From Firefighting to InControl: Solid Foundation for Growth Process
In just 8 years, the revenue of AVEC, located in the heart of Tilburg, has increased tenfold, a growth ICR magazine considers exceptionally robust. Time for a chat with Stefan Lanslots, director of AVEC.
AVEC leads in DIY trends, creating innovative products for retail chains. It's the largest player in the Netherlands, possibly even in Europe. The company supplies to retailers in Europe, North and South America, Australia, and the Far East, with branches in England and China. Annually, AVEC introduces 12,000 new products. Innovation is the lifeline of this remarkable company, a feat many businesses struggle to achieve. Stefan shares his secrets of growth candidly with us.
Eight years ago, AVEC's situation was quite different. Back then, it was a sales-driven organization with high (obsolete) inventories, inaccurate stock administration, losses, sales of unfeasible products, and more organizational issues than desired. This led to unnecessary loss of time, energy, and money. AVEC was not in control, causing unwanted financial consequences. Stefan reflects, "Back then, the focus was less on customers and products, as we were constantly putting out fires." However, AVEC aimed to avoid the culture of large corporations while needing a drastic change.
AVEC's value lies in its team
Switching from a sales-driven to a project-driven organization proved to be a masterstroke. Once AVEC started restructuring, customers and products finally took center stage. Stefan admits that this survival period was extremely tough: "But without this pain, we couldn't have transformed into the organization AVEC is today. Significant cuts in staff were necessary, followed by hiring personnel capable of working in a project-based organization and with major retailers like Kruidvat and Action. Once the right strategy, fairs, and people were in place, the organization stood firm." We can now confidently say that this period laid a more than solid foundation for AVEC's growth process.
