Arno van der Maden has been living and working in Costa Rica for nearly twelve years, helping companies with quality, certifications and export to Europe. In September 2003, Arno left for a new adventure on the other side of the world. He worked in the Netherlands for N&S Quality Consultants. “Through a client, we were asked to pay a few visits to Costa Rica relating to GlobalGAP, then EurepGAP, because they had to comply with these standards for export to the United Kingdom in particular,” he says. “The idea soon came to start a company in Costa Rica to offer these services. It would initially fall under the N&S umbrella in the Netherlands, hence the name N&S del Tropico, but later I started the company independently.”
Arno van der Maden with a group on a mango orchard.
Export coaching
Arno and his family live in the capital of Costa Rica, San José. He and his wife, who left the Netherlands with him 12 years ago, has two sons in Costa Rica, now aged 5 and 7. He and his three colleagues at N&S del Tropico help companies implement quality assurance systems. “We provide training related to implementation, but also about European rules and regulations. We also carry out internal audits and support companies in the entire process. N&S del Tropico mainly offers services for producers and exporters in Costa Rica and other countries in Central and South America.”
Less Stress
The freedom of being an independent entrepreneur in a country like Costa Rica works very well for him. He particularly likes the climate, the nature and the people in the country. “It’s also a great base for projects in Central and South America.” As a Dutchman in Costa Rica, he says you have to take things as they came, and you shouldn’t want to plan and organize everything in advance. “Instead of planning an appointment between 11 and 12, you meet ‘after lunch’ here. If you arrive a bit early and they haven’t had lunch yet, you just join them for a nice lunch, and the appointment will follow.” That this relaxed way of living requires a lot of patience, is something Arno still hasn’t got used to after all these years. However, Arno does note there is a different quality of life in Costa Rica. Hard work is being done there too, but in much more pleasant circumstances. “We also go to the beach more often here, and we greatly enjoy the versatile nature Costa Rica has to offer.”