It took only a year for Rick van Roij and Jeffrey de Wit to launch their company. And launch is definitely the right word because things went quickly for the company. They use the word rollercoaster, an apt description when you hear their story. Next Handling Solutions (Next HS) hasn't been sitting idly by in the past year. This new Dutch company supplies internal transport and material handling machines and systems for greenhouse horticulture.
Rick van Roij and Jeffrey de Wit
Flywheel
Rick and Jeffrey are both familiar with greenhouse horticulture. Their roots lie with what used to be Koat. Rick was a co-owner, and Jeffrey worked there as a freelancer. After several years, after the takeover of Koat, they began getting itchy feet and started brainstorming. And thus, the idea to start Next Handling Solutions was born.
Former colleagues got in contact and also joined. "We have plenty of in-house knowledge and experience," begins Rick. "We stuck our necks out in the beginning. It's quite something to, as a new company, hire experienced people. It's great that it worked out. And I must admit, we're doing quite well."
To illustrate, he mentions many names with which Next HS has already connected. And not only in the Netherlands; they also build machines in America and Canada.
And the flywheel rolls on. Since April 2023, Next Handling Solutions has become Koat's partner in servicing and maintaining its machines. Next also performs service contracts entered into by Koat. That includes both Koat's supply and disposal machines clients and its robotization branch.
Practicalities
Next Handling Solutions started in the Dutch village of Deurne a year ago. That building soon became too small, so since mid-January, they have been constructing their machines in the nearby town of Asten. With as many as 20 people working there every day, they've fast become a serious player.
Speak to Rick and Jeffrey, and their passion for their projects becomes immediately apparent. They buzz with energy. It seems creating Next HS was a kind of fairytale.
Low point
Yet... there was a very low point this year that no one will soon forget. Jan van den Eijnden worked at Koat for 24 years and was a colleague to many Next employees for over 15 years. He rode his bike to work, parked and became unwell. The ambulance service is located adjacent to the company and was there quickly. But to no avail. After several days in the hospital, Jan passed away. That was difficult. Jeffrey: "Jan's passing felt like a shared loss."
Offering operational reliability
The thread was then picked up again as time and technical possibilities waited for no man. "We're well aware that digitization in the broadest sense of the word is the future. That's why we're working on things like remote control and data tracking with the related dashboards. We're developing a platform."
"It's set up in front of and behind the scenes in a way that optimally suits the customer. Because our software platform's base includes predictive maintenance, you buy operational reliability. Costs can quickly mount up if a line stands still. We want to, and can, prevent that," Jeffrey concludes.
For more information:
Next Handling Solutions
69 Ommelseweg
5721 WT, Asten, NL
Tel.: +31 (0) 493 217 470
Rick van Roij
Mob: + 31 (0) 627 876 453
Email: [email protected]
Jeffrey de Wit
Mob: + 31 (0) 657 151 658
Email: [email protected]