30 years. The power of collaboration

A 30^e Anniversary is always a milestone. Whether a person or a company, such a milestone should be celebrated. And preferably with friends, acquaintances and colleagues in attendance. MHK Netherlands organized a congress that simultaneously highlighted their 30th anniversary. And the MHK members eagerly accepted the invitation. A report.

Located on the highest dune of Noordwijk aan Zee we find the Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin. The beautiful hotel dominates the 'skyline' of the coastal town and MHK Netherlands found this the perfect location to organize its congress. Not just any congress, but one that simultaneously celebrates the 30th anniversary of MHK Netherlands. So it is a proud and happy Jeroen Geerling, General Director of MHK Netherlands, who does the honors as host. Proud and happy for the sake of the anniversary and the location - only the weather let down a bit - but above all for the wonderful results achieved by MHK Netherlands. "By staying true to each other in difficult times, we were able to record record sales and fantastic growth," Geerling said. "Nowadays it is still a big challenge, with the difficult deliveries, for example, in any sector. We need each other now more than ever. MHK Netherlands has been around for 30 years, so for 30 years we have been proving the power of working together. On to another 30 years!"

Leaving cleared paths

After the brief welcome by Jeroen Geerling, the latter gave the floor to Werner Heilos, chairman of the MHK Group's Executive Board. On behalf of the entire group, Heilos congratulated the employees and all members of MHK Netherlands on the 30th anniversary. Heilos then showed us some special pictures recently taken by the James Webb Space Telescope and released by NASA. "The James Webb telescope is a great example that we are capable of tremendous things, especially if we work together," Heilos clearly stated. "The space agencies of the United States (NASA), Europe (ESA) and Canada (CSA) built this telescope together and are also jointly responsible for its maintenance. The pictures are of unprecedented quality. If we can accomplish this, then we can certainly withstand and solve the current challenges. To do this, however, it is necessary to dare to let go of what we know and look to the future with an open mind, dare to think out of the box and continue to innovate fully. Consumers today have become very cautious and ask themselves how they can pay the bills, especially electricity and gas. Together we have succeeded in transforming the kitchen into the centerpiece of every home. Then we can certainly make sure that the next generation can also buy a kitchen!"

The Golden Triangle

A 30^e anniversary is the perfect time to look back over the shoulder at how things used to be. "For example, there are still MHK members today who have been there from day one," stresses a proud Geerling. "Both with those members and with MHK Netherlands it concerns a new generation at the helm, but the message and insight has always remained the same: the power of community works." After a brief interlude, Geerling turned the floor over to Ivo Metz, who took charge of presenting The Golden Triangle. "Last year we presented these awards for the first time to the most beautiful bathroom and the most beautiful kitchen in the Netherlands," Metz outlined the award. "It really was an instant hit and an award worn with pride. For this second edition, we really received significantly more entries so our professional expert jury was presented with an immense task." The professional jury chose three finalists after which the MHK members in attendance selected the final winner via a special app. After a clear presentation of the three contenders by the professional jury (Monique van der Reijden and Evelien Reich) and the excitement of the voting, Scheffer Badkamers from Zelhem ("a bathroom that exudes total wellness and one and all luxury and comfort with a daring choice to place the light object above the bath with an organic form") and Loomans Keukens from Eindhoven ("a beautiful piece of customization in which the kitchen has become a kind of living room, an example for many") emerged as winners. A nice certificate, a beautiful bunch of flowers, a nice voucher, a deserved applause and the honor of receiving the trophy in their hands fell to the winners. And Metz concluded the show with the clear and heartfelt words, "I am proud that such beautiful projects are being realized at MHK."

Relaxation must be there

"If you can make your hobby your profession, then you are living it in a dream, so to speak." With this strong opening sentence, Robert Doornbos took the audience through his career as a Formula 1 driver, explained in an understandable way some of the difficult technical features of car racing and made it clear that it is actually not so bad to make mistakes, as long as you deal with them appropriately, react to them correctly ánd make sure that those mistakes do not keep repeating. "Many features and innovations see the light of day in Formula 1 (F1) after which they slowly trickle down to 'normal' cars," Doornbos said. "That makes it one of the biggest innovation platforms in the world. Innovations that literally save lives, just think of the recent crashes there have been where no doubt racing drivers would have lost their lives without all the developments in safety. F1 is also the third most watched sport on earth and, contrary to what many people think, really is a team sport. Just look at the team that is along for every race and performs the pit stops, for example. Everyone knows their job perfectly and also knows that the person next to them can do their job perfectly. It is the result of practice, practice again and keep practicing. Bringing the right people together, performing under pressure..."

The end of Doornbos' keynote immediately ushered in a new part of the anniversary congress, a relaxing part that continued after a nice dinner with a performance by Edsilia Rombley and an afterparty with DJ Gilbert. A more than successful ending to a more than successful congress.