Interview Wim and Eric Moerdijk
'Takeover by son gave drive to invest'
Wim Moerdijk has been at the helm of onion sorter Monie Nieuwdorp since 1983, but now hands over the general management to his son Eric Moerdijk. Reason enough for an interview with father and son.
What does this transfer mean in concrete terms?
Eric Moerdijk: "The purchase has already been transferred to me since 1 January and the sale to Kees Meerman. This means that from that date the day-to-day management was already with me and Kees, which means that not much will change. An acquisition is a process of years, it is something you work towards. My father has already started working less in recent years; from 1 January 2019 he only works 4 half days. So we are now in the final phase of this project. During this quiet period (due to the limited availability of the product), we have decided to take the step now. Behind the scenes, my father is still looking and thinking along, so he still has a role at the top of the company."
What have been the biggest challenges in recent years?
Wim Moerdijk: "First of all, it was great to lead a company like this. No day is the same, we have always had very committed employees and that is why I did not enter the warehouse a day with reluctance. Over the years we have always had the I had the challenge to work even more efficiently. I always had 1 question in my head: what could be done better? I especially liked the process from manual work to automation. It is a process that has never actually been completed and since its inception of the company is also the process that has changed the most."
Technology has changed a lot in recent years, what do you think?
Eric Moerdijk: "Developments are indeed going very fast, which makes it difficult every time to decide whether you want to be a forerunner or whether you want to see the cat out of the tree first. The past has already shown that automation is a component with which a progress can be made in costs and/or efficiency. However, there are also examples that not everything is always a success. The 'people' factor is sometimes set aside too easily these days."
Wim Moerdijk adds: "In addition, we must not forget that we work with a natural product, which means that we are also dependent on the weather conditions."
What has been one of the biggest changes in the industry?
Wim Moerdijk: "I think the most important change is that the world has become much smaller, partly due to the provision of information via various media. In addition, trade has become increasingly sharp, which among other things ensures that margins have become smaller."
What will change most with this acquisition?
Eric Moerdijk: "At the moment I don't think that much will change. I have been involved with the company and the operational management since 2008. Various matters have therefore already changed in consultation. In addition, the company has grown strongly in recent years, which means that significant changes have been made since its foundation.When my father started the company, he himself was at the reading belt as a final inspection, he did both purchasing and sales and in between he also got on the forklift to load or unload. "It's not possible anymore. Sometimes you want to do something completely different from the previous generation in the beginning, but you later find out that it went well."
Ever considered doing something other than onions?
Eric Moerdijk: "If we hadn't had a family business, I would have preferred to become a crane operator. In fact, it was clear to me relatively early that my interest lay in onions. I was never forced to take over the company, because it is natural a great opportunity. You also feel a bit of responsibility towards your parents and family to continue the business."
To what extent is it an advantage that the son takes over the company?
Eric Moerdijk: "I certainly think that it is the wish of every father with a family business for one of his children to take over the business. I hope that also in the future. I do think it is important that you must be careful not to "The boss's son" is portrayed, both by parent and child. That is difficult, but I do think it is important to get the staff behind you. After all, without them you cannot continue the company. That's why I want to be someone who stands between the employees and not above them. As long as the size of the company allows it, this is something I value very much."
Wim Moerdijk continues: "In order to be able to properly manage such a large company, it is also important that you know the company through and through. That does not happen overnight. it's great that Eric was interested from an early age and has completely grown into it in this way. It gives you a drive when you know that your son wants to continue with the company and that is why a number of major investments have been made in recent years. the question is whether we would have done it otherwise."
Why is Monie different from other packers?
Eric Moerdijk: "We try to grow a high-quality product in close collaboration with a fixed group of growers and want to market it as well as possible. Because of this intensive collaboration, you have more or less influence on the entire process. To achieve this, we have we employ cultivation supervisors and buyers ourselves. In addition, we do not export ourselves, but we sell to exporters in the Netherlands. This is partly due to the fact that we focus on 'the front' and less on 'the rear'."
"In our opinion, you can never properly implement all facets of the chain yourself, and there is so much knowledge in every link that this is one of the strong points of the Dutch sector. We also try to distinguish ourselves by supplying quality markets. Due to the influence on the cultivation, you can steer on your sales target and try to use the added value of this," continues Eric Moerdijk.
What is the best sales strategy for a grower? And what is the best lesson you can teach a grower?
Eric Moerdijk: "Know what you are growing for. By determining in advance for whom you are growing onions, you can achieve added value. This is of course no guarantee for every season, but onion cultivation is too expensive to start growing haphazardly without first orienting yourself. on your period of delivery, the importance of certification, your chances based on the interest of customers and demands from the market."
Will the changing legislation have a major impact on the onion sector?
Eric Moerdijk: "What you see is that a lot is going on in the field of crop protection. This development is good in itself, and in my view unstoppable. What we do have to watch out for, however, is that we don't pass this legislation. continue to base on facts and not on emotion. Of course, with the termination of a means there is more urge to look for an alternative, but we must be careful that this does not grow crookedly. We have a large area of suitable land here for growing onions That is appreciated worldwide. If we want to maintain that, then we must continue to innovate in that area, but at the same level as other (European) countries."
Anne-Jan Doorn
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