Steven en Anja 30 years Van Moeriaan
In three decades, Van Moer Logistics grew from a small carrier to a leading logistics player.Chief operating officer (COO) Steven Pauwels and customer service coordinator Anja De Block look back on a 30-year career at Van Moer.
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Entrepreneurship
At Van Moer Logistics, COO Steven Pauwels is described as the silent force behind the entrepreneurial duo of Jo Van Moer and his wife Anne. ‘Steven is simultaneously their right and left hand and was part of the cradle of the company,’ he echoes.
‘I lived near the company at the time and regularly helped Jo's father in his earthworks business. That went from sorting waste to drilling wells,’ Steven says. ‘That's also how I ended up with Jo and Anne. At the time, they were building their second warehouse in Melsele. Their entrepreneurship has always attracted me. They had the will to make something of it, to do it well and to serve customers qualitatively. We also looked up to our competitors tremendously. Those were the big boys. Nevertheless, we always thought, ‘why shouldn't we be able to do the same or even better?’’What special moment has stayed with him after all these years? ‘We have achieved milestones that we allowed to be accompanied by a company party. In 2005 we celebrated the opening of Van Moer Rail, in 2008 the opening in Zwijndrecht and in 2015 we celebrated our 25th anniversary,’ he says.
He is far from thinking of quitting. ‘I often say that I am the happiest colleague in the company. I mean that too. I still really enjoy doing it. You get so many opportunities here and there are so many challenges here. We have come so far, both personally and professionally. That makes me genuinely happy and proud.’
First servant ever
Anja De Block, the first clerk ever at Van Moer, also celebrated her 30th year at Van Moer Logistics last summer. ‘I remember my job application very well. It was at a wedding party of mutual friends,’ she says. ‘Jo and Anne asked me on the spur of the moment if I wouldn't like to join them. The work appealed to me and I saw it as a challenge to help build the ‘small company’ it was then,’ she recalls. ‘I really grew with the company over those 30 years: first at the counter, then file management and later working out new systems. I have been given lots of opportunities and have been able to learn and grow a lot. Today, as customer service coordinator, I am mainly responsible for supporting our customers.’
She cherishes fond memories of the early days. ‘Everyone was willing to pitch in. We literally did ‘everything’. If I had no desk work for a while, I would go and help out in the warehouse, like pulling covers over the pallets or writing down numbers in the truck. When the phone rang, I would run back to my desk.’
That she now has 30 years on the clock at Van Moer Logistics is no coincidence. ‘The company asks a lot of you, but also gives a lot back. That gives energy. I need those challenges. Things are a hundred times more professional today than in the early days, but the warm feeling is identical as far as I'm concerned.’
