People: President Robert Klaassen of NEVIB (The Dutch Fasteners & Related Industrial Products Importers Association)

Significant Helping Hands in Global Fastener Trade:

President Robert Klaassen of NEVIB (The Dutch Fasteners & Related Industrial Products Importers Association)

1. First, can you please talk about how you define your role as the President of NEVIB and what is the significance of this role to you?

First, thank you for the opportunity to present NEVIB (the Dutch Fasteners & Related Industrial Products Importers Association). The aim of the Dutch importers is to cooperate on a number of non-commercial subjects regarding the fastener industry. As the business has become more complex due to issues like antidumping, anti-circumvention, product safety, and so on, it was the desire of the Dutch importers to combine their knowledge and join forces, in order to become a stronger industry. So at the end of 2012, NEVIB was founded. With a total of 16 members, NEVIB today represents the vast majority of the Dutch fastener importers. As the president, it is my role to ensure that all members collaborate as good as possible, and that knowledge is shared, and ideas are exchanged.

2. In your perspective, what do you think is the feature of European fastener industry in terms of production volume/value, main product solutions, import & export, and percentages of main business types (manufacturers/importers/exporters), etc.?

Having worked in the field of fasteners since 1975, I have seen enormous changes. When I started my career in the fastener industry, there were many small and larger fastener producers all over Europe, but mainly in Germany and Italy. European distributors bought almost only from European suppliers. 40 years later, there were only a few large European producers for standard fasteners left, and most of the larger European distributors now import their standard fasteners from Asia. The remaining European producers mostly specialise in fasteners for the automotive, agricultural, off shore, chemical, and similar industries. Standard fasteners are no longer core business for them. I expect this trend to continue.  

3. Before taking the position of NEVIB president, I know you have been working actively in Eurobolt, can you please talk about the main service and business range of this company, including what kind of product you can provide, your company’s current capacity, major markets, and partners Eurobolt is currently cooperating with?

In daily life, I am one of the two directors and a co-owner of Eurobolt, based at ‘s Heerenberg in the Netherlands. Eurobolt is an importer of carbon steel fasteners supplying a range of about 14,000 items to some 500 highly appreciated clients all over Europe. The company is over 30 years of age and is a sole supplier to distributors and importers. Eurobolt does not supply end-users. The company operates from a modern warehouse of some 8,000 square meters, has 40 hard-working employees and about 27,000 pallet locations. Every day an average weight of 35 tons is shipped to our clients.  

4. Being both a business owner and an association leader, how do you deal with many of the demands on your time?

It was an honour to be invited to be the first President of NEVIB. Of course, on the one hand, combining the President’s job at NEVIB with the director’s job at Eurobolt takes a lot of time. However, on the other hand, NEVIB has a very professional Board of Directors consisting of four members, who equally split the work between them.

5. As the President of NEVIB, have you had any plan to increase the views exchange among fellow members, win over benefits for members’ interests, or strengthen the awareness of the association?

NEVIB is a young organisation, which has been constantly looking for more opportunities to serve its members. The discussions in the three member meetings we have every year are an important basis, as they provide the NEVIB Board with the information for knowing in which way NEVIB should act. Strengthening the awareness, an open exchange of views, and providing a platform for sharing information amongst all members are very important tasks for the NEVIB Board.

6. What has been the most significant change, achievement, and mission of NEVIB in the most recent and future years? And what do you expect to do for reinforcing the value of NEVIB?

So far, sharing the combined knowledge of experts and NEVIB members of the EU rules regarding antidumping, anti circumvention and product safety, as well as regarding technical information, has brought the common know-how of NEVIB to a higher level. Also the fact that members have the possibility to meet and talk with each other at the NEVIB meetings and share their thoughts and worries, is very positive.

7. In addition to years of experience in the fastener industry, do you have any other experience from outside the fastener industry that you think is also the factor for you to achieve successful business management? What do you think is the feature of your leadership?

About myself, I have been in the fastener business for almost 40 years. After selling the former family company Klaassen bv in Ridderkerk in the Netherlands in 2002, I shortly thereafter joined Eurobolt. Apart from my "fastener life," I once had 15 years of part-time role as a monitor in a correctional institution. The experiences I learnt in this institution help me to see another side of society than only the world of business.

8. What do you think is the prospect of European fastener industry? What kind of role is European fastener industry currently playing? Do you have any suggestions for domestic European fastener suppliers in terms of business expansion or market changes?

At the moment, the European fastener industry is not doing bad. When visiting clients all over Europe, I find that most of them are optimistic. We also see large U.S. companies like Optimas (former Anixter) and Grainger buying well-established and old companies in Europe. Apart from this, the concentration in the fastener world is on a high level. I estimate that some 20 to 30 large distributors all over Europe are the major face of the business nowadays. Apart from these large companies, many smaller and specializing distributors are, mostly locally, active in their own segment of the industry.

About the President

Born in 1953, Mr. Robert Klaassen began his fastener career in 1975 and has nearly 40 years of experience in the fastener industry. He now heads the largest fasteners & industrial products importers association and is also one of the directors of the well-known carbon steel fasteners supplier, Eurobolt, in the Netherlands.