Together, Hugo Plaisier and Clarinda Gros represent eighty years of experience at Svensson. Both started out as young newcomers at the company founded by Cees den Boer. Today, they look back on their early days with a smile.
Hugo kicks things off. He still remembers his first period at Svensson as if it were yesterday. Fresh out of Wageningen University, he had only been with the company for a few weeks when Cees told him, "We promised to run a screen trial in Portugal. Could you go take care of that? And while you're there, maybe visit a few greenhouse builders too."
Thrown straight into the deep end, Hugo recalls, "There was no hand-holding. I had to prove useful right away. And I wasn't given a travel plan either—things were a bit different back then." So, with shaky knees, he boarded the plane. The trip didn't go smoothly; due to delays, he missed his connection in Madrid. Quite a challenging start for someone who had barely flown before.
© Ludvig Svensson
Honorees Clarinda Gros and Hugo Plaisier
Family business
When Clarinda thinks back to her early days at Svensson, she remembers starting out as a summer worker, a natural choice, since the previously mentioned Cees den Boer was her father. And when she talks about him, her eyes light up. With Cees as both her father and the founder of Svensson in the Netherlands, her life was steeped in the world of Ludvig Svensson from an early age. The company, and the spirit of entrepreneurship, has always been a constant thread throughout her life, and that hasn't changed. The connection with the Ludvigson family remains warm; Svensson is still a proud Swedish family business, now in its fourth generation under the leadership of brother and sister Anders and Anne Ludvigson.
Clarinda feels completely at home in her role as a marketer. But in reality, her position within Svensson goes far beyond that. "It feels more like being the spider in the web," she says with a laugh. "A colleague from IT recently told me that I receive more emails than anyone else in the company. I'm not sure whether that's a title I should be proud of," she jokes, "but it definitely reflects the central role I play here."
© Ludvig Svensson
From the archives: Hugo Plaisier in his younger years
Knowledge partner
Hugo takes pride in Svensson's role as a true knowledge partner. "We want to stand beside the grower," he explains. "Our goal is to help users get the absolute most out of our screens. That means our involvement doesn't end once the sale is made—we stay in touch after installation to support them with our expertise."
He stresses how important that ongoing contact is. "It's such a shame when that doesn't happen. Growers can lose valuable euros simply by not making full use of their climate screens. That's why we're always happy to help them get the best results."
In that same spirit, Hugo says it's easy for customers to reach the right people at Svensson. "Clients know exactly who to contact. The lines are short, they never have to search through layers of our organization to find the right person."
© Ludvig SvenssonPhoto right: Clarinda Gros as a holiday worker
Memories
Talking about a combined eighty years of experience naturally brings up plenty of memories: from charter flights taking customers to Sweden, to unforgettable staff trips, company parties, customer events, and of course, those early years at Svensson.
Clarinda also recalls the Christian background of her parents. "That meant there was no work on Sundays," she says. "At international trade fairs, we would put up a little sign at our stand saying we were closed for the day, and then we'd go out together for a nice meal and a glass of wine."
Both Hugo and Clarinda deeply value the sense of camaraderie within the company. In complete agreement, they say, "We really support each other as colleagues, it's a team effort. Communication here is open and genuine. It's actually quite special that, besides us, there are still several people who've been with Svensson for more than 40 years. There's a great balance between the seasoned veterans and the new generation coming in."
For more information:
Ludvig Svensson
Clarinda Gros
06 21 398 037
[email protected]
Hugo Plaisier
06 55 398 202
[email protected]
https://www.ludvigsvensson.com/nl/