Interview with Jan de Bruijn
19 noviembre 202410 years of expansion and innovation: 2004 - 2014
In 2004 the dot on the horizon was clear: to be a top player worldwide in providing innovative, high-quality logistics systems for the top 50 FMCG manufacturers and major local players. The company’s rapid growth saw up to 140 temporary workers at one point. To streamline operations, Jan de Bruijn joined as Operational Director in 2005, under the condition that he would eventually take over the company. This transition occurred on October 4, 2007, with the leadership team consisting of Jan de Bruijn, Kees Oosting, and George Gierveld. We also did a social project with our Peter Pan Foundation in Romania to help a local school. A rather large side effect of this project was our introduction to Romania, which led to the establishment of our production facility in Romania in 2004.
By integrating cutting-edge IT technologies, we established ourselves as pioneers in the industry. During this time, we also developed new and innovative products and systems such as the Flexible Layer Depalletiser, Intelliware software, i-Veyor, i-Pal, a new C5000 and a new Gantry Palletising Concept. A further development was the introduction of the role of Account Manager, emphasising customer-centric thinking. This shift allowed us to focus on supporting our clients’ interests and improving the efficiency of their logistics systems. In 2006, our service department was also restructured and the LCSi slogan: “Don’t call us, we’ll call you” was introduced. The service department ended up doubling its revenue that year.
Noteworthy projects from this period
Ontex, Belgium (2005) – We installed the i-Pal system in a significant project involving 46 units across 13 locations. The key was our “Plug and Palletise” solution.
PepsiCo, UK (2007) – Our first project for PepsiCo, modifying a spherical robot. It marked the start of an enduring partnership.
PepsiCo, Belgium (2007) – We delivered a multi-load palletising system, which included three high-capacity palletisers and 42 accumulation conveyors featuring smart stop mechanisms and adjustable side guides.
Unimilk, Russia (2008) – For this project, the only specifications we had were the warehouse dimensions. We provided 13 Taros layer palletisers, pallet transport systems, two stretch wrappers, two pallet labellers, and additionally designed and integrated innovative cooling rooms for the dairy sector.
Tetra Pak, Switzerland (2010) – This challenging project involved carton packaging for sterilizable food. Despite setbacks, it was a success and laid the foundation for the CSi Packaging business unit. By 2014, this unit had 15 employees, and in 2021, it became independent under the name Madern.
FrieslandCampina, Belgium (2011) – We developed a stainless steel palletiser to meet strict hygiene regulations.
Unilever, Brazil (2013) – Our first South American project involved delivering a Taros palletiser, a stretch wrapper, and conveyor systems.
In 2004 the dot on the horizon was clear: to be a top player worldwide in providing innovative, high-quality logistics systems for the top 50 FMCG manufacturers and major local players. The company’s rapid growth saw up to 140 temporary workers at one point.