It’s our people who drive Liquin’s success. That’s why we do everything we can to attract and retain talented workers. By offering excellent opportunities for career development in a safe and supportive environment, people tend to stay with us for many years. Sjouke de Bruin and Jeffrey Kruimink are proud shift leaders at our Botlek terminal and have worked at the company for over 10 years. They talk enthusiastically about their daily work, what makes the job enjoyable and what new employees can expect.
Every day is unique
“Every day at the terminal is different,” says Sjouke. “One moment we’re working with a vessel, the next we’re unloading train cars. It’s down to us to store and handle the products as efficiently as possible.” Jeffrey fully agrees that there’s never a dull moment on site. “We store about 30 different liquid chemicals,” he says.
“Each has its own characteristics and requirements and everyone at the terminal has to be aware of this. Clients also have their own specific requirements. To transfer different products, we have 10 different ways of preparing a pipeline. It’s interesting and complex.”
It’s this complexity and the nature of the chemicals Liquin handles, that makes safety a top priority. “We have safety procedures, work instructions, training courses, you name it,” says Sjouke. “From the management team to the gatekeeper, we’re fully focused on achieving safe operations every day.”
A critical part of the supply chain
Jeffrey and Sjouke are also proud of the fact that Liquin is an important part of the supply chain for everyday products. “We store liquid chemicals for the fuel industry as well as styrene which is used to make food packaging and other plastics,” says Sjouke. “During the coronavirus pandemic, a great deal of disinfectant was needed, so a chemical storage company like ours was very important for this. No matter what’s going on with the economy or in the world, tank storage is a critical part of the supply chain.”
A clear training path with mentorship
Working with liquid chemicals safely demands skill and expertise, so every new employee at Liquin goes through a rigorous training programme. “When you join the company there’s a clear training path for what you need to learn,” says Sjouke. “We take on operators with an MBO level of professional and intellectual ability and develop their skills and knowledge so they can progress from 3rd operator, to 2nd and 1st operator.” New operators get a lot of support throughout the training process including a mentor who works closely with them so they can learn on the job. The training department also periodically tests operators to ensure they have reached the required level of skill. “People who have gone through this process say it’s a very positive experience,” adds Sjouke.
Additional training
As well as internal training, people at Liquin also get any legally required training, like VCA, ADR, ADNR and RID, along with any additional education. “As an Erkend Leerbedrijf (Accredited Work Placement Company), we also facilitate external training like VAPRO B,” says Jeffrey. “We have mentors for this too, so if you need to get a diploma you get support in both theory and practice. Every shift has people who we’ve helped to get a diploma.”
Career development
Once people are on board at Liquin there’s a wealth of opportunities for career development. “Everyone gets the chance to develop themselves,” says Sjouke. “I started as a third operator and worked my way up to 1st operator, then team leader and got promoted to shift leader. You have to seize opportunities and show what you’re able to do. Anything is possible! However it’s complex, it takes time.”
Broader opportunities
Helping colleagues blossom and grow is a rewarding part of the job. “It’s been great to watch people come in with no experience and develop into fully independent, qualified operators, following the same career path I went through,” says Jeffrey.
“You see people, young and old, flourish and grow.”
Liquin also takes a broad approach to career development. If someone wants to switch careers, they can get support for that too. “We have one facility coordinator who’s developed into a technical specialist in electronics and instrumentation,” adds Jeffrey.
Ideal candidates
Liquin usually has a number of open vacancies for operators, so what sort of people fit the bill? “In the past, we took on operators with A or B training, but now it’s far more important to have motivated people who can and want to learn the profession and work in this sector,” says Sjouke. “If people have the will and the commitment we can develop them into an operator. They also have to contribute to a good work atmosphere. Who a person is matters just as much as their qualifications.” The work is also physically demanding so people have to rely on each other. “You can’t handle everything on your own, you have to be a team player,” says Jeffrey.
Working in shifts
As well as motivation and a team spirit, people also have to be able to deal with shift work. “We operate 24/7 so we have two morning shifts, two afternoon shifts and two night shifts, each lasting eight hours,” explains Sjouke. “A week for us is ten days with six days working, one rest day and then three days off.” As a result, terminal workers have a different kind of week and a different kind of social life. “You can often bring your kids to school or be present at things that would otherwise be difficult if you were working a normal day job,” Sjouke continues. “On the other hand, there are things you can’t always attend, like during the weekend or a friend’s birthday.” Although you can’t be free every Saturday for a sports team or be with your family on Christmas Day every year, shift work has other compensations. “I’ve been able to experience a lot of my two daughters’ growing-up because of our shift system,” says Jeffrey. “It has its advantages and disadvantages.”
Ready for the future
Jeffrey and Sjouke have seen a lot of changes over the years, most recently of course, the organization’s independence and rebranding. But this has only made them more optimistic about the company’s future. “We’re a growing company that’s become independent from the warm blanket of a larger corporation,”says Jeffrey.
“We have a lot more young people here, and with this new energy we’re a better company.”
Sjouke is equally positive. “With our new independence and the changes we’ve gone through, we have younger teams and we’ve become more motivated. As a result, we have every chance to become a future-oriented company,” he says.
