Since 1 January, the Hendriks Group has a new managing director in the person of Philip Winckel. He takes over from Wim Jochems and brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience of the Hendriks markets. We spoke to Philip about his plans and ambitions.
Internationally experienced
Philip is no stranger to the world of concrete, infrastructure and steel construction. After studying hydraulic engineering at Delft University of Technology, he spent more than a decade working on international construction projects for Shell. In Australia and Singapore, among other places, he was jointly responsible for the construction of various factories. "I had the opportunity to work on extremely complex and large-scale construction projects and gained an insight into the largest construction sites in Asia. It was a wonderful time, because you get to deal with all aspects of these large construction projects – from engineering and procurement to planning and logistics.
Construction of carousel factories
After his time in Asia, Philip returned to the Netherlands to continue his career in construction and infrastructure, first as Director of Technology & Strategy at the RuwBouw Group, then as Managing Director of Heembeton and subsequently as Chief Operating Officer at Van Wijnen Components. "Among other things, I was responsible for the construction of the robotised carousel factory in Heerenveen. It was a great project that demonstrates how the construction industry is rapidly digitising and automating. This development is all the more important given the major construction challenges facing the Dutch construction sector. The knowledge and experience I gained during these projects will now also benefit the Hendriks Group's customers."
The actual introduction to the Hendriks Group came a few years later when Philip was called in to serve as an independent strategic advisor for Hendriks. “You could say that it left me wanting more. And that’s exactly what happened, because shortly afterwards I was asked to become managing director of the Hendriks Group. This makes me responsible for Hendriks Precon, Hendriks Steel Formwork Technology and Hendriks Sheet Metal Working.”
Strong ambitions
When we ask Philip about his plans and ambitions, he responds enthusiastically: "There are plenty! The Dutch construction sector has had a tough time recently: materials were in short supply or not available on time, inflation was high and the market was more sensitive than ever. And the challenges for the future are even greater. Europe is committed to a large-scale energy transition and digitisation. This presents both opportunities and challenges for our sector. We want to capitalise on these opportunities and challenges for our customers. We are focused on the future. We want to continue to make a difference for our customers – with top quality and high-grade engineering. We are fully committed to supporting contractors who are faced with more regulations and new obligations. And, of course, we want to continue to offer attractive, smart and efficient solutions that simplify, accelerate or otherwise improve our customers' construction and infrastructure projects. We want to do this not only in the Netherlands, but also abroad. Hendriks already has a strong position in Germany and Belgium, which we will consolidate and expand in the coming years!
Our specialists are happy to help you.
