Op (de) T bij....Smurfit Westrock RapidCorr

This time the T-pot brought us to one of the oldest residents of Strijp-T: Smurfit Westrock RapidCorr Eindhoven, as it has become the official full name since the last merger. Here Cecile Smeets and Boudie Hoogedeure spoke with Inge Hoevenaars-Koenraadt and Bastiaan Mullaert.

What does your organization do?

“Originally, in the 1950s, we were the paper and corrugated cardboard factory of Philips and for years the packaging of Philips was made here. After many transitions, mergers, and changes of ownership, our machine now produces corrugated cardboard sheets, completely customized from various quality types, with a very short delivery time in both small and large quantities,” Bastiaan answers.

“Think for example of cover plates for stabilizing products on pallets, plates with punched corners or with printed paper processed to later become boxes. Our sheets are used in a wide range of sectors as a final product to protect valuable and/or fragile products or processed into packaging”.

Bastiaan: “traditionally we are located right in the middle of Strijp-T and are housed in a particularly historic building. Every day we literally see the terrain greening further around us and buildings being renovated rigorously to then see new companies established there. So beautiful to see large high-tech innovative 3D printers at neighbor Additive Industries. A true revival of Strijp-T is taking place here, with a lot being accomplished in a short time”.

Inge adds:

“And even though the majority of our staff consists of factory workers, who are less likely to participate in networking events of the Strijp-T community, there is, for example, interest in the Strijp-T mobility project where you can experience what it's like to ride an electric bike to work for a week”.

Inge: “Mijn volledige titel luidt ‘Customer Service en Supply Chain Manager’, wat inhoudt dat ik me o.a. bezighoud met verkoop, planning, communicatie en marketing binnen het bedrijf. Daarnaast ben ik ‘ambassadeur’ bij de Strijp-T community, ofwel de koppeling tussen de community en ons bedrijf”. “En ik vervul hier de rol van General Manager in dit prachtige bedrijf” aldus Bastiaan.

What is your role?

Inge: “My full title is ‘Customer Service and Supply Chain Manager’, which means that I am involved in sales, planning, communication, and marketing within the company. Additionally, I am an ‘ambassador’ for the Strijp-T community, acting as the link between the community and our company”. “And here I hold the role of General Manager in this wonderful company,” says Bastiaan.

Who would you like us to visit next time on the T and why? “At ThermoFisher Scientific in the Innovation Powerhouse. I was there recently to drop off a package and was amazed at how many people were walking around in that building and almost no one spoke Dutch....” says Inge.