Ron is our Sales Manager at Vostermans Alu Foundries and therefore often the first point of contact for our customers. We asked Ron what is important to him and what it takes to build long term relationships.
"I grew up in the foundry world. I used to go to the foundry with my father for vacation work or internships. That's where I learned the basics. But I didn't want to continue working under the wing of my father and brother. I felt it was important to earn my own stripes, so I decided to go my own way. First as a project manager in a large, publicly traded company, then in the R&D department of Vostermans. All the time I was developing myself. In 2013 there were a number of internal job changes. I was promoted to the position of Sales Manager. And although I am not a commercial person by nature, this was a logical step because of my previous knowledge in the foundry world and my open character.
I believe that openness is important for building long-term relationships. Nobody can deny that "what you see is what you get". My loyalty to customers goes a long way, as long as it is based on mutual trust and honesty. This provides a strong foundation for building close partnerships. With me, every customer, big or small, gets the attention they need.
It helps that our customers are generally within a 250 km radius of the foundry. There is a large market for us in North Rhine-Westphalia and the Netherlands. In the Ruhr area, for example, which is practically around the corner from us, there are a large number of production companies. If necessary, you can jump in the car and drive to a customer. You don't just do that when a customer is far away. The same goes for our partners, such as the end users of castings. So you can really work together, for example, to make a quote for a production request. We believe in long-term relationships. The customer, the end user and we have to benefit from it. And that also means that we try to guarantee long-term security. That way everyone knows where they stand.
Although I'm the first point of contact for the customer, I don't usually go to the customer alone. We are a relatively small foundry with a lot of in-house knowledge. Depending on the issue, I often take one of my colleagues with me who have specialized over the years. For example, we assess the manufacturability of a product and choose the right casting technique. In this way, we guarantee the highest quality casting at the lowest cost. I see our team as the formula for success that has led to growth of around 75% in 10 years. With healthy operating results on the one hand and satisfied customers on the other. That's what you do it for, isn't it?
