March 1, 1999, the day that Willem van Dorssen and Ton Fresch signed the papers for their joint company. Now, little over 20 years later, the gentlemen are still brotherly next to each other in the car on the road to Switzerland. Willem and Ton know the Swiss market like no other. Ton: "In the Swiss horticulture sector, out of sight is out of mind." And so the gentlemen drive up and down to the country every two weeks where, according to Ton and Willem, the people love quality products and suppliers that follow up on their promises.
Willem van Dorssen and Ton Frensch
A large hall of 4000 m2 for the Swiss supplier of Lidl is one of the highlights. "Each wall is 15 cm thick and the hall is, in fact, a large cooling cell to store products on 185 hectare of cold ground separately. Willem: "But we are really proud of all our projects." In the Netherlands, Dorssen & Frensch keep on building: a plant greenhouse in Nieuwveen of 1.5 hectare, which will be filled with hot-water solar-collectors, 2.5 hectare in De Kwakel, and a company space of about 900 m2 in Pijnacker, are some of the recent projects.
Complete supplier
Originally, the gentlemen are greenhouse builders, but they also build a lot of company spaces. "In the Netherlands, a grower will buy everything from a specialized company. The screen installation from one company, the greenhouse from another, and the irrigation with another company. Abroad, and also in Switzerland, they prefer complete suppliers. That is why we have started supplying technique besides greenhouses. Once, we were building an industry hall with company units for renting, for the company we were renting machines from, the ball started rolling. "Who built this?" We were asked, and so we had new clients. By now we have executed the most varied projects. We have built a boat house with residence and office and we have extended a cheese factory. If the complexity increases, our opportunities increase."
Proud of loyal customers
They are the most proud of clients who keep coming back to them. "We are now building for someone who is going to nurse consumption fish. It is the third generation we will be working for. In the beginning of the nineties, we built for the grandfather, then for the father who is in his sixties nowadays, and now for the son. You automatically build a relationship. The family regularly visits us in the Netherlands, and we were present when his son visited the Netherlands for his final project."
Rebuilding in Pijnacker
Doing business for twenty years means that there have been difficulties. The gentlemen have had their share of setbacks. In 2017 a fierce fire burned down their company complex in Pijnacker. Ton: " "We are rebuilding right now and we are doing it ourselves." The gentlemen look to the future with confidence. "We have a lot of great projects, and we get along just fine."
For more information:
Van Dorssen & Frensch BV
Nootdoorpseweg 13
Pijnacker
T: 0031- 15 369 6382
www.dorssen-frensch.eu