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Sustainable leader #4 Technological sustainability company Kuijpers – ‘Practice what you preach’
Do you want to make your company more sustainable or get started with Corporate Social Responsibility? But don't you know how? In this section we speak with entrepreneurs from the Brainport region who are already well on their way in the transition towards a sustainable economy. What can we learn from these pioneers? This time: family owned company Kuijpers, which helps accelerate the energy transition and is strongly committed to social entrepreneurship and lifelong learning. When it comes to sustainability their motto is: ‘practice what you preach’. A conversation with Aukje Kuyers (managing director) and Werner Govaarts (financial director).
Family owned company Kuijpers, a well-known name in Helmond and the surrounding area, became a large company in the 1970s and is particularly known for its with gas connections. In the meantime times have changed. In 2023, Kuijpers is active in the field of sustainable technology. With sixteen locations across the country it contributes to making environments healthier, greener and smarter with technical solutions in the field of energy, comfort, safety, space and light. The customers are very diverse. “From the Rijksmuseum to data centers and from ASML to Leiden University,” says Aukje. “They all want to get started with sustainable installations. We help them with that. We prefer to do this in the breadth of the process: from advice to implementation and from design to operation.
Specialisms
The history of Kuijpers goes back more than a hundred years, when Aukje's great-grandfather founded the company. Ever since its foundation, Kuijpers has worked with one basic principle: making life livable. “When my father was responsible for the company, from the mid-1970s, our services revolved around climate and comfort,” says Aukje. “The first air conditioning, for example, that was really something. After that, the focus shifted more to the contribution of the indoor climate to health and well-being. And that eventually evolved into sustainability, which we are now focusing on a lot.”
Making your company more sustainable is easier than you think
Many entrepreneurs think that a lot of innovation is needed to become more sustainable. “And that they therefore have to invest heavily,” says Werner. “But that's not always the case. A subject as sustainability seems complex but we make it small and clear.” On the basis of a 'sustainable menu' (an idea of Kuijpers’ employees), Kuijpers supports its customers in making a roadmap. “It contains solar panels, but also heat and cold storage, isolation and monitoring: all investments that in turn contribute to future investments. So we often say to entrepreneurs: just start. Every step – based on a multi-year plan – is one in the right direction.”
Building full of Energy
When it comes to the company buildings owned by Kuijpers and their processes the motto is 'practice what you preach'. For example, twenty percent of over thousand means of transport are now electric and all of the techniques Kuijpers uses have been applied in their office in Den Bosch to increase sustainability. Aukje: “In that sense, this building, called 'Gebouw vol Energie', is a test and showcase where nature and technology go hand in hand. We show how you can make a dime a dozen office building far more sustainable within an acceptable budget and even make it (partly) circular. Our goal was energy label A and Paris-proof-ready. For this we bundled all our knowledge of technology and sustainability and then applied it 'in-house'.”
Making the chain more sustainable
In addition to its own services, Kuijpers sees sustainable entrepreneurship in a broader perspective. For example, making the chain more sustainable is a very important point. “That is really a huge task,” says Werner. “Because if you lift something in one place in the chain, the whole world is behind it. For example, we want to deliver parts to the construction site without packaging. But we work with a great many electrical and mechanical engineering wholesalers, who also get their products from elsewhere.” Again; you have to take smal steps. “The first step is that you need to ask those suppliers if they also feel this an important subject. Usually everyone says yes. Then you need to develop a joint approach. There are always some problems that you can foresee. But we can no longer steal from the earth. Therefore our starting point is to look at what can be done. The first tests concerning packaging-free deliveries will start soon, in collaboration with members of the trade association and suppliers.
Lifelong development
In addition to sustainability, Kuijpers also focuses on lifelong development. From mechanic, to work planner, to project leader? Such a growth path is not an exception at Kuijpers. Aukje: “Grass doesn't grow if you pull it, you have to water it. The same goes for our more than 1400 employees. I believe that everyone should be able to contribute to society. Also when it comes to people who do not have a diploma, or who find it difficult to obtain one. That is why we hire them and train them. As an employer, I feel a great responsibility in this. Technology is our basis, but our people are our strength.”
Would you also like to become a sustainable leader? These are the golden tips of Aukje and Werner:
1. Step by step
“You cannot solve the entire sustainability issue with one investment. You need several small investments. An example is the Rijksmuseum. We have worked on the proces of making it more sustainable for six years. Step by step they became energy neutral. If such a monumental building can become energy neutral, it can be done anywhere!”
2. Start monitoring today
“We guarantee that you will use ten to fifty percent less energy just by gaining insight into your energy consumption. Monitoring is an accessible investment, by investing in you can immediately make a big step in energy reduction.”
3. Think collectively
“Do you have a building on a business park? If you make things more sustainable together, you really enter acceleration mode. So join forces with entrepreneurs around you.”
This story series is made possible by Brainport Development and Rabobank.