The one-year challenge of Hittech Landes
It all started in 1985 with an ad in the local newspaper, and last week, almost 40 years later, Hittech Landes opened its brand new factory in Emmen (NL). Its managing Director, Sonja
van der Voort, explains how they built the factory, moved their machines, and became operational within one year.
Sonja: “It may seem like it all happened quickly in hindsight, but it didn’t feel that way at first. We received much support from the Gemeente Emmen and the Provincie Drenthe. We want to thank Alderman Guido Rink and Michel Veenma for their support. When we got the green light, the contractors Buursema Bouwbedrijf B.V. and Niemeijer Installatietechniek realised the project had a very tight schedule.”
“In the meantime, preparations for the move were underway. In addition to professional relocation assistance, many of our colleagues also helped in the evenings and on weekends. Everyone worked hard to make this move possible, and I am very proud of my team. Meanwhile, as the machines moved in, the construction team was still busy finishing the factory and preparing the offices. Just before the summer holidays, everything was up and running. Now we are more than ready: we have a new, sustainable factory, room to invest in the future, and standards that match the high expectations of our customers.”
We thank the former owners of Landes, John van der Laan, Sander van der Laan, and Herman H. Koning, for coming. We will never forget that we would not be together today without their guts and perseverance.
In the picture: Sonja van der Voort with the ‘8000 tube’, as it is commonly referred to. Hittech Landes manufactures this component for Priva,
and they have collaborated for years on its development, production, and composition. Frank Kleijn, Priva’s tactical purchaser, was present at the opening to explain this partnership in more detail.
