Jeff Hagelen and Renate Friesen focus on cooperation, job satisfaction and opportunities for technical talent from the region.
WINTERSWIJK – High-quality engineering for international customers, made by skilled professionals in Winterswijk. That is the world of Contour Covering Technology. With Jeff Hagelen as managing director and Renate Friesen as plant manager, the company has a new management team. Together they want to keep building a strong technical company as well as a workplace where people enjoy working, can develop and are proud of what they make together.
“Contour has a great deal to offer: expertise, an impressive machine park and customers who operate at a high level,” says Hagelen. “But in the end it is our people who make the difference. Our ambition is that customers enjoy working with us and that employees say with just as much conviction: I enjoy working at Contour. Renate and I want to work towards that together with all our colleagues.”
From Winterswijk to the world
Contour makes high-quality sheet metal assemblies for internationally operating companies, including in the semiconductor industry and the defense sector. These are composite metal parts, enclosures and structures in which accuracy, finish and reliability are essential.
Contour works according to the one-stop-shop principle: customers can come to one partner for a complete product. The company brings together a wide range of techniques and operations, from laser cutting, bending and welding to surface treatment, including pickling and powder coating, and final assembly.
That combination makes the work varied. A metal sheet goes through several operations and grows into a high-quality assembly that becomes part of an international customer’s technology.
“Many people in the area probably don’t know how much technology there is behind these doors,” says Hagelen. “Here in Winterswijk you can work on products for sectors that are developing rapidly worldwide. As a company and as a region, we can show more of that.”
Good work starts with attention to people
For Hagelen and Friesen, technical performance and being a good employer go together. They want to strengthen an informal working atmosphere, with short lines of communication, clear agreements and room to contribute ideas.
“The colleagues on the shop floor know very well what they need to do their work well,” says Friesen. “We want to listen to that and act on it. That means being visible and approachable, solving bottlenecks together and making sure people get the guidance and resources they need.”
The new management wants to show that ambition above all in daily practice: by improving cooperation between departments, sharing expertise and involving employees in changes.
“You build a good working environment every day,” says Hagelen. “In how you treat each other, how you keep agreements and how you respond when something goes wrong. We want people to feel valued, to dare to take responsibility and to enjoy their trade.”
Room for new talent and experienced professionals
Contour is looking for people from Winterswijk and the surrounding region who want to help build that future. School leavers who want to learn a technical trade are welcome to get acquainted, as are experienced sheet metal workers, press brake operators, welders and other specialists. For young people, the combination of different operations offers the chance to explore the trade broadly. Experienced professionals find technical challenges here and room to contribute and pass on their knowledge.
“Whether you are at the start of your career or bring twenty years of experience: we are happy to talk with you,” says Friesen. “We are looking for people who enjoy making something beautiful and like working together. And we also like to hear what they look for in an employer.”
Hagelen closes with an invitation: “Curious about what we make here and what your place in it could be? Come and get to know us. We are happy to show you the opportunities at Contour. Great technical work and the next step in your career may be closer to home than you think.”
Want to know more about Contour or the opportunities to work here? Visit www.contour.eu or get in touch on +31 (0)543 54 67 89.
