The year of stability

In 2024, in all three laundries - Healthcare, Industry and Hospitality - processed volume increased sharply. That rapid growth also translated into the number of colleagues. This puts Nedlin as a company back into a new phase, say directors and owners Stef and Luuk de Win. 2025 is therefore all about perpetuation. “Strengthening the teams, investing in talent, optimising processes: after all the efforts, we now want our people and our customers to benefit from what we have put in place”, says Luuk. “With that, we are creating a foundation to build on.”  

Anchoring 

This starts with better anchoring of the processes in the laundry as well as in the office. Stef: “Every day, our laundries process a certain volume within a limited time, at the highest quality. To ensure this even better, we guide middle management in a uniform approach and way of working. Processes are described and defined according to the lean methodology. How do you carry out work? How do you follow up on issues? That provides certainty, no matter which Nedlin laundry you work in”. From the operation of machines to commercial agreements, what is recorded helps colleagues become more self-reliant. Luuk: “That means properly describing, standardising, recording, training and securing it in daily operations. Whenever something goes wrong, colleagues don’t have to call a mechanic or a supervisor, but solve it themselves. This gives the teams a stronger foundation. So that we can always deliver what we have agreed with customers”.

Continued investment  

At the same time, steps are constantly being taken. For example, we are working on connecting Nedlin Hospitality to Nedlin Healthcare’s water treatment plant. And on the renovation of the facility areas in the Hospitality laundry. In parallel, preparations are being made for a renovation of the laundry itself. Because after the move of Healthcare, space for a new, modern process was created at Hospitality. Stef: “We obviously know current practice well. We know where there are points for improvement to make the laundry smarter and more efficient, fuelled in part by technical developments. Based on that ambition, we engage with suppliers and test on a small scale. We design an integrated process and compare price to cost. Just until we are sure our plans will work in practice”. That constant innovation is in the brothers’ blood. Plus, they don’t really have a choice. “Labour, energy and raw materials are becoming so scarce that we must be more productive. So when we invest, it should also be smarter. That means, with all the challenges out there, that we secure processes even better, work even more productively and use energy even more efficiently.” This cannot be done overnight. “It takes development time to reinvent yourself.”

Robust 

To make the organisation more robust, Stef and Luuk are also working on selecting tomorrow’s talents. “It takes time to master the processes in the laundry”, Luuk explains. “That is why we chose to create additional spots. We train colleagues to become production leaders who are well acquainted with the processes in the organisation. So there are always people ready when someone is needed somewhere.” This is one way in which Nedlin is anticipating the future. Because growth is also forecast for the coming years, while the labour market continues to tighten. “This is why we are putting more focus on the development of people in the organisation”, says Stef. “We need to attract, train and retain talent to remain successful in the future.” 

New energy 

In that light, the collaboration with Zuyd University of Applied Sciences is a great success. Every year, over 20 new interns pour in, in all sorts of places in the company. From commerce to HR, finance to engineering. A large proportion of interns continue to work at Nedlin after the internship, or return after a short period elsewhere. Stef: “Many young people 
started with us that way. They bring new energy and ideas. We really like that”. In production, following the success in the office, traineeships have been introduced. Luuk: “We can often find a spot for people who stand out in a positive way”. Nedlin also recruits colleagues externally with the ambition and talent to grow within the company. The current stability helps with that, says Stef. “We now have more peace of mind to spot talent and give people time to develo

Oppurtunities
 

It is important to stay involved in this themselves, Luuk stresses, even if the ball for employee management lies largely with the HR department. “Stef and I are the liaison between all departments. If I see that a colleague would be better suited elsewhere, I raise it with the managers. This is how we offer people new opportunities.”

The size of the three laundries allows colleagues to follow long career paths within the company. “That’s great for us, too”, Stef explains. “Because these are people who already have knowledge of the processes. Even if they switch laundry, there is a foundation you can build on. They know the culture and know the company suits them. That is a big advantage over someone coming in from outside the company.” 

Adaptability

Thus, Luuk says, business is still a kind of ‘survival of the fittest’, whether it is employee policy or technical innovations. “Those who are best able to adapt have the best chances of survival in the long run. Our company has adapted to new conditions from the very beginning. That is the only way.” Stef: “We are in a time where a lot is changing. The world will look completely different in 10 years from today: if you look at energy supply, the labour market, how we interact globally. This requires adaptability. Being exceptional in that gives you a real edge. And that is exactly what we have been doing as a company for more than 70 years”.

Perspectieve 

There are also limits. For example, Stef and Luuk are investigating the possibilities of building a water treatment plant for Nedlin Industry, just like in Elsloo. Stef: “The first question is: is there enough power? We have been working for years to reduce our power consumption. This has reduced the amount of power we are allowed to purchase as a company. And water treatment now has to wait until the grid is expanded. Well, that does make doing business difficult”. Installing a battery is not an option. “Unfortunately, there is no business case for that. And it always has to be, even if it is for the very long term”, Luuk believes. He hopes the government will look at it in the same way. “The government can sometimes accelerate developments by providing support. If you mainly put up barriers, people stop investing. But if a reliable government outlines a long-term perspective, people can adjust accordingly.