A fresh take on space with an equally fresh take on collaboration

Schagen-based Prommenz helps its clients with projects within the fields of Space, Infra, Development, Measurement and Environment. "With a fresh perspective on space," the website reads. That statement is absolutely correct, but what makes Prommenz truly special is that the team has an equally fresh perspective on working with the client.

In its current form, the company will celebrate a 10-year anniversary in 2020. Time to have a cup of coffee with owners Foppe Timmer and Martijn Nanninga, not only to hear how the past 10 years have been, but especially to learn how they view the next 10 years.

The proverbial oil slick continues to expand

"When you exist for 10 years and still get to serve first-time clients, something is right at the core of your approach," Timmer opens the conversation. "Over the years we have been able to establish our core values crystal clear and we live by them, within all ranks of the company. Number one for us, rock solid, is the relationship with the customer. When we take on a project together, the client becomes part of our team. In all facets of the project, dialogue is a guiding factor, always communicating one-on-one between our people and those involved with the client."

Nanninga adds, "We can categorize our clients into four types: government land, project development, the contracting industry and private individuals. However different these groups may be, our personal approach is always central. You notice that this is appreciated; we get a lot of work from our network. Therefore, the oil patch keeps expanding. We are always looking to expand relationships. That is how we once started and that is still our driving force."

Martijn Nanninga: "The youth here at Prommenz have a very strong voice in the story, they are the future."

Where are the opportunities in the market?

We are curious to know how Timmer and Nanninga envision the next 10 years. Timmer: "We want to broaden our vision and thereby add new fields of work. Customers come in here with a question, which then goes through the entire company. In this way, with all the expertise gathered at Prommenz, we can tackle the entire project together, for the customer that means one stop shopping, knowing that he doesn't have to worry about communication around the work. As far as broadening the scope of work: think for example of pulling maintenance and management more broadly into the company. Then that piece is also in the same trusted hands and we can deliver 'turnkey'."

Nanninga believes that by expanding services you can better stay in each other's picture. "The client relationship must be nurtured, so staying in each other's picture is a prerequisite. Not only because we then know from each other where we stand at the moment, but especially because we can quickly inform the customer about new developments that are interesting for his company. Spotting opportunities and passing them on. By keeping an eye on what the market offers, we can play a new role for our existing customers. Moreover, this way we can already anticipate and take into account the risks in the management and maintenance phase during the project phase."

Making work more fun together

Timmer still sometimes identifies difficult situations that arise between parties in a project because communication falters and the award factor is apparently lacking. "Unnecessary," he says. "That's why we want to make the work more enjoyable together with the client. This is only possible by sitting down together as early as possible and making good agreements. Also morally, everything should be approached in a human way." Nanninga adds: "A code of conduct would be in order, with statements of intent in which all parties commit to pursuing the common goal in a human and friendly way."

Prommenz wants to do everything possible to go along with the movement now underway in the industry, against the "fighting culture. "That old thinking, we have to get rid of it. I also can't sell it to our young employees anymore, who really have a very different view of life and work than the established order," says Nanninga. "The youth have a very strong voice here at Prommenz; they are the future."

"We want to help clients who recognize that closer and more social cooperation in the construction industry is desirable, but don't know how to initiate it within their ranks themselves. We take them along that path. Everything starts with the courage to change and to see different thinking as an opportunity rather than a threat," Timmer concludes.   

Prommenz

Harmenkaag 11, 1741 LA Schagen

T +31 224 299 346

www.prommenz.nl