Hemlock in INTO business: just that bit different

Where do we come from, what do we stand for and how do we look at the future? In an extensive interview with INTO business Haarlemmermeer-Schiphol, our founders and directors August Jahangier and Peter Seegers talk about how Hemlock came about, the way we do business and the choices we make for the future.

Hemlock came into being in 2012 from the merger of two companies. August and Peter met through projects at Schiphol and soon discovered that their different backgrounds complemented each other well: engineering on one side, figures and commerce on the other. What they shared above all were the same starting points: work level-headedly, keep your agreements, respect one another and don’t be afraid to set your own course.

Our people make the difference

The interview isn’t only about projects and growth. Our people get a great deal of the attention. Craftsmanship, knowledge and commitment form the basis of what we do. That is why we invest in collaboration, training and young professionals. Our partnership with the Hout- en Meubileringscollege, among others, and the internships we offer also come up.

We think that combination of experience and new knowledge matters. Traditional craftsmanship doesn’t disappear here because of automation; we try to strengthen it with modern machinery, software and ever smarter processes.

Sustainability has to make sense

Sustainability already played an important role back then, too. Our view of it is level-headed: don’t go green because it sounds good, but look at where across the whole chain we can genuinely make a difference.

Think of buying and producing as locally as possible, reducing and separating waste, electric and hybrid transport, and producing more efficiently with modern machinery. The interview also covers Rest4all, through which leftover material is reprocessed into a usable end product.

Craftsmanship and continuing to innovate

We firmly believe in the combination of people, materials and technology. Our craftspeople have extensive material knowledge and work with machinery that can produce to very fine tolerances.

At the same time we keep looking ahead. According to August and Peter, digitalisation and automation are necessary to keep growing in a market where good technical staff are increasingly scarce. Not to replace people, but to support our people better and deploy our capacity more intelligently.

Building the next generation of Hemlock

Continuity gets plenty of attention as well. August and Peter explain that they deliberately think about Hemlock’s future early, and about attracting and developing young talent. For us, growth isn’t only about getting bigger — it is mostly about making sure knowledge, craftsmanship and entrepreneurship are preserved for the next generation too.

Years later, many subjects from the interview are still recognisable in how we work: investing in people, digitalising further, working more sustainably and above all continuing to do what we are good at.

Just that bit different. It suited Hemlock then, and really it still does.

Curious about the original story? Read the full interview at INTO business (in Dutch).