WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU DO AT CARTEC?

My name is Jos Willemsen. I have been Managing Director at Cartec since 2019. I am the son of Cartec founder Johan Willemsen.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR JOB?

I like to empower people. Getting people in the right spot within the company gives me a lot of joy.

HOW DOES A TYPICAL WORKDAY LOOK LIKE?

I manage the company on a daily basis. Cartec is growing and expanding. This growth has to be managed.

WHERE ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

I am proud of the Cartec brand and the way we do business. For us it’s about people. Having a good relationship with the customer is especially important to us. Customers all over the world are having a great experience using our products. We hear and see from them every day and I am exceptionally proud of that.

HOW DID YOU GET IN THIS BUSINESS?

As a child my dad let me watch him doing his job, this gave me a head start in the business. At the age of 14 I started working part-time at Cartec. After high school, I started a career in aircraft maintenance in the Royal Netherlands Army. After my time in the army, I spent two years working in the Cartec warehouse. After these years my father asked me if I wanted to come and work in the Cartec laboratory. In the lab I gained more than ten years of experience with the development of Cartec products. In 2019 my father asked if I wanted to take over the management of the company.

WHAT SKILLS ARE ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT IN YOUR JOB?

Passion is very important. Cartec has a special place in the hearts of our employees. As a Managing Director it is important to keep problems under control and get things done. There’s no time to sit around, get busy!

HOW DO YOU STAY ON TOP OF EMERGING TRENDS IN YOUR WORKFIELD?

I regularly keep in touch with our sellers and importers. In addition, we have a number of end users who clean their own cars and keep a close eye on everything. This way I always stay on top of the latest trends and developments.

WHAT REALLY GIVES YOU JOY AT WORK?

When customers tell me on the phone how much they like our products. They recognize the quality. I also love new ideas that we develop into new products that distinguish us from the competition. The detailing dome is such an example of a unique product.

WHAT ARE YOUR CORE STRENGHTS?

I get people inspired with my enthusiasm and vision. This way everybody is heading in the same direction.

WHAT DO YOU PARTICULARLY LIKE ABOUT CARTEC?

Cartec is all about people and experiences, I really like that. Cartec wants to sell an experience, not just a physical product. We like to work with strong concepts that surprise our end users. We have everything in-house. R&D, production, marketing, you name it. Because of this, we can easily come up with new concepts.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST DREAM?

I’d like people all over the world to experience Cartec as a company that manages to surprise with innovative and ingenious ideas. This helps the customer to be more successful. In addition, I want customers and relations who are in any way connected to Cartec to experience that people are the number one priority to us.

The next we interview is your father Johan. What would you like to ask him?

What is the best product that Cartec has developed over the past 30 years?