Unica Industry Solutions is a supplier to Bos Nieuwerkerk

Unica branches operate quite independently. What kind of company is Unica Industry Solutions in Bodegraven?

“That’s right—each branch is free to set its own course. That’s why UIS Venlo and UIS Bodegraven are different in their focus. Venlo has a broader scope than we do. Our main customers are in the food and light pharma industries. We provide them with control technology—both hardware and software—for the machines they use to manufacture their products. We also take care of their process climate. Think of a bakery. Dough needs to rise before going into the oven, and bread must cool afterward. These steps require precise air conditions and optimal air distribution. That’s what we deliver.”

What have you worked on together with Bos Nieuwerkerk?

“Not long after our first meeting—arranged by Martine and attended by Joop—we received our first request. It was for the extraction and filtration system for a donut production line. Bos Nieuwerkerk asked us to handle the fan controls to manage proper air intake and exhaust. Before that job was even finished, they brought us in again—this time for air extraction and filtration at a slaughterhouse. By then, we knew each other’s expertise better, so we started collaborating earlier in the process to explore how we could offer the client more than the obvious solution. That’s how we came up with the idea of installing a complete air handling unit on the roof, instead of just industrial fans. This unit includes silencers, filters and heating—and even has space reserved for future cooling, if needed. A more versatile and future-proof solution.”

For the client, our partnership is ideal—they want a turnkey project. Together, we can deliver exactly that.

Are you smarter together than alone?

“Yes, you could say that. It’s partly because we operate in different industries and have developed our own best practices within them. We’re now sharing those with each other. Heat Matrix’s expertise in heat recovery has recently been added to the mix as well. Their first project involving us as a partner has already been completed, and several joint proposals have been sent out. For the client, our collaboration is ideal—they want a turnkey solution, a fully operational installation delivered by a single main contractor. That’s exactly what we can offer together.”

Our cultures align closely—that makes working together so easy.

Bos Nieuwerkerk is a family business—and so was Unica. Does that influence the way you work together?

“Unica, founded ninety years ago, was indeed a family business until six years ago. It grew in part through acquisitions of smaller family firms without successors. In 2017, private equity firm Triton acquired a majority stake, but the founding family still holds shares and the culture remains that of a family business. Despite our size, entrepreneurship is embedded at every level, and we value long-term relationships and honest communication. We see the same values at Bos Nieuwerkerk, and that’s a big reason why we work so well together.”

Do those shared values show on the work floor?

“Absolutely. Say one of us needs to carry units upstairs—the other jumps in without hesitation. If one of us can’t attend a construction meeting, the other goes. I don’t need to encourage that—it happens naturally, because it’s part of who we both are. At the management level, you also see it: we involve each other in projects, and we recommend one another to clients. Who ends up as main or subcontractor doesn’t matter—we’ll figure that out later.”

About Jaap van der Velde

Jaap van der Velde manages the Bodegraven branch of Unica, part of the Industry Solutions cluster. Unica was his first employer, and he has now worked there for 25 years in a range of technical roles. With extensive experience as both project leader and project manager, he remains hands-on even in his current role as branch manager—because working with clients to find the best solution is his favourite part of the job. As he puts it, he may be a true engineer at heart, but it’s the combination of people and technology that really drives him.

Links

Blog van Joop van der Sterren, vestigingsdirecteur van Unica Industry Solutions Venlo.