On the 27th of March, Van der Waay started working in their new company building which includes a test center. The new location leads to an increase in the production for the roof washer and chalk machine manufacturer. The modern test center also offers opportunities for the relations of Van der Waay. Not only is it possible to demonstrate how the machines work, but also to train users or even experiment with new chalk products.
The new building on the Green Tech Valley in Hazerswoude-Dorp in the Netherlands offers extra space to the ever-growing activities of Van der Waay. “In the new warehouses, we have a lot more opportunities to manufacture and assemble our machines”, according to Marcel Koolmees, board member and co-owner at Van der Waay. “The production is divided over two warehouses that have a combined surface of 3,000 m2. In one warehouse we have the metal workers who manufacture the parts made from steel and aluminum. In the other warehouse, the assembly takes place. Because both warehouses have large cranes attached to the ceiling, we can produce our machines faster but also more efficiently and safely in terms of working conditions.”
Unique test center
Another important improvement is the test center that was built behind the warehouses. “The test center is really one of a kind. It's a 1000 m2 Venlo greenhouse, modified specifically to serve our needs. The greenhouse with its six roofs has tracks on both of its gables, on which we can place a platform with roof washers or chalk machines. Because of this, we have the opportunity to extensively test our machines before sending them to our customers. This is not only the case for the machines we sell but also for all of the new developments we invent and want to test before bringing them to market in the future”, says Marcel Koolmees.
More testing and innovation
Founder and co-owner Joost van der Waay adds: “At the moment it remains tricky to test out certain improvements on our machines. If we are about to deliver a new machine, our customers are not about to wait patiently for us to extensively test a few different hoods or run some more tests with brush 1 or brush 2, or trying out different nozzles and different chalk products. It is, however, necessary to do this for a market leader like Van der Waay; besides, we are convinced that both the washing and chalking can be done even more accurately. But this requires extensive testing and developments, which we can now do in our own test location. We can also invite potential clients to try out our machines or take part in a training course in which they learn how to work with certain chalk products.”
Space, offices, and stockroom
In the greenhouse they make room to test the Aquajet, the roof washing machine for the insides of the greenhouse. The Aquajet does not only clean roofs or gables on the inside of the greenhouse, but can also be used to, for instance, clean out the cultivation gutters.
Also, in the new building, well-equipped office spaces were created, as well as a comfortable cafeteria. The company also has a large stockroom on both the ground and the first floor in which Van der Waay stores their parts; products that can also be purchased in their webshop. “We are really changing in a positive way. In time, we can wholeheartedly welcome our guests and, if they would like, give them a demonstration. Also, the location has room for expansion, which can come in handy if we continue growing at the pace we are now”, says Tom Zwanenburg, sales manager at Van der Waay.
Between Hazerswoude-Dorp and Boskoop
The new building of Van der Waay is the first building on the new business park, Green Tech Valley. Green Tech Valley is located between Boskoop and Hazerswoude-Dorp. The location, though new to Van der Waay, is in a known township. Before the move, the company was located in an adjacent business park in the same township.
For more information:
Van der Waay
www.vdwaay.nl
info@vdwaay.nl