Tell us more about yourself and Logistiekconcurrent.
My name is Tommie Smits, I live in Ewijk, and I have been working for Logistiekconcurrent for almost 8 years (in July 2022). We are an all-round supplier to logistics companies, supplying everything they need for road haulage and warehousing. We do this online, through our excellent online store, and offline with personal advice. We sell everything from pallets, tensioning belts, seals, and truck parts including boxes by Tilbox to packaging and freight documents.
My job title is Category Manager. As jobs go, this is the best one in my career to date, it like it a lot. Prior to this, I worked in the Sales and Procurement Department.
As Category Manager, I am responsible for the range in the various product categories. In a sense, my product categories are like a shop, my shop. My job is to to ensure that we have the right products in our range, at the right price, and that they can be easily found online. People find our products through Google, as well as in our online store. Findability is one of the most important aspects across all categories, and something I really enjoy doing. What I especially like about this process is achieving successes. Sometimes even a minor adjustment can produce a major result.
We also organise product group meetings, which are attended by Marketing, E-commerce, Sales, and Supply Chain Planning. Initially I draw up a plan with objectives, and I rely on my colleagues in the other departments for achieving them. It’s nice when everyone’s on the same page, working as a group rather than individually. What’s more, I think cooperation is indispensable for achieving our goals.
How many years have you been collaborating with Tilbox?
Logistiekconcurrent has been working with Tilbox for more than 3 years. I was involved from the start.
When we started receiving more and more enquiries about qualitative and nicely finished underbody boxes, we decided to reach out to Tilbox.
How did the collaboration come about? And do you know why the choice fell on Tilbox at the time?
We regularly visit trade shows and despite the fact that we already had a box supplier, Tilbox somehow stood out. Your products looked great and were nicely finished. When we started receiving more and more enquiries about qualitative and nicely finished underbody boxes, we decided to reach out to Tilbox. The reason why Tilbox stood out from the competition was the quality finish of its products. Customers value good quality and this was the main requirement that we had for our new supplier. That is why we opted for Tilbox at the time and to date we haven’t regretted our choice. Logistiekconcurrent is synonymous with good quality at competitive prices. Our partnership with Tilbox gives us that competitive edge.
How would you describe Tilbox as a company?
As I already said, good quality and real experts. I have noticed that you are not willing to make any concessions when it comes to quality. What’s more, I find you very responsive and agile, which benefits us as a company and our customers.
The time Tilbox takes, combined with the transparency you offer, is definitely a bonus".
What are you proud of within our collaboration?
I think the price increases that took effect a while back are a great example. We all know that the prices of raw materials are on the increase in our industry and Tilbox’s prices are no different in this respect. Nobody likes to be the bearer of bad news to customers, but you don’t really have a choice. At the time, we really appreciated how Luuk Driessen, Account Manager at Tilbox, announced this to us. By visiting us in person and explaining the price increases with charts, we understood the rationale behind your price increases. It also made it easier to justify these price increases to our customers. The time Tilbox takes, combined with the transparency you offer, is definitely a bonus.
Another example is the fact that Tilbox is a real partner, always thinking along with us. I once asked Luuk to have a look at our website and see how we presented Tilbox products and share his feedback. He told me what he’d noticed and explained how certain information could perhaps provided differently. I found this information very relevant. You are the specialist, after all, not us. So we really rely on feedback from you. I’m very proud that our partnership with Tilbox has paved the way for so many opportunities.
Anything you’d like to share with us? Things that we could do better, things we can learn from?
I would emphasise quality even more in your positioning. It’s so important, I see it everywhere. Perhaps you can try to emphasise even more how important quality is in everything you do. Repeat it even more because we all know repetition is effective in advertising. Another tip I’d like to share with you concerns locks. Currently Tilbox doesn’t have a logo on its locks. But each brand has a logo and I think you should promote your brand to the outside world, especially in light of the quality you sell. We are proud to be a Tilbox dealer, proud to sell your brand. We definitely wouldn’t mind if you decided to add your logo to your locks. We promote Tilbox on our own website. Recognisability is everything in branding.
Would you recommend us?
Yes, most definitely!