While studying Commercial Economics at the Hogeschool van Rotterdam, many of Ron Dekker's classmates had part-time jobs at the Barendrecht Trading Center. The fresh produce sector piqued his interest, and he eventually found work in his hometown of Alblasserdam. He has now been a Skillpack account manager for over a year and sells machines to the fruit and vegetable industry.
"We started the new year on a positive note. Used machine sales are going well, and we've received several orders for new machines," says Ron. Within the fresh produce segment, used machines are Skillpack's largest category. "There, fast delivery - ideally yesterday, is essential. New machines inevitably have a lead time. Because we have many used machines in stock, we can deliver quickly."
After nearly 23 years, Skillpack has become specialized in horizontal flow packer sales. The company also supplies machines for vertical flow packing, multi-head weighing, and tray sealing. "We exclusively provide new PFM machines in the Benelux. We buy many second-hand machines from all over Europe, too," Ron explains.
"We completely refurbish those in-house with things like new bearings and chains. We also make customer-specific adjustments. We adapt the machines technically for any fruit and vegetable product and can deliver worldwide. For example, we recently delivered a six-pack bell pepper machine in Poeldijk within four weeks of getting the order."
"We've supplied many machines to tomato growers and packing stations, too, both for flow packaging of trays and top sealing. But plenty of chicory, corn, lettuce, pears, and other vitamins also go through our machines," says Dekker. "In the United Kingdom, there's a noticeable significant change in mushroom packaging. They used to use stretch/shrink wrap, but suppliers are now increasingly switching to modern, versatile flow packaging. That trend should spread to the Netherlands. We're certainly ready for it."
According to Ron, Skillpack's distinguishing features are its flexibility and customer-oriented way of working. "Here, service is written in capital letters, and we have 24/7 technical support. We also have a large parts warehouse and workshop, so we can switch quickly," he concludes.
For more information:
Skillpack
39 Ohmweg
2952 BD, Alblasserdam, NL
info@Skillpack.nl
www.skillpack.nl