receive the right support. “Product knowledge is extremely important. It allows us to provide customers with accurate information and advice. There’s a lot of internal communication involved. Essentially, I’m the link between the customer and the internal organisation.”

In the 1990s, Cartec was mainly active in the Netherlands, but it soon expanded beyond national borders, and English is now the main language of communication. “Cartec has become an international company. The diversity of countries, cultures and customers makes the work interesting and challenging in a positive way.”

The biggest difference compared to thirty years ago is the volume of products being handled. “In the past, an order for ten pallets would turn the entire company upside down. Everyone had to pitch in, and we’d be rushing around all week. Nowadays, we regularly receive orders for a full truckload or an entire shipping container, which can hold as many as thirty pallets. Before you know it, everything is taken care of.”

This development isn’t limited to the warehouse but applies to the entire production and logistics process. In the past, bottles were filled manually using a tap, and only ten boxes could be prepared each day. Today, a fully automated filling and labelling machine can process an impressive 6,000 bottles per day.

“Every now and then, we should take a moment to look back at everything we’ve achieved together. After all, Johan’s hobby has grown quite a bit bigger than anyone could have imagined.”

The secret behind Pieter de Kooter’s 32 years at Cartec

After 32 years at Cartec, Pieter de Kooter still enjoys his work just as much as ever. He explains: “When you’re happy somewhere, you’re happy. And besides, I’ve never done the same job for five years in a row. There have always been new challenges, and I’ve always been given the opportunity to grow with the company. The organisation continues to develop, and I develop along with it.”

Around seven years ago, Pieter developed and established his current role. “The Customer & Sales Support department didn’t exist before. All those responsibilities fell to the account managers. Now that we’ve established this department, they have more time to focus on other tasks.”

“I’m always looking for ways to improve things. Sometimes I walk around and think, are we really still doing it this way? Then I start looking at how we could do things differently, and together we make it happen.”

The new premises

What Pieter is most proud of is Cartec’s new premises. “It was a bumpy road getting here, and several previous attempts to build new premises didn’t work out. But now it’s finally here, and that’s a real achievement I’m proud of. It’s incredible that we’ve made it happen.”

To support the company’s continued growth, Cartec is investing heavily in automation. “Two years ago, we introduced scanners in the warehouse. Before that, we did everything on paper, absolutely everything! It’s been such a huge improvement in so many ways.”

Pieter is currently working on automating order confirmations, increasing the team’s independence and documenting procedures and agreements. This allows colleagues to make decisions independently and helps make everyday processes more efficient.