How did you get in the news about hoarding toilet rolls, how did you manage the 'madhouse'

"The hoarding of toilet paper actually already started at Christmas. In January, we already saw an increased demand for hand gel from China. At that point, we already started switching and scaling up. Up to early in March, we delivered a lot of extra products, until the Netherlands went into an intelligent lockdown on March 12. At that point, we couldn't handle the demand for toilet paper anymore. We all put our noses to the grindstone. Our purchasing and sales departments became even more close-knit. We shifted and sparred daily. Such as about empty trucks and suppliers. We searched for manufacturers who could continue to produce and help us meet the demands of our customers. The big question for us was: how do we get it in? Europe was locked up, which meant no shipments could get in. It is truly fantastic, the commitment our logistics and warehouse people have shown. 7 days a week, 12 hours a day. We focused on our own customers and chose not to service new customers or colleagues. The commitment of our employees surprised me the most. To be stuck at home with children and still put everything into your work. It's amazing!

MTS Euro Products is a company that has been operating for 30 years and generates a turnover of € 90 million per year. How are things now, more than two months after the intelligent lockdown?
“10% of our turnover comes from cleaning cloths, and a large part of that is export. Due to Covid, we had to deal with a setback in this segment, because we were unable to ship and industries such as automotive were at a standstill. Business is now picking up again. Another challenge was the supply of our dispensers. They come from China. We are now considering moving some of the production back to Europe. That would make us less dependent and shorten the delivery period of 3 months.”

Every entrepreneur worries about tomorrow, especially in this era of Covid. Did you have sleepless nights?
“Yes, at the end of February/beginning of March, I lay awake one night. We were about to sign for our new building. We considered moving up the building plans by a quarter. But if we did that, it would cause problems for our growth and normal business operations. You also have to look ahead. Look at the consequences of what is happening now. We also realize that an investment of €25 million is involved. Nevertheless, Sander Ekhart (commercial director) I decided to let the construction go ahead. It may be finished a few months later than we initially planned, but our new premises at the De Dijk business park in Maassluis will be completed in 2021.”

The Covid pandemic inevitably also affects the buying process. Have you needed to change your approach to the market to stay relevant?
“You see that the market is changing. Between January and April, the number of dispensers sold grew from 70,000 to 100,000. It won't be the way it used to be. Companies will close, sectors will become smaller or even disappear. But hygiene stands, for example, can't be purchased fast enough to keep up with demand. There are almost no dispensers available in the world, yet we managed to get a hold of 8000. We were able to respond quickly with our team and sold 8000 stands within 4 to 5 weeks. The alcohol gels are also flying off the shelves, and we also went big on wet wipes. They are quick and easy to use for interim cleaning, such as in the hospitality industry where you need to be able to clean a table quickly and properly. Even in the medical world, they use wet wipes.”

“We are very innovative as a team. I am very proud that we are able to switch and respond so quickly. MTS is the best. The strength of the team is to serve and inform customers. As management, Sander and I are close to the team and we maintain contact with our customers all day long. In a year's time, we will have almost moved into our new 30,000 m2 building. In the future, I expect to do more with fewer customers. And yet we still manage to gain. With the same nuber of hands. Amazing!

Source: Cleaning News