Friday 17th June saw the official opening of HortiMaX's and Ridder Climate Screens’ new offices in the Netherlands. The ceremony at Honderdland 131 in Maasdijk was conducted in a festive manner by the Mayor of Westland Sjaak van der Tak.
Official opening
After the guests had been treated to a welcome drink, it was time for the official opening. HortiMaX CEO Joep van den Bosch kicked off the ceremony with a short speech, and then invited the Mayor of Westland, Sjaak van der Tak, to speak. It was clear that the Mayor had done his research into HortiMaX's 50-year history, the international character of the company and even HortiMaX's origins when it was still called Van Vliet. The Mayor also spoke about the Ridder-HortiMaX combination, particularly touching on our 18th place in the Hillenraad top 100. He was proud of the fact that Ridder-HortiMaX b.v. had decided to locate its operations in the West country and said it was a great location to further its international growth. After the speech, the joint opening was performed by the Mayor, along with Joep van den Bosch and Mario Scherpenzeel, Business Unit Manager of Ridder Climate Screens. With the push of a button, our new Dutch offices were officially opened!
Open House for customers
In the afternoon, guests and visitors were given the opportunity to take a look round our new premises. At various spots in the building, staff explained what activities were performed there. For example, customers could visit the laboratory of Ridder Climate Screens, the R&D departments, the Service Department, the Test Department, the Assembly Department, the Water Department, the training rooms and the manufacturing area of Ridder Climate Screens. Many of the visitors were impressed by how the new offices embraced the "The New Way of Working” as well as the sense of openness and spaciousness inside the building.
Staff and their partners
In the evening, the staff and their partners were given the chance to celebrate the official opening. The founder of Ridder – Frans Nugteren – was also present to take a look at our new premises. To mark the opening, Leo Nugteren presented a beautiful portrait of the Dutch royal couple as a gift on behalf of Ridder. During the evening, staff showed their partners round the new offices. The party went on late into the night in a room specially decorated for the occasion.
New trailer for Ridder Climate Screens
During the preparations for the Open House, Ridder Climate Screens also received its new trailer. Starting this week, the Van Heyningen transport company will use the trailer to deliver climate screens throughout the Netherlands. Mario Scherpenzeel said the following about this new asset: "With its striking orange colour and design, our new truck is hard to miss on the road and will help raise our company's profile."
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