‘Today we have become a strong pan-European brand. Our roots are in the Netherlands, but many people still think of us as an American company. When hearing the name Petrol Industries, the images of old cars and motorbikes driven by cool men come up,’ says founder and CEO Elwin Flint. ‘Our customers crave unforgettable tours and live life in the fast lane. That’s the story we sell with our fashion. We have great products, but also a strong story behind them. Not many brands manage that, not even big international A-brands.” Elwin Flint sees Petrol Industries primarily as a company with a strong DNA. ‘We are denim-driven and the recognition value of our products is very high,’ he says. ‘In the coming years we want to communicate this DNA even more strongly to the outside world. We focus on products that are authentic, and we also reflect these brand stories in our shop-in-shop sales areas and in our own shops.’

From belt to men’s fashion

Today, the supplier of belts has become a solid menswear company with a focus on jeans and casual fashion. ‘The company has developed organically. I met Pedro van Zon, the co-founder, in 2000. He had been selling leather belts since 1989. We quickly realized that the brand was well received in the market and had a huge potential, and so the idea of adding menswear was born in 2008,’ recalls Elwin Flint. Just two years later, a boys’ collection was added and, due to the strong growth of Petrol Industries, the move across the border soon followed, with Elwin Flint primarily taking care of the men’s clothing segment. 

Strong bonds with customers

The CEO can point to impressive figures to describe the success of his company. There are currently some 2,700 sales outlets in Europe and over 20,000 m² of office and warehouse space at the main site in Tilburg alone. ‘Our head office is certainly a nice calling card for our company, it is centrally located at the Tilburg motorway and is also a wonderful advertisement for passers-by. Customers who visit us are always impressed. This also documents that we are a strong brand indeed,’ says Marketing Manager Martine Boerrigter, who worked for a major fashion brand before joining forces with Petrol Industries and has been strengthening the company’s marketing activities in the past year. ‘We are very proud of our success over the past 35 years,’ emphasizes Elwin Flint. ‘The fashion market is in a constant state of ups and downs and is exposed to strong storms. But the enthusiasm of our employees has always carried us through. We can react very quickly to trends and integrate them into our collections. So we follow trends and don’t set our own trends. This has proved to be a good approach so far. We are still a very healthy company and have long-term relationships with manufacturers and customers alike. We only work with a few selected manufacturers who are loyal to us and have grown with us.’

Never out of stock 

The same applies to the customer side. Petrol Industries sells its men’s and boys’ collections via three channels. The wholesale market was and is particularly important. ‘The market recognizes us, also thanks to the good campaigns that show our DNA,’ says Martine Boerrigter. ‘We have recognizable collections for all men, including the still relatively new plus-size range, which has become an integral part of our collection recently. Retailers can reorder throughout the year so that we can replenish stock every week.’ Petrol Industries now offers a good stock of NOOS (Never Out Of Stock) items. In addition, a summer and a winter collection are launched twice a year in three drops each. The new collections are also available in the company’s own webshop, another important sales channel in the B2C segment. ‘The webshop is an important addition, but retail remains the most important sales channel for us,’ says Elwin Flint. Today, next to the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain are among the company’s strongest markets in terms of sales. ‘We have a product and a name that sells equally well everywhere in Europe,’ says Martine Boerrigter. ‘We are an attractive brand and our customers do well with us. They are the ones who pass on our storytelling to the end customer.’ The individual countries are served by 40 agents in Europe with showrooms. Petrol Industries has all the expertise in-house and the design also comes from the corporate headquarters in Tilburg. In the coming years, Petrol Industries will work even harder to publicize the brand and tell the story of the Petrol Man’s adventures. Perhaps a shop in the land of denim fashion, the USA, will follow at some point. It is allowed to dream big after so many successful years in the market. The story will definitely continue.