Substitution is the magic word

Harold Brinkman,
Van Leeuwen Precision, Deventer, the Netherlands

Van Leeuwen Pipe and Tube is a trade organization at heart with a clear focus on innovation. A path we recently started exploring is that of product specialization. A claim like ‘just in time’ is not competitive enough anymore these days. Offering added value is what it is all about. In short: thinking along with our customers about alternatives. In this blog I will tell you more about how we deal with product specialization within Van Leeuwen.

I am a Senior Product Manager Sales at Van Leeuwen Precision in Deventer. In this position I am responsible for the Fluid Power segment, for both the domestic market and exports. Furthermore, my responsibilities entail advising about and guiding the implementation of new product group initiatives, such as expansion of stock assortment or new services. This additional focus takes a load off our customer’s shoulders, which they highly appreciate.

Added value

Our customers are mainly producers of hydraulic cylinders. About 70% of our turnover in the Fluid Power segment goes to this category. For the remainder our pipes are used for hydraulic constructions (prefab piping systems) in the aggregate industry, the shipbuilding industry and agriculture. There is a lot going on in the market and competition from low-wage countries is fierce. More and more products are imported from China and Asia in general. We therefore try to distinguish ourselves by offering pipes and bars with an added value. We continuously look for substitution. Which really is the magical word here.

A new direction

It often happens that customers make a product for over 20 years according to a set design. We look for an alternative that is suitable for the same application. The difference is that the alternative weighs less, is cheaper or is of better quality. For example because the diameter or wall thickness can be reduced. Or because corrosion resistance improves, the safety margin increases and cost prices go down. Or it gives our customer a better position compared to their competitors. This is mainly interesting for companies that produce bigger series. Looking for alternatives is a new direction we recently took. An interesting turn that takes up a lot of time. The market is conservative. Using a different quality or norm can be frightening sometimes. At times, unknown is unloved.

Change of mindset

By offering services that our customers used to take on themselves, or outsource them, we want to take weight off their shoulders. E.g. machining of bars or turning activities in accordance with designs. In particular the OEM’s (Original Equipment Manufacturers) are interested in these matters. They could be making cranes or garbage trucks, for which machining pipes and bars is not a core business. If we can deliver the pipe including the machining ‘just in time’ things get interesting. We do not want to take over the job of our customer. If you know your customer well, you know what product they make. You also know how you can help them. By proactively offering that, you can really unburden your customer. Slowly there is a change of mindset occurring, especially by OEM’s about what their core business is and what they can better leave to others. Outsourcing has become everyday’s business. Outsourcing to a steel supplier however is something new. This is one of the things we want to focus on.

Logistic link

Our big strength is that we have many different sizes and qualities of pipes, high pressure tubes and bar steel in stock. This way our customers can buy products daily, weekly or monthly as they require. We are mainly a logistic service provider in this process. We will not perform all treatments or machining ourselves, but we bring companies together and act as logistic link between the machining company and our customer. We have profound knowledge of material treatments and machining possibilities and we know the companies that carry them out.

Of course the customer has a final say in what he is buying. However, we can inform and advise about the possibilities. This way we think along with our customer about the product that they are making

Information

Locations

View all locations

Lindtsedijk 120
3336 LE Zwijndrecht
Plan route
Phone: +31 78 6252525
E-mail: vlptg@vanleeuwen.nl
Lindtsedijk 100
3336 LE Zwijndrecht
Plan route
Phone: (078) 625 25 25
Fax: (078) 625 20 20
E-mail: sales@vanleeuwen.nl
Industrieweg 26
4153 BW Beesd
Plan route
Phone: +31 345 687777
Fax: +31 345 683304
E-mail: sales.stainless@vanleeuwen.nl
Hamburgweg 6
7418 ES Deventer
Plan route
Phone: +31 570 500700
Fax: +31 570 500777
E-mail: info-precisie@vanleeuwen.nl
Lindtsedijk 100
3336 LE Zwijndrecht
Plan route
Phone: +31 78 6293340
Fax: +31 78 6293350
E-mail: sales@teulingstaal.nl
Ettenseweg 7b
7071 AA Ulft
Plan route
Phone: +31315236884
E-mail: ulft@vanleeuwen.nl
Schaarbeeklei 189
1800 Vilvoorde, België
Plan route
Phone: +32 225 54000
Schlütershof 30
47059 Duisburg
Plan route
Phone: +49 203 99340
Berner Str. 38
60437 Frankfurt am Main
Plan route
Phone: +49 69 904322-0
E-mail: Distribution.frankfurt@vanleeuwen.de
Industriestrasse 21
71665 Vaihingen/Enz
Plan route
Phone: +49 7042 101-0
Fax: +49 7042 101-55201
E-mail: distribution.vaihingen@vanleeuwen.de
Chemnitzer Straße 8
14612 Falkensee
Plan route
Phone: +49 3322 277-0
Fax: +49 69 904322 110
E-mail: distribution.berlin@vanleeuwen.de
Rosa-Luxemburg-Str. 29
04103 Leipzig
Plan route
Phone: +49 341 - 231037 0
Fax: +49 341 231 07 720
E-mail: Distribution.leipzig@vanleeuwen.de
Havellandstrasse 10-14
68309 Mannheim
Plan route
Phone: +49 621 3940
Fax: +49 621 394-255
E-mail: Distribution.mannheim@vanleeuwen.de
Am Moosfeld 26
81829 München
Plan route
Phone: +49 89 78046-0
Fax: +49 8978099-13
E-mail: Distribution.muenchen@vanleeuwen.de
Heisenbergerstr. 17A
33104 Paderborn
Plan route
Phone: +49 172 2901748
Hammerbrookstraße 92
20097 Hamburg
Plan route
Phone: +49 40 600384-0
E-mail: Distribution.duisburg@vanleeuwen.de
Grugaplatz 2
45131 Essen
Plan route
Perfektastrasse 69
1230 Wien
Plan route
Phone: +43 19346222-0
2, Avenue des Pays-Bas
69881 Meyzieu (Lyon)
Plan route
Phone: +33 4 72 451515
Fax: +33 4 72 451520
E-mail: vlfrance@vanleeuwen.fr
32, rue de Mogador
75009 Paris
Plan route
The Deckhouse, The Waterfront, West Midlands
DY5 1LW Brierley Hill
Plan route
Phone: +44 (0)1384 487600
Fax: +44 (0)1384 487619
E-mail: sales@vanleeuwen.co.uk
Brunel Road, Skippers Lane Industrial Estate
TS6 6JA Middlesbrough
Plan route
Phone: +44 (0)1642 056450
Fax: +44 (0)1642 457914
E-mail: sales@vanleeuwen.co.uk
Crompton Way, Bolton
BL1 8TY Lancs
Plan route
Phone: +44 1204 301 611
E-mail: sales.vluk@vanleeuwen.co.uk
Unit 1A, Rotunda Business Centre, Thorncliffe Park
S35 2PG Chapletown, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
Plan route
Phone: +44 (0)114 2577577
Fax: +44 (0)114 2570639
E-mail: sales@vanleeuwen.co.uk
Amstrong Road, Daneshill industrial Estate
RG24 8NU Basingstoke
Plan route
Phone: +44 1256 811 121
E-mail: sales.vluk@vanleeuwen.co.uk
Tullow Industrial Estate
Bunclody Road Co. Carlow, Tullow
Plan route
Phone: +353 (0)59 9181120
Fax: +353 (0)59 9181124
E-mail: sales@vanleeuwen.co.uk
Via Leonardo Da Vinci 97
20090 Trezzano sul Naviglio MI
Plan route
Kratka 753/3b
682 01 Vyskov
Plan route
Phone: +420 515 532 201
Fax: +420 515 532 200
E-mail: sales@vanleeuwen.cz
Průmyslová 1666
263 01 Dobříš
Plan route
Phone: +420 318 533 420
Fax: +420 318 533 450
E-mail: info.production@vanleeuwen.cz
Areal ATPED, Na Brne 1972
500 06 Hradec Kralove
Plan route
Phone: +420(0)491610010
Fax: +420(0)491610199
E-mail: sales@vanleeuwen.cz
Nabrezi Dr.Edvarda Benese 20
75002 Prerov
Plan route
Phone: +420 585 312 764
E-mail: info.production@vanleeuwen.cz
Jurajov Dvor 523
925 28 Pusté Úľany
Plan route
Phone: +421 31 7711 500
E-mail: vlp_info@vanleeuwen.sk
Mikovíniho 4
91701 Trnava
Plan route
Phone: +420 491 610 081-2
Fax: +420 515 532 200
E-mail: sales@vanleeuwen.cz
ul. Roździeńskiego 17
41303 Dąbrowa Górnicza
Plan route
Phone: +48 32 765 36 00
E-mail: distribution.poland@vanleeuwen.pl
Otiski Vrh 25A
2373 Šentjanž pri Dravogradu
Plan route
Phone: +386 2 878 78 52
Fax: +386 2 87 87 860
Lörinci ut 139
2220 Vecsés
Plan route
Phone: +36 29 889 190
Fax: +36 29 889 191
E-mail: info@vanleeuwen.hu
Rodūnios kelias str. 11
LT-02189 Vilnius
Plan route
Phone: +370.523.204.51
E-mail: vytautas.kausas@vanleeuwen.eu
17 C.A. Rosseti Str.
020011 Bucharest
Plan route
Phone: +40 372 499 330
Fax: +40 372 499 319
E-mail: sales.romania@vanleeuwen.ro
Soseaua Draganesti, nr 32
230119 Slatina
Plan route
Phone: +40 372 499 330
Fax: +40 372 499 319
E-mail: info.romania@vanleeuwen.ro
TOSB Otomotiv Yan Sanayi İhtisas Organize Sanayi Bölgesi
1.Cadde, 15. Sokak, No:12, 41420 Şekerpınar-Çayırova, Kocaeli
Plan route
Phone: +902627230200
Fax: +90262 658 98 01
131, Zelena str.
79035 Lviv
Plan route
95-113 Lee Holm Road
NSW 2760 St. Mary´s
Plan route
Phone: +61 2 9896 1111
16 General Macarthur Place
Queensland 4301 Redbank
Plan route
Phone: +61-7-3413 8200
Fax: +61-7-3381 9591
E-mail: vlbrisb@vanleeuwen.com.au
1/82 Greens Road
Victoria 3175 Dandenong South
Plan route
Phone: +61-3-9701 3999
Fax: +61-3-9706 7588
E-mail: vlmelb@vanleeuwen.com.au
31 - 35 Vulcan road
W.A. 6155 Canning Vale
Plan route
Phone: +61-8-9455 2882
Fax: +61-8-9455 2828
E-mail: vlperth@vanleeuwen.com.au
Unit 1 lot 261 Schumacher Road
SA 5013 Wingfield
Plan route
Phone: +61-8-7002 5100
Fax: +61-8-7002 5111
E-mail: vladel@vanleeuwen.com.au
4, Pioneer Place
627893 Singapore
Plan route
Phone: +65 68979301
Fax: +65 68979318
E-mail: info@vanleeuwen.com.sg
No 3, Lot 5, Jalan I Park 1/1
Kawasan Perindustrian I Park 81000 Bandar Indahpura
Plan route
Phone: +60 766 060 76
Fax: +60 766 066 07
Suite 11-02, Level 11, Menara IGB, The Boulevard, Lingkaran Syed Putra
59200 Kuala Lumpur
Plan route
Phone: +60 (0)322873358
Fax: +60 (0)322845771
E-mail: malaysia@vanleeuwen.com.sg
Chonburi Industrial Estate (Bo-Win) 341 Moo 6 Highway no. 331 KM 91 District Bo-Win Amphur Sri Racha
20230 Chonburi Province
Plan route
Phone: +66 (0)38345765 or 66
Fax: +66 (0)38345247
E-mail: info@vanleeuwen.com.sg
25 Alma Link Building, 10th Floor, Soi Chidlom, Ploenchit Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan
10330 Bangkok
Plan route
Graha Pratama Building, Floor 14, Jl. M.T. Haryono Kav. 15
12810 Jakarta
Plan route
Intiland Tower 3rd Floor, Service Office Suite 02, Jalan Panglima Sudirman 101-103
60271 East Java
Plan route
Room 1708, You You International Plaza, 76 Pu Jian Road, Pudong New District
200127 Shanghai
Plan route
Phone: +86 (0)2158311866
Fax: +86 (0)2158311900
E-mail: info@vanleeuwen.com.cn
Qiao Bei Xin Rui 3rd Floor, Rm 311, No 10 Jintang Road, Dongli District
Postal 300301 Tianjin
Plan route
Phone: +86 22 84878680
OilField Supply Center, Exec-03
P.O. Box 261145 Dubai - UAE
Plan route
Phone: +971 4 8833872
Fax: +971 4 8837974
E-mail: process@vanleeuwengulf.ae
Al Ghaith Tower - Office #1202, Hamdan Street
P.O. Box 47144 Abu Dhabi
Plan route
Phone: +971 (0)26271840
Fax: +971 (0)26271244
E-mail: sales@vanleeuwen.ae
Prince Sultan St, Qurtoba Sehamiya Tower, Office 602
Al-Khobar 31952
Plan route
Phone: +966 1 3 845 4438
Fax: +966 1 3 845 4439
E-mail: sales@ubsco-piping.com
West Bay, Palm Tower 2
Suite 3003 Doha
Plan route
Phone: +974(0)97444533150
Fax: +974(0)97444533101
E-mail: process@vanleeuwengulf.ae
Building No. 1060, Plot No. 15, Way No 3709
South Ghubra, P.O. Box 835, PC 115 Muscat
Plan route
Phone: +968 2450 5524
Fax: +968 2448 3832
E-mail: process@vanleeuwengulf.ae
Block No. 2, Plot No. 284
Al Ardiya Industrial Area, P.O. Box 4819 13049 Safat
Plan route
Phone: +965 2225 4545
Fax: +965 2434 4610
E-mail: process@vanleeuwengulf.ae
2875 - 64th Avenue
T6P 1R1 Edmonton Alberta
Plan route
Phone: +1 (0)780469 7410
Fax: +1 (0)780466 5970
E-mail: sales@vanleeuwen.com
1225 North Loop West, Ste. 810
Texas 77008 Houston
Plan route
Phone: +1 281582 3150
Fax: +1 281582 3151
E-mail: usa@vanleeuwen.com
Olofsdalsvägen 32, Box 101
SE-30104 Halmstad
Plan route
Phone: +46.70.64.10.122
Koesmosevej 48-58
5500 Middelfart
Plan route
Münchwilerstrasse 37
CH-9554 Tägerschen
Plan route
Phone: +41719299393
E-mail: info@kindlimann.ch
Avenue des Baumettes 3
1020 Renens
Plan route
15 route de Merville
27320 La Madeleine de Nonancourt
Plan route
Phone: +33 2 32 58 01 54
Fax: +33 2 32 58 16 60
E-mail: distribution.france@normydro.com
Luchthavenlaan 4
1800 Vilvoorde
Plan route
De Limiet 15
4131 NR Vianen
Plan route
Phone: +31 (0)347 361911
Fax: +31 (0)347 361730
E-mail: info@combulex.nl

Locations

Round tubes

Hollow sections

Pipe components

Bar steel

Gaskets and Valves

Beams

CO2 reduced tubes

Other

Processing

Testing and material inspections

Logistical Services

Global Project Managment

MRO - Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul

Digital services

Tube solutions

Technical Information

Our company

The Van Leeuwen identity

News

Vacancies

Quality Assurance

Annual report online

Management and organization

History

Speak up!

Picture download

FAQ

Publications

Centennial Collection

Contact details

Sustainability strategy

Specific targets

Specific initiatives

Substitution is the magic word

Added value

A new direction

Change of mindset

Logistic link

Information

Locations

Register for free and meet us in Rotterdam