Fifty years ago, Teun Stolze started his company in the Dutch town of Maasdijk, and his customers were all located in the Dutch Westland. Back then, he couldn’t have imagined that fifty years later, Stolze would be working globally and even have locations abroad. Among others, Stolze has a location in Mexico, but how did it all start in Mexico?
Over twenty years ago, the first Stolze-installation was installed in Mexico. As with most international projects, Stolze worked together with local greenhouse builders. They sold total projects to their clients and then proceeded to buy all of the installations needed for water, electricity, and heating from Stolze.
The demand for technical installations in Mexico kept on increasing, and it became impossible to meet this demand by supplying everything from the Netherlands. The providing of services also became more and more important, and in order to keep up with this demand, Stolze Mexico was founded in back 2012.
The start of Stolze Mexico
A salesman, administrative employee, and a logistics employee worked on the horticultural projects from a small office in the Mexican city of Irapuato. Local companies that were familiar with Stolze’s systems came to Stolze Mexico straight away.
Fernando Alfaro, responsible for sales in Mexico, says: “Within a week, the assignment confirmation of the first project was signed. A new development project of 12 hectares for which we got to provide the heating.”
In 2020, Stolze Mexico can again start on the heating for a new greenhouse of 24 hectares.
From 3 to 20 employees
The demand for technical installations kept on growing, and because of that, Stolze Mexico grew right alongside it. From a small office with three employees, they have now grown to a company with 20 employees and a 1.000 m2 warehouse. The company has started its own technical department with ten engineers with whom they can provide the services requested. “We have grown into a 100% Mexican company with 100% Dutch technology and knowhow. I think that is what makes our collaboration so strong,” says Fernando.
Photo: Theo Stolze and Fernando Alfaro
Increase in high-quality technical projects
He noted that even in Mexico, they sell more and more high-quality technical projects. “Mexican growers are growing more efficiently, and with the knowledge of the Dutch colleagues, we can turn this into reality. These developments are especially noticeable in the soft fruit sector, mainly in the blueberry cultivation.”
For more information:
Stolze
info@stolze.nl
www.stolze.nl