Erwin van Asperen
Project manager
- 2012
- Sales
How did you end up at IVS?
“IVS is an integral part of my life. I have been at IVS ever since I was sixteen. First in the garage behind the house, then in the shed at Morgenstond in Dinther. I spent every school holiday working on various projects with Jo Dielissen, the founder of IVS, and Hans den Otter, who is the present technical director. At that time. I was studying at the MTS (Technical College), so it was a logical step to do my internship at IVS. After completing my studies, I went to work for Unilever in the Unox factory. For the first six years as a service technician and then for six years as work planner.”
It's in your blood.You went back to your old stamping ground.
"That's right! One evening, Frank came to my house and asked if I was interested in coming to work again at IVS. In the meantime, the company had expanded and moved from Dinther to Veghel. They were eagerly looking for technicians who would fit in with the IVS way of working. I had been trained by the master himself and I always work to the best of my ability, so I fitted the company profile. Two years later, thanks to the continuing growth, a project manager was needed. It was a logical step for me. I know most of the factories in the Netherlands. I work with a team of planners and technicians and I supervise projects from start to finish. I work at the heart of things and have links with everyone in the company.”
You mentioned the IVS way of working.Tell us some more about it.
"Craftsmanship and top-class service are key factors of IVS. That is what we stand for. Not just anyone is suitable for working in our company. We now have a fantastic workshop: it's well equipped and there's plenty of room for working. That is the first thing that new employees see here. But our technicians are more often at work in factories belonging to our clients. That is another story. Then, you are between existing installations in a confined space where it is dark and warm. Furthermore, we expect our technicians to deliver top-class work. IVS might provide a very small component for a compound feed factory. However, that component is crucially important. Sometimes a production line has to be temporarily shut down. You have to work under time pressure and maintain our high standards. That is like top sport!"