‘Attention for even the smaller clients’
In the candy world, Frank Verkleij considers himself a very modest player. Nevertheless, with Just Candy he has cleverly adapted to serve the market all the way to Asia. In part, he says, thanks to Vetipak’s flexibility. Five questions, five answers.
How did you come into contact with Vetipak?
“When I started Just Candy a few years ago, I went looking for a co-packer, and it wasn’t long before I heard positive things about Vetipak. When I saw their client portfolio, I knew immediately that they must offer great quality. But I didn’t know if they would be a good fit for my type of company.”
Why not?
“Because I’m a relatively small player in the market, and I’m a newcomer too, so a co-packer would have to be able to deal with that. But my concerns were completely unfounded. In fact, they recognized my entrepreneurial spirit, and they immediately started brainstorming with me. That hasn’t changed at all over the years.”
How would you describe what it’s like to work with Vetipak?
“Professional, but familiar. No matter who you talk to - from the shop floor staff to the management - it’s always a pleasant conversation. And although I’m a small customer, I have the feeling that I’m just as important as the big boys.”
How do they make the difference for you?
“Mainly through their flexibility. At Just Candy, we prefer a lean and mean approach. That means we keep a limited inventory and work with relatively small production runs and extremely short lead times. But Vetipak almost always manages to meet my needs. For me, that more than compensates for the fact that they’re not the cheapest option in the market.”
Is there room for improvement at Vetipak?
“If anything, I’d say: the price. I know that if we went shopping, we could find it cheaper somewhere else. But we’re not going to do that. The combination of the good collaboration, the high level of flexibility, and the high quality means that Vetipak is always at the top of our list in our plans and ambitions.”