Laurien van de Wolfshaar - HR & Communication Officer, Storteboom Food Group B.V.
With many international clients, 2 Sisters Storteboom is a major player in the food sector. Approximately 2,700 employees, spread across 7 locations in the Netherlands and 2 in Poland, work daily towards the common goal: the tastiest chicken on the plate!
The partition walls in the new headquarters in Harderwijk have been replaced with large windows and a big table for shared lunches. Illustrative of 2 Sisters Storteboom: grand and innovative in chicken, yet close-knit and informal on the work floor. Laurien van de Wolfshaar, who started as a trainee and is now the HR & Communication Officer, knows all about the development opportunities within this growing company in the food sector.
Laurien, how did you end up at Storteboom?
‘My parents and brother have a breeding company, where I also work. So, I grew up in the agricultural world and find it to be an important sector that suits me. It's in my blood. After studying Business Administration and Agrifood Business, I sent an open application to Storteboom because I wasn't sure which role I would enjoy. Therefore, I was given the opportunity to work on various projects as a trainee for a year, to discover which role suits me best.’
What did your traineeship look like?
‘Together with my supervisor, we developed a plan to determine which tasks I wanted to undertake. Based on that, we created a schedule with different projects and tasks for a year. From improving internal communication for our branch in Zeewolde, to organizing family days for our staff. I worked with colleagues on the staff magazine and went to Paris with my colleagues for a few days to attend Sial, a major food fair. Incredibly educational!’
That sounds like a lot of freedom.
‘Exactly. If you want something, Storteboom truly gives you the opportunity to do it. There are many possibilities here.’
What was it like to join such a large organization as a newcomer?
‘Because Storteboom is a large company, there are also many different departments and people. So, there are plenty of opportunities to develop yourself and explore different paths. I was very warmly welcomed. Everyone helps each other when needed, there is excellent teamwork. There are no barriers, you can just walk into any office. There is an orientation program for new employees. But even this is completely tailored, depending on what you want to discover.’
You are now almost 1.5 years into your traineeship, how has it been going?
‘During my traineeship, I discovered that I enjoy communication and employee satisfaction the most. Out of that interest, my role as HR & Communication Officer was born. That also speaks volumes about the opportunities you get here, because this role did not exist before. Every day is different here, and that's what makes it enjoyable for me.’
Lots of internal development going on! What developments are happening in your sector?
‘The food sector is undergoing significant changes. In the Netherlands, we are at the forefront of sustainability and animal welfare, and we are very clear about our role in the chicken chain. For example, we work with higher welfare concepts and collaborate intensively with our poultry farmers. Because only together can we achieve groundbreaking innovations.’
What kind of people work at Storteboom?
‘We have a real hands-on mentality here. We have hard workers who are always willing to help each other. It's an informal, open work environment where you can just be yourself. That's what I find beautiful: we all have a very clear goal together - to put a delicious piece of chicken on the plate.’
And where do those delicious pieces of chicken end up?
‘We supply chicken products, both fresh and frozen, and even pre-cooked to retailers, wholesalers, and the processing industry. We have many large international customers that we are very proud of!’
Photo: Rob Voss
