Insiders : John Zwaneveld
"You really need to pay attention with my job."
John Zwaneveld counts out some bolts and puts them in a box. "This stuff is going to..." he says, running his finger over the order list. "Japan. Yeah, that's nice, isn't it? What I'm packing in a box here will be in a greenhouse in Japan in a few weeks." John Zwaneveld is a warehouse worker at ALWECO and essential for delivering high-quality screen installations as promised.
"I got in here through a friend," says John about his first introduction to ALWECO. "After my previous employer went bankrupt, I was home for a while when Eef van Spronsen called to see if I could help out at ALWECO. I remember it exactly; he called on a Friday, and I was at work on Monday. I had been in the field for about thirty years, so it was fantastic to start at ALWECO."
"I've walked the Four Days Marches eight times"
After a year in the field, a position opened up in the warehouse. "I liked that," says John. "No more climbing and crawling at the installations, but making sure all the small materials get to the customer on time. Bolts, nuts, that kind of work. I'm glad I could make this step within the company. In my spare time, I walk a lot; since I turned fifty, I've walked the Four Days Marches in Nijmegen eight times. So, I still get my exercise."
"They really think with you here"
"ALWECO is a great company," says John. "Especially that they hired me at my age, I was really happy to get back to work. Absolutely fantastic. They really think along with you and are quite flexible. As long as you step up when it's busy, of course. I pick the lists, gather the small stuff, and fill the boxes; you really need to pay attention to that. If I do my job well, you won't run into unforeseen problems during the installation because you're missing screws."
Full of energy
We can't talk with John for long. Orders need to be prepared. "I don't mind working," he says with a smile. And it shows. Full of energy, he goes back to work to get the shipments ready, ensuring all projects are supplied with the right small materials on time.
This is an article in the ALWECO Insiders series, where we regularly talk with ALWECO employees. They share their experiences, how they perceive ALWECO, and what’s going on.