“We call ourselves the contamination control specialist, as we offer comprehensive services to prevent any contamination of a cleanroom,” says Erik Otten, Sales and Marketing Director of Berendsen Cleanroom Service, who will take on the position of Country Manager for the Netherlands and Belgium later this year. “Renting out and cleaning articles, in particular clothing, is our main service, generating 80% of our turnover.”
Berendsen as a multinational company employs a workforce of 16,000 people in Europe, over 600 of whom are part of the cleanroom segment. More than 100 of them are located in Bolsward. The official headquarters of the parent company is situated in London.
The brand name Micronclean is used in the Netherlands and the UK, while elsewhere the company Berendsen has established itself as a leading European textile business with more than 100 years of experience in the textile and service industry.
“Micronclean started 30 years ago as a family-owned company before becoming part of the cleanroom business line of Berendsen in 2001,” points out Mr. Otten. In this division, eleven cleanroom laundries from ten countries are combined, serving customers in 18 countries.
The Bolsward site is one of these laundries, serving the Dutch and Belgian markets exclusively. The main focus of Berendsen Cleanroom Service is on renting out textile goods, the management of stock, the collection of soiled items, and the delivery of cleaned, repaired and quality-checked textiles that are ready for use in cleanrooms.
“Apart from renting out and cleaning clothing, clogs and goggles, we also rent out a special cleaning system which we have developed in cooperation with Vileda,” says Mr. Otten. “Our employees are active at our customers’ sites in order to take on delivery and distribution of all articles. We operate fully automated ‘vending machines’ that we place at the customers’ sites so that their employees can use a special card to get the required clothing from the machine. Renting out, cleaning and distribution – these are the key assets we offer to customers in high-tech working environments, research facilities as well as in pharmaceutical and medical device companies.”
The company focuses greatly on innovation, and innovation remains a driving force that keeps the company ahead of the competition. “We develop new products, often in cooperation with our customers and suppliers,” points out Mr. Otten. “One of our new products is a doormat that can be replaced by our drivers. That is a true innovation in this market. In the past, the whole floor had to be treated, but now this mat, which is placed in front of several doors in a row, is sufficient. The Berendsen Fleximat will be promoted from this week on by our sales personnel.”
Berendsen Cleanroom Service offers services, textiles and cleanroom products tailored to meet the demands of various customer groups. “We make use of a segmentation model, concentrating on industry governed by GMP norms as well as on specialized environments in health care, where protection from viruses is an issue. In addition, we are active in microelectronics. Here, we provide clothing that prevents electric charging of the textiles as it would affect production processes,” explains Mr. Otten.
In the coming years, Berendsen Cleanroom Service will concentrate on new innovations as a prerequisite for its position in the high-end segment of cleaning. Being one of the growth parts of the business within the corporate structure, the subsidiary will strive for continuous expansion.