Annual Book 2024

‘Thailand is the second largest sugar exporter in the world and a key hub for processing sugar cane,’ says General Manager Van Leeuwen Thailand Michael van Etten. ‘Crucial components in the production process of these plants are boiler tubes, which because of heat, contamination by sand and corrosion must be replaced every year. Indeed, stoppage caused by defective tubes for the boiler can have a major financial impact on sugar producers. Van Leeuwen supplies high-quality tubes that are procured from renowned producer Benteler in Germany. Due to its strong reputation and reliable deliveries, Van Leeuwen is able to compete with Japanese mills who are also highly regarded in Thailand.’

Timing

Van Leeuwen’s strength lies not only in its products, but in its process as well. Business Development Manager Sivaphon Thephasdin Na Ayudhya identifies customers’ needs early on, which enables Van Leeuwen to coordinate its delivery capacity with Benteler at an early stage. ‘I visit all 58 sugar plants throughout the year and identify their expectations and requirements,’ he says. ‘This proactive process prevents delays and provides for an efficient procurement strategy, which enables sugar plants to optimize their production. The sugar market is highly seasonal: the harvest starts in December and ends in April and that is the period when plants have to run at full capacity. This is why most orders for alloyed steel and carbon steel tubes are placed at the beginning of the year so that the old ones can be replaced well in advance.’

Due to this approach, Van Leeuwen has developed a strong relationship with large players, such as Thai Ruang Ruang Sugar Group (TRR), one of the largest sugar producers in Thailand. Their management indicates that they are very satisfied with the collaboration with Van Leeuwen: ‘As Thai Roong Ruang Sugar Group marks another annual milestone with Van Leeuwen, we would like to express our deepest gratitude for the incredible partnership we have shared over the years. We are truly grateful for the trust, collaboration, and success we have achieved together throughout our partnership. Your unwavering support and dedication have contributed to our mutual accomplishments and we look forward to continuing our successful cooperation for many more years to come’, said a spokesperson on behalf of the management.
 

Exploiting opportunities for growth

In addition to favorable pricing, Van Leeuwen’s stability as an international family business is a key factor in the customers’ decision-making process. The company’s long-term vision and solid financial basis provide security, especially in an industry where reliability is essential. Furthermore, Van Leeuwen’s global purchasing power and logistics expertise allow the company to offer competitive pricing and flexible solutions. Sivaphon: ‘Companies in Thailand prefer to work with global organizations that do not only give commitment of service and supply by product warranty but also reputation, history and relationship. Ensuring that we keep our strong reputation in the boiler tube business is essential to keep other mills like companies from China, who are entering the oil & gas market, out of the sugar industry.’

Michael van Etten, joined Van Leeuwen in 2014, has extensive sales and business development experience in Southeast Asia and plays a key role in the development of Van Leeuwen Thailand. He has contributed to the company’s growth through his strategic approach and in-depth market knowledge. His relationship with diverse steel mills around the world including Benteler give the important supplier connection required in the world of trading.

Sivaphon Thephasdin Na Ayudhya, joined Van Leeuwen in 2018, started his career in the maintenance and repair of valves and the sales of gaskets. At Van Leeuwen he advanced to the position of Business Development Manager for the sugar industry. He travels throughout the country to support customers, monitor market developments and maintain business relationships. His local expertise and technical knowledge make him an indispensable link in Van Leeuwen Thailand’s success.

‘Carrier is a global market leader in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems,’ says Operations Director Boris Guedel. ‘This American company supplies systems for industrial, as well as private climate control systems and has an enormous production site in France that is crucial for production for the EMEA region. Van Leeuwen has been a key supplier of steel components to Carrier for more than ten years.’

Critical component

Boris continues: ‘We ran into a serious problem: an external supplier within Carrier’s production process, responsible for a critical component, large steel pipes that function as heat exchangers in Carrier’s cooling systems, stopped its services.’

Internal production as a strategic move

Van Leeuwen France decided to set up this part of the production process in its warehouse. General Manager Marc Liguori: ‘This represented a major investment in in-house production facilities, including an advanced plasma cutting machine and a special blasting machine. Because of this strategic move, Van Leeuwen acquired full control over quality and delivery reliability. Production was successfully transferred to its own site in Meyzieu, close to the Carrier plant. The transfer was completed without any noteworthy problems and Carrier immediately acknowledged the improvement in quality. Moreover, Van Leeuwen can also use this new equipment to serve other customers, which creates additional opportunities for growth.’

Added value

The added value for Carrier is clear: a reliable supplier that, within a short distance from the Carrier plant, supplies key components of consistent quality. Boris: ‘For Van Leeuwen, the internal production not only meant that we were able to retain an important customer, it also strengthened our position as a strategic Carrier partner. The past year was a challenging year for Van Leeuwen France. General market conditions were difficult with a declining demand in the distribution sector. Fortunately, the partnership with Carrier provided stability and growth. In 2024, Carrier increased production by 20%, partly due to the increased demand for their products in the data center market.’

Stability and reliability

Marc emphasizes that Van Leeuwen is viewed as a solid and reliable partner. This gives customers, such as Carrier, the security they need to enter into long-term contracts. Furthermore, Van Leeuwen’s international presence helps in procuring the right materials. According to Boris, it is important to find a balance: ‘We are a distributor, but by adding smart treatments and innovations, we really make a difference.’

Boris Guedel has an engineering background. He started his career in the water industry in the Middle East. Following this, he had a role in the supply chain of a copper processing company in France. He joined Van Leeuwen in 2021 as Operations Director responsible for project implementations and the supply chain.

Marc Liguori has more than 20 years’ experience working at ArcelorMittal, one of the largest steel companies in the world. He occupied various positions there, ranging from sales director to chief customer service in the automobile sector. In 2023, he transferred to Van Leeuwen, as Managing Director, France.

Until recently, Ted Klaver was working from Zwijndrecht, but at the beginning of 2025 he moved to Dubai. From the Van Leeuwen branch there he concentrates on the entire Gulf region. Van Leeuwen is less dominant in this region than in Europe, but the oil and gas market is huge and there are opportunities for growth in specific niche markets. The Middle East demands a flexible and strategic approach due to severe competition and divergent quality standards. ‘You have to be more selective in your decision to submit or not to submit for a project,’ says Ted.

INEOS Project ONE

INEOS, a fast-growing chemical company, is investing four billion euros in a new plant in the port of Antwerp: Project ONE. This is the largest industrial investment in the region in twenty years. Even for Van Leeuwen, the task is impressive, says René Viskil. ‘We supplied 18,000 metric tons of pipes, fittings and flanges of various qualities. The logistics challenge was enormous, with deliveries to Abu Dhabi, where modules are built, and to the Netherlands, where we set up Dedicated Project Storage Areas (DPSAs) to temporarily store materials for the project. Import from China became difficult because of import quotas, while geopolitical factors, such as the attacks on ships in the Suez Canal region, drove up transportation costs. Despite this, we effectively dealt with all challenges.’

Global coverage

The reason why Van Leeuwen was selected was due to multiple factors. Ted: ‘First of all, we have the required technical expertise and experience in-house for such projects. Aside from this, we provided the possibility of storing many materials close to the construction site in Antwerp, which was essential given the tight schedule. Third, Van Leeuwen has a strong presence in China, which facilitated the purchase and quality control of the right materials. Finally, Van Leeuwen’s global coverage is a major plus: in Abu Dhabi, as well as in the Netherlands, teams were able to provide on-site support and streamline the logistics.’ ‘As a result, 2024 became an excellent project year for Van Leeuwen Zwijndrecht,’ says René. ‘At the same time, many projects are currently on hold in Europe due to a lack of political decisions and uncertainty about permits. This is why it is important to attract new projects for the second half of 2025 now.’

Added value

For Van Leeuwen supplying pipes is not the only consideration. The added value lies in project management, technical expertise and customer focus, among other things. By having a global presence, offering smart logistics solutions and purchasing strategically, Van Leeuwen time and again demonstrates why it is “more than tubes”. ‘Furthermore, as a family business, Van Leeuwen focuses on long-term relationships, whereby customer focus is deeply embedded in the mentality of all employees,’ says René.

Ted Klaver started working at Van Leeuwen in 2020 and was responsible for the Global Projects Organization. He was Commercial Director Global Projects and currently works from Dubai as General Manager Middle East, where he serves the growing market in the Middle East. Prior to this he worked twelve years in the energy sector, five years of which were in Singapore.

René Viskil has been employed by Van Leeuwen for almost thirty years. He started in the export department and soon switched over to the projects department. He advanced to become Global Senior Project Manager Energy Projects. He has implemented projects all over the world, and worked for two years in Houston, among other places.

Van Leeuwen China focuses on two main activities: ‘We help international customers buy Chinese materials for their projects and inventories. In addition, we also sell locally, especially to the oil and gas industry,’ says Dennis Yap. Through means of an elaborate network of suppliers in China, Van Leeuwen ensures that customers receive reliable materials, without the complexity of having to deal directly with Chinese producers.

BASF: global player in the chemical industry

The partnership with BASF is a nice example of responding to a new market of an international character. BASF is one of the largest chemical companies in the world, with production sites throughout the world. Due to rising energy costs in Europe and geopolitical uncertainties, BASF, in 2021, decided to significantly invest in a chemical plant in Guangdong, South China. This project requires high-quality steel products and a reliable supply chain.
The partnership with BASF entailed various challenges. One of the largest challenges was to transport the pipes from the mill to the project site in the southernmost part of China, which experiences extremely high precipitation in certain seasons. Dennis Yap: ‘To date we have already supplied BASF with more than 10,000 metric tons of carbon steel pipes.’

New warehouse

Van Leeuwen China has profiled itself as a reliable partner for BASF. ‘Our largest partner in this project is Hengyang Valin Steel Tube Co. Ltd., as a supplier of seamless pipes. To optimally support the BASF new development project, we are renting a new warehouse adjacent to the producer,’ says Dennis Yap. This enabled Van Leeuwen to provide efficient storage and rapid delivery.

Reputation

According to Dennis Yap and Carina Zhang Li, this is also what “More than tubes” means for Van Leeuwen China. ‘Of course, we supply pipes and fittings, but we also provide professional service to our customers. That is important: the best prices and the best service,’ says Carina Zhang Li. Dennis Yap adds: ‘Furthermore, I predict a bright future for the industry in Asia in the coming years, and therefore for Van Leeuwen as well. Given the rising cost of raw materials and the complex geopolitical relationships in Europe, I expect that more industrial companies will opt for Asia when they consider expansion or new development.’ Due to the expansion of the BASF project with a new framework contract in the offing, Van Leeuwen China is looking ahead to the future with confidence.

Dennis Yap has a background in maritime engineering. On completing his bachelor’s degree in marketing, he started his career in the shipping industry in Singapore. ‘After working two years in Singapore, I first worked one year for a competitor. In 2000, I joined Van Leeuwen, and now, I have already worked here for 25 years.’ He managed several projects, including a joint venture with the Chinese steel producer TPCO, and ultimately became General Manager of Van Leeuwen China.

Carina Zhang Li studied computer science at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. In 2007, she joined Van Leeuwen from the joint venture with TPCO. ‘I am responsible for project implementations and domestic procurement. I work together with many Chinese manufacturers and I hope to work even more closely with them in the coming year.’ Her knowledge of the Chinese market and her strong relationships with local suppliers make her a key figure within the company.

A traineeship at Van Leeuwen lasts 18 months. ‘My first assignment was in the sales department at Van Leeuwen Zwijndrecht and after several months I was allowed to specify my next area of interest,’ says Frederike. ‘I settled on operations, where I coordinated the order processing for European branches. I also worked on an international assignment at Van Leeuwen Singapore.’ Amber started as part of the commercial excellence team, which supports and optimizes operations internationally. ‘This varied from process improvements to the introduction of the e-commerce platform. I also worked on the development and promotion of the World Tube Center (WTC) in Zwijndrecht. After this I transferred to the sales department in Zwijndrecht, where I learned a great deal. Next week I will travel to Trezzano at Van Leeuwen Italy for four months to acquire my share of international experience. There I will support their sales, procurement and logistics team and focus on the Energy market where Van Leeuwen Italy is currently still underrepresented.’

Room for discovery

‘The nice thing about a traineeship is that you can investigate and try things out,’ says Frederike. ‘You will mostly hear “yes” and seldom “no”. This way I discovered what suited me best and how I could best be of help to Van Leeuwen. I never would have thought that I would find operations and digitization that interesting. Today I work as a Business Development Manager, a highly varied position: one time I may be investigating how to do some processes more efficiently and at another time I may be working on logistics improvement projects. Or I may be working together with other colleagues to explore new markets, for example data centers. No doubt I will be involved in yet other tasks in the future. This traineeship has provided a strong base.’

Amber agrees and finds the traineeship to be very educational. ‘For me, learning from everyone, ranging from managers to truck drivers, is an amazing experience. Everyone is friendly and is open to working with young people with new ideas. I am also given a lot of confidence. Our CEO, Joop Sassen literally told us: “give yourself the chance to learn something.”’ Frederike adds: ‘While you are a trainee, you are immediately considered a full-fledged colleague. You get to show what you are capable of and you are given the room to develop yourself professionally and personally. This is something that I appreciate tremendously about Van Leeuwen.’

Amber van Tessel studied Business Administration and earned her master’s degree in Strategic Management. Her background in an entrepreneurial family business played a role in her choice to work at Van Leeuwen. ‘During my search for a traineeship, I ended up at Van Leeuwen in 2024. After a few interviews I knew that this was the right place for me.’

Frederike Vijftigschild studied International Hotel & Management followed by International Business & Languages. ‘I did not yet exactly know what I wanted to do. This traineeship, which I started in 2023, has offered me the chance to learn about the various aspects of this company. I was not disappointed! I now work as a Business Development Manager and continue to further develop myself.’

Van Leeuwen Slovenia operates in various sectors, with a strong focus on mechanical engineering, special structures and the automotive industry. Countries such as Croatia and Serbia are key future growth areas for Van Leeuwen Slovenia. ‘Our biggest challenge is the current economic uncertainty, including geopolitical factors and fluctuations in demand,’ says Managing Director Emil Sirovina. Quality System Manager Simona Zavratnik is involved in an entirely different, intensive project: preparing for the implementation of ISO 14001 and ISO 45001. ‘This requires a great deal of work, because you have to be able to demonstrate that you are systematically working in an environmentally friendly, healthy and safe way.’

Reducing costs

Van Leeuwen Slovenia combines distribution and production to provide customers with customized solutions. The company is able to rapidly respond to specific customer needs. Simona: ‘We not only support customers with materials, but also with technical advice, stock management and just-in-time deliveries. This helps companies in, for example, the automotive and mechanical sector, to make their production chains more efficient and to reduce costs.’

New building

‘Seventeen people work here,’ says Emil. ‘The opening of our new building in 2024 has strengthened cooperation within the team, because the production facility and the offices are now at a single location. This works more efficiently and that is good for us and for our customers. Furthermore, the building was designed with sustainability in mind, consistent with Van Leeuwen’s long-term vision to work more climate consciously. We celebrated the opening of the new building in a big way, together with employees, customers and other dignitaries. Of course, it also coincided with our 30th anniversary and Royal Van Leeuwen’s 100th anniversary.’

Sharing best practices

According to Emil and Simona, working at Van Leeuwen is not just about pipes and tubes, but also about the knowledge, service and support Van Leeuwen provides to its customers. ‘A nice example of this is the international cooperation within the group,’ says Emil. ‘We share best practices and market insights with branches in other countries. Moreover, Van Leeuwen’s global presence offers stability and opportunities for growth. The exchange of knowledge within the group, such as within the West Balkan region, creates synergy and new business opportunities. Furthermore, the family business has a long-term vision and offers reliability that is appreciated by customers.’

Market conditions

Market conditions were not easy in 2024 for virtually all European Van Leeuwen companies. ‘Despite economic challenges, our company continues to focus on expansion and innovation,’ says Emil. ‘This way we more than realize our slogan “more than tubes”.’

Emil Sirovina studied mechanical engineering in Ljubljana and has worked in the steel industry and automotive sector, among others at Hidria, and as a member of the management board of a tool manufacturer. He has been Van Leeuwen Slovenia’s Managing Director since 2014. In this role he combines his technical expertise with strategic leadership in order to strengthen Van Leeuwen’s position in Slovenia and in the West Balkan region.

Simona Zavratnik also studied mechanical engineering and started her career in the production of car seats at Johnson Controls. She gained twenty years' experience in project management and quality management, and learned how international quality standards and customer-orientation converge. Since 2022, she has been working at Van Leeuwen Slovenia as Quality System Manager, where she is responsible for quality processes, certifications and customer satisfaction.

International partnerships

Eva Täljegård emphasizes the importance of Heléns’ international partnerships: ‘In principle we work on a regional basis in Northern Europe, but because we form part of Van Leeuwen, we are able to follow our major Process & Power customers when they undertake international projects. One of our most important customers in Northern Europe operates in the pulp and paper industry. This is a leading company in its industry segment that manufactures machinery and process equipment for pulp and paper companies, for modernizing existing operations, as well as for completely new development projects. Heléns has been a supplier for almost 30 years and has carried out a wide range of projects. Now that we form part of Van Leeuwen, we are able to strengthen our portfolio in cooperation with the GPO team in Zwijndrecht. Thanks to global procurement and a logistics network, we can be a reliable partner for our customers in large-scale projects over the entire world.’
 

Stockholm Water Treatment Plant

One of the most impressive projects Emanual is working on is the Stockholm Water Treatment Plant. ‘This is a gigantic project for which we are supplying 1,300 metric tons of stainless steel pipes for a new facility for treating Stockholm’s waste water. Logistics is the major challenge here. Emanuel: ‘The pipes are huge; some are 12 meters in length with a diameter of 1.2 and 1.4 meters. In total, 130 trucks are required to get them to the project site.’ The pipes are purchased from a regular Heléns supplier in Italy. From there they are transported by truck, loaded onto trains and on arrival they are transported by truck again to the storage site. In the initial phase, the pipes are stored in the open air. However, at a later stage they must be delivered to the construction site at precisely the right time. ‘Because the project is located right in the heart of a residential area, we have a very narrow time slot to close the roads for transporting the pipes. This requires perfect planning.’

The strength of an international company

Eva, as well as Emanuel, feels that working for an international organization, such as Van Leeuwen, has many advantages. ‘In the past all of our work was local, but now we can work together with others worldwide. We have better procurement possibilities, share knowledge and are able to tackle large projects more efficiently,’ says Eva. For customers, this means that they are not just purchasing pipes, but a total solution, says Emanual. For me, “More than tubes” means that we offer more than just a product. We provide input, optimize logistics and create solutions that add real value.’ Eva agrees: ‘Because we form part of Van Leeuwen, we are able to make use of global expertise, while at the same time we stay closely connected with our regional customers. This local presence combined with a global reach makes us a stronger and more reliable partner in complex projects.’ Emanuel adds: ‘The market is highly dynamic and we have to remain flexible. The nice thing about Van Leeuwen is that it provides every possible opportunity to do just that. You are given confidence and opportunities for growth here.’

Emanuel Johansson discovered Heléns during his International Business to Business Sales studies. ‘I was looking for an internship in a large company and ended up at Heléns. To be honest, at that time I did not know exactly what they were doing, but it proved to be a perfect choice.’ After two internships he was immediately offered a job in 2015 and started selling pipes. His career at Heléns took off quickly. ‘I started out as Coordinator at Process & Power, a niche market at Heléns, where I served as the link between sales and procurement. Shortly after this I was given the opportunity to advance to a commercial role.’ Today, Emanuel manages a team of eight colleagues and is responsible for the markets in Sweden and Finland.

Eva Täljegård started her career with Heléns Rör AB in 1994, after completing her university studies in business economics. She started in the sales department and later occupied positions in sales and marketing. Over time, she advanced to leadership positions in procurement and management. She first worked as Purchasing Manager, after which she continued her career within the organization as Vice President Central Procurement at Benteler Distribution. In 2016, she returned to Heléns Rör AB as Managing Director.

Various experts from different countries work together in Market Acceleration Circles at Van Leeuwen. These teams share knowledge and best practices within specific sectors. In this case, the Mechanical Engineering Circle provided valuable insights and strategies to be able to reacquire Putzmeister as customer.

Comeback via Turkey

Putzmeister, a German manufacturer of concrete pumps, relied on Van Leeuwen as its supplier for years. However, due to a takeover, pricing factors, internal miscommunication and changed technical requirements, Van Leeuwen lost the contract. The renewed cooperation began in Turkey, where Fatih Acar, together with his team at Van Leeuwen Turkey, supplied small orders and developed a strong relationship with Putzmeister’s local procurement team. When revenue over a period of four years grew by a factor of twenty, the German team together with Dirk Teschke from Vaihingen was engaged. Together with Turkish colleagues, including Yunus Bas and people from Putzmeister, they organized visits to plants and conducted technical evaluations. Corrosion tests confirmed the quality of Van Leeuwen’s pipes and tubes to be superior to that of its competitors, which led to renewed interest on the part of Putzmeister. This was particularly true of the high-quality hydraulic and pneumatic pipes (HPL), which are of crucial importance to Putzmeister for its production process.

Flexible and efficient

In addition to supplying high-quality pipes and other materials, Van Leeuwen provides customized logistics solutions. Customer dedicated stocks are kept in Germany and Turkey, which enables Putzmeister to work flexibly without high storage costs. Just-in-time deliveries facilitate more efficient production planning. When he is asked about what makes Van Leeuwen “more than tubes” in this case, Jörg Hassler replies: ‘Van Leeuwen differentiates itself by a seamless cooperation between Germany and Turkey. Furthermore, the high quality of the HPL pipes that we purchase from our fixed partner Benteler Steel/Tube is a significant added value. Moreover, we go the extra mile by providing flexible logistics: we maintain customer dedicated stocks and provide just-in-time deliveries.’ Fatih Acar adds: ‘In addition, Van Leeuwen has a global presence and a long history of stability and customer confidence. The cooperation between branches in Germany, Turkey and over time, the US, bears this out.’

Review of 2024

Despite the economic challenges in Europe, Van Leeuwen demonstrated that flexibility, cooperation and innovation are the key to success. ‘Our strength lies in cooperation and the passion of our employees. We really never give up. This year has shown that Van Leeuwen always continues to develop and improve itself,’ says Fatih Acar.

Jörg Hassler has more than 20 years' experience in the pipe and tube industry and started his career at Benteler Distribution in 2002. He was Managing Director for the Czech Republic and Commercial Director for Germany and Austria. One and a half years ago he became Corporate Director Marketing and Commercial Excellence at Van Leeuwen, where he strengthens market strategies and customer relationships.

Fatih Acar studied mining engineering and started his career as sales engineer for mobile platforms. In 2008, he started working at Van Leeuwen Turkey, which at the time, only had a small office with three employees. Later he went over to Benteler Distribution. Through the acquisition of Benteler Distribution, he returned to Van Leeuwen and advanced in his career to become Sales Director at Van Leeuwen Turkey.