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              First flight from Eelde to Munich

              Eelde Airport secures two new summer routes

              A hydrogen bus.

              Lobbying for the North: Building a Hydrogen Valley

              An American Groninger in Madurodam

              Groningers have the best sense of humor in the Netherlands, study claims

              A band playing at a live concert

              Sold-out Eurosonic Noorderslag brings the best in European music to Northern Netherlands

              Groningen_station_hall

              Groningen landmark may be demolished as part of railway station redevelopment project

              Watch: A workplace that sells itself – CTO on working at Ocean Grazer

              Watch: A workplace that sells itself – CTO on working at Ocean Grazer

              Netherlands pledges more support for Ukraine

              Lidl to close its Assen city center store

              Groningen_bus_station

              Most regional train and bus service set to strike on Thursday and Friday

              Trending Tags

              • Lifestyle
                • All
                • Food & Drinks
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                Groningen welcomes Qatar 2022 with cheer and criticism

                Groningen welcomes Qatar 2022 with cheer and criticism

                The anti Zwarte Piet protest in Emmen

                Emmen: Four people still detained after anti Zwarte Piet protest

                The inside of Forum Groningen

                “Let’s Gro” opens a discussion on the future of Groningen

                What about food in student city Groningen?

                Where to get knockout fries in the northern provinces

                Ukraine Food opens in Groningen

                Ukraine Food opens in Groningen

                Buses will no longer travel through the Grote Markt in Groningen

                Buses will no longer travel through the Grote Markt in Groningen

                “Tall Ships” Race coming to Friesland this week

                “Tall Ships” Race coming to Friesland this week

                Noorderzon festival returning to Groningen in August

                Noorderzon festival returning to Groningen in August

                Plans for extensive Kardinge residential expansion revealed

                Plans for extensive Kardinge residential expansion revealed

                Trending Tags

                • Culture
                  • All
                  • Dutch history
                  • Typical Dutch
                  Eurosonic Noorderslag

                  Eurosonic Noorderslag

                  Ending the Year with a Bang!

                  Ending the Year with a Bang!

                  It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

                  It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

                  A devastating defeat; an unexpected victory

                  A devastating defeat; an unexpected victory

                  Sinterklaas is Here!

                  Sinterklaas is Here!

                  A moment from NFF 2021

                  Noordelijk Film Festival 2022 has started

                  “Tall Ships” Race coming to Friesland this week

                  “Tall Ships” Race coming to Friesland this week

                  Noorderzon festival returning to Groningen in August

                  Noorderzon festival returning to Groningen in August

                  Drenthe FestiValderAa to celebrate its tenth anniversary in style

                  Drenthe FestiValderAa to celebrate its tenth anniversary in style

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                    Watch: A workplace that sells itself – CTO on working at Ocean Grazer

                    Watch: A workplace that sells itself – CTO on working at Ocean Grazer

                    It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

                    It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

                    People protesting on a street in Groningen.

                    Former Sugar Homes residents protest for return of withheld deposit

                    I’m not Black; I’m African

                    I’m not Black; I’m African

                    A letter from the Editor – Internationals from 120 countries: Welcome to Groningen, Leeuwarden, Assen and Emmen!

                    MPs call for cap on foreign student numbers in order to ensure ‘accessibility’

                    Watch: I’m 100% positive about my Groningen internship – Hanze international student

                    Watch: I’m 100% positive about my Groningen internship – Hanze international student

                    Common cold becoming too common

                    Watch: We’re hiring internationals to help us with foreign clients – ACS Buildings CEO

                    Watch: We’re hiring internationals to help us with foreign clients – ACS Buildings CEO

                    “It really felt like a job and a responsibility”: A chat with the Groninger behind the Dutch Covid-19 News WhatsApp group

                    “It really felt like a job and a responsibility”: A chat with the Groninger behind the Dutch Covid-19 News WhatsApp group

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                      Watch: A workplace that sells itself – CTO on working at Ocean Grazer

                      Watch: A workplace that sells itself – CTO on working at Ocean Grazer

                      Watch: We’re hiring internationals to help us with foreign clients – ACS Buildings CEO

                      Watch: We’re hiring internationals to help us with foreign clients – ACS Buildings CEO

                      Small but mighty: TECNED is looking for internationals to help it grow

                      Small but mighty: TECNED is looking for internationals to help it grow

                      Talk on International Growth by local founders to take place on the 21st of June

                      Talk on International Growth by local founders to take place on the 21st of June

                      Groningen to host its first sustainable business day

                      Groningen to host its first sustainable business day

                      Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

                      Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

                      Annual Beta Business Days event a success

                      Annual Beta Business Days event a success

                      What’s it like working in Northern Netherlands?

                      Startup Visa Crew offers support to Ukrainian entrepreneurs (Переклад українською)

                      Gasunie to build €60 million green gas plant in Delfzijl

                      Gasunie to build €60 million green gas plant in Delfzijl

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                      Home Opportunities business

                      Bosker: made in a picturesque village, sold all over the world

                      The Northern Times by The Northern Times
                      August 26, 2019
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                      Bosker: made in a picturesque village, sold all over the world
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                      What does it mean to make it in the north? This is part of a series of portraits of local people, organisations, and companies working to further internationalise Groningen, Friesland, and Drenthe. This time we spoke to Dick Bosker, director at Machinefabriek Bosker.

                      By Erin Goedhart-Stallings

                      In the east of Groningen along the Wadden Sea lies the tiny, picturesque village of Termunterzijl. That is the home of Machinefabriek Bosker, a machine factory that sells trash rake cleaners and other equipment all over the world. I’m welcomed into the office by Dick Bosker, third generation co-owner of this family business.

                      ‘My granddad started the company in 1932 as a blacksmith’, Dick explains.’ At that time, Termunterzijl’s main industry was shrimp fishery, and he produced a lot of machinery. But the business began to evolve as my grandfather started to make his first trash rake cleaner.’

                      ‘There was a pumping station in the village with a weed screen that kept getting blocked by all sorts of rubbish in the water. A workman had to stay there all night with a rake, removing the hay bales and trash that got caught in the screen so the water could continue flowing. It was a messy, unpleasant job. An engineer at the pumping station asked us if we could fabricate a sort of giant rake to remove the rubbish automatically.’

                      ‘Shortly after that – in 1960 – both my grandfather’s sons joined the company. When we started producing trash rake machines in the 1960s, it was only one or two a year. However, it grew to become the main part of our business. In the mid-1980s, two Dutch entrepreneurs approached the company about selling our machines in England, and our first export market was born. We didn’t expect much at first, but it was quickly successful.’

                      ‘A few years later, my uncle and father decided to retire and sold the company to me and my colleague Rob Haak. A larger British company approached us about selling our rakes in the United States, and now we have sales agents in the USA, England, and Singapore. We sell most of our products overseas: perhaps a few to Norway this month, then one to Indonesia the next. But every rake is built right here in Termunterzijl!’

                      ‘We’ve produced about 1300 machines in total, and only two or three were identical. All the machines are tailor-made: a little wider or deeper, suited for hydro stations, nuclear power stations, or anywhere else that has water pumps and needs to keep them clean. One of our more innovative designs is a mechanical rake machine that works with cables rather than hydraulics. That removes the risk of hydraulic oil getting into the water and helps to protect the environment. We have a patent on that technology.’

                      About 30 people now work in the office and factory in Termunterzijl. ‘Sometimes it’s quite hard to find the skilled workers we need here’, Dick says. That’s why they have developed partnerships with local schools. ‘We have quite a few apprentices in our company now because we believe that it’s important to always have some young blood here. You have to put in a bit of work to teach them the job, but it generally works out quite well.’

                      It certainly did for two brothers who are now co-workers. ‘The older brother was working for us already and the younger one did some work here over the holidays. I liked him, so I asked, “How much longer do you have in school?” He said six months, so I told him, “Once you have your certification, come back and work here”. He was the only student to have a job before he even finished his training!’

                      Retaining staff in a small village is also a challenge. ‘Sometimes it seems easier to get people into the company than to keep them. There are few young people here, and many of them leave the area. It’s a constant discussion about how to make work more enjoyable. One way we combat boredom is by job rotating: a welder welds, but he also can do some assembling and machining. It’s more interesting for the worker and better for our business to have that flexibility.’

                      As he grew up around the family business, Dick watched it evolve. ‘There are so many more rules now! Certificates for workers, for health and safety, for ISO. The older generation didn’t have to do that, but we have to. We’re designing a machine for a nuclear power station in England and we haven’t yet produced any steel, but we have produced kilograms of paper! Regulations have changed the business substantially.’

                      With success have come some unexpected challenges. ‘We had to register our name, Bosker, as a trademark because it was becoming a generic name for a type of equipment. We only realised that when we got a call from an angry customer with a broken machine we hadn’t sold them. We visited and saw that the rake had been produced by an Italian manufacturer that called it a ‘Bosker’ type machine! So now the name is trademarked.’

                      As Bosker grows internationally, its headquarters remain solidly Dutch. ‘Not only do we speak Dutch here, but most of our employees speak the local dialect, Gronings. Many of them could get by in English, though. I would have no problem hiring someone who wasn’t Dutch if they had the skills we needed.’

                      That could happen as the company moves into new markets. ‘We sell to the German and Scandinavian markets from here, and we may eventually hire people who are specialised in marketing to those countries. Last year, we started a project with students from Hanze University of Applied Sciences. It’s called the Export Carousel, and they wrote a great report how we could approach the German market. But there’s no hurry; I like that we’re still a relatively small family company.’

                      Companies across the Northern Netherlands are discovering the benefits of new export markets, and the skills and experiences that International people can bring. To find out more about making your company international, visit www.makeitinthenorth.nl and unlock the potential of your business!

                       

                       

                      Tags: apprenticesBoskerexportinginnovatingrenewable energyTermunterzijl
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                      NorthernTimes.nl is an English-language news site for internationals and anyone interested in news and activities in the three northern Dutch provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe. The website provides daily coverage and summaries of local news in the north, as well as human interest stories, backgrounds and a regional events calendar. The Northern Times is an initiative of the International Welcome Center North in cooperation with Persbureau Tammeling BV, which owns and operates the website.

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