Jesse Keizer - Founder/ Director, Wovar BV
Where teachers once saw a 'dumb idea,' he can now laugh about it himself, Jesse Keizer is now at the helm of a multimillion-dollar company with over a hundred employees. In seven years, Wovar has developed into a leading player in e-commerce for screws, hardware, and fasteners. The planned professionalization process is intended to strengthen the organization and make it future-proof.
Jesse Keizer - Founder/ Director
A glance in the showroom immediately reveals what e-commerce company Wovar focuses on: screws, hardware, and fasteners. Founder and director Jesse Keizer (30), in sneakers and a hoodie, has quickly grown Wovar into a major online player in the market. The company delivers throughout Europe and is known for its price-quality ratio and fast delivery from its own stock.
Jesse, you started Wovar in 2017. What do you consider the most important success factors?
"Timing was crucial. When I started, there were hardly any online competitors in this industry. That gave me a huge advantage. Selling screws, bolts, and nuts via the internet is not exactly sexy. The people who did find it interesting didn't really have knowledge of online entrepreneurship yet. The second factor: many colleagues have been with us from the beginning. The company means as much to them as it does to me. They always give that little bit extra. That is crucial for rapid growth."
After rapid growth, there was a setback in 2022 with a fire. Is that chapter closed now?
"Yes, but the impact was significant, not just financially. Recently, the fire alarm went off, and you realize that you're not completely over it yet. Fortunately, we now have a modern, automated warehouse of 8000 square meters. That makes up for a lot."
How is it going now? What challenges lie ahead?
"The market has become much more competitive. It's a challenge to stay ahead and innovate continuously. To take the next step, we need to professionalize. We are implementing a new organizational structure with clear responsibilities. That didn't exist before and everyone, including myself, is getting used to it. I have to learn not to get involved in details anymore, such as how the phone is answered or the work in the warehouse."
What are the ambitions?
"Rapid growth. We currently achieve a turnover of 20 million euros and aim to double that within four years. We want to process 2000 orders per day without logistical problems or expanding the workforce. Additionally, we want to further grow internationally, especially in Germany and France."
What is needed to achieve these goals?
"Focus. We concentrate on supports and brackets, door and window fittings, gate and fence fittings, tools, paint and stain, garden, roof, and facade - and we do it well. Within these existing categories, we want to grow especially. It's about listening to the customer and making product innovations based on that. We optimize processes because there's always room for improvement, efficiency, and less burden on our employees."
Is the business operation optimal now?
"Not entirely yet, but we are on the right track. We had a completely new IT landscape built to be future-proof for both the website and the ERP and WMS systems. This increases our efficiency. With the website, we can further improve user-friendliness, which benefits conversion."
And what are the results so far?
"The biggest gain is that productivity has doubled. Additionally, we are about to complete an important project: all products are now scannable. This prevents the sending of incorrect items. Annual resendings and incorrect deliveries cost us three hundred thousand euros. That needs to change. Thanks to scanning, we significantly reduce the margin of error and save costs. Due to the focus on growth, this had been overlooked. Now it's time to address these pain points."
Do you expect more significant steps?
"Absolutely. For example, by packaging our own products more intelligently and efficiently. Currently, we pay half a million euros per year in surcharges to PostNL. That can be improved. Compact products and packages save on transportation costs and improve delivery performance."
How do you create the right conditions internally to keep performing consistently?
"I believe in trust and responsibility. Employees have the space to make decisions and come up with their own ideas. Have a good idea? Go ahead and work on it. As long as it fits within our strategy and frameworks that we have recently been monitoring more closely."
I read somewhere that the Wovar team is like a family. Is that still true?
"We have a young team, which creates an energetic, informal atmosphere. Colleagues also do things together outside of working hours. New employees are welcomed with open arms, regardless of their background. We strive for the healthiest possible balance between performance and having fun."
What are you most proud of?
"That I have achieved this with all my colleagues. We have been through a lot in the past seven years, and everyone has always stood firm, no matter how high the pressure was. When I started, I would have never dared to dream this. My teachers thought it was a 'stupid idea'. Later, a marketing teacher said, 'Well done!' That was nice to hear. But looking back, it turned out to be a good idea after all. Having my own company seemed fantastic to me. That it would become so big? I had never expected that."
Do you want to take the next step? Then get in touch with us.
Photographer: Jan Buwalda
[Published: December 2024]
