Chrysal: ”Van Duuren Districenters provides more than just transport”

In 2007 Chrysal International sold their Pokon division to the Dutch investment company Synergia. “Although I have worked for the company for 22 years, this was a considerable change for me,” recalls Rob van Veen. “Because space became available here at our headquarters in Naarden, we then decided that we would once more deal with the warehousing and distribution of our products ourselves.” This change in the organization had major consequences for the branches in the Benelux countries and in France. Van Veen: “Sales outlets that were used to having their stock almost on their own doorstep suddenly became dependent on us. It goes without saying that in the early stages there were certain misgivings, and our distribution had to run flawlessly in order to regain their trust.”

Thanks to previous contacts, Chrysal put the logistic service provider from Vianen onto a longlist of possible hauliers of their goods to France. This place was swiftly superseded by a place on the shortlist, and then by a partnership. “My initial discussions with Paul Lucassen were very enlightening,” says Van Veen. “He presented a very clear picture of our transport in France. Paul gave presentations, but also showed me the detail by means of software that had been specifically
developed for this purpose. All in all, his maps showing destinations and lines of transport gave me a good overview of what was going on there.” Chrysal’s business partners, many of them nurseries, professional bouquet makers and wholesalers, are spread throughout various regions of France. Each quarter, Van Veen continues to be presented with details of the frequency and size of their orders in the business overview that Paul Lucassen provides him with. “Through the
systematic charting of all the consignments it is possible for Chrysal to go for service level agreements,” explains Lucassen. “When our customers are prepared to accept a slightly longer delivery period – for example because of their remote location and infrequent ordering – they can make considerable savings on their transport costs. Use of our geomarketing system means that we can easily access this data.”

By entering into firm agreements, Rob van Veen has been able to convince the sales outlets in France that stocks that are located further away can still be delivered swiftly. For transport within France, Van Duuren Districenters works in partnership with Alloin, a well-known and trusted transport company for Chrysal. Van Veen: “In many instances our clients in France saw the same truck delivering their goods. In a period that, owing to organizational changes, our employees’ work was in a manner of speaking different each day, this was to our advantage.”

There are new plans on the table. When the business case produces a win-win situation, Rob van Veen will again join forces with Van Duuren Districenters for additional destinations. “The transport service in France is working well, we have made clear agreements and these are being honoured. Actually, I’d like to make myself superfluous in my work. Superfluous in the sense that everything is well organized and actually running itself. If I look at the distribution in France, this certainly is the case.”