Nicole Eijbergen – Plant Manager, Cloetta
The Sportlife and KING producer in Sneek is one of the strategic growth locations of the Swedish multinational. "Cloetta invests in a sustainable future. This shows courage and long-term vision."
Nicole Eijbergen - Plant manager
Promptly at 9:15 am, the day starts with all team leaders to discuss any escalations. Plant manager Nicole Eijbergen leads the meeting with a decisive and relaxed attitude. She efficiently discusses the key points: safety, quality, planning, notifications, and TIER 1 and 2 actions. Exactly ten minutes later, everyone goes back to work.
That was a brief and effective meeting. You are currently doing this yourself, but will that change?
"Correct. As we are experiencing strong growth in Sneek, our current factory building is being redesigned and the number of technologies expanded. Therefore, we are looking to enhance our plant management team with a production manager who will oversee and lead the main production lines. I did this myself for five years and now I see the results of our work. There is calm, continuity, and stability. Everyone knows where they stand. With the right people in the right places, we can build our vision and strategy step by step every day."
How is production going? What approach do you take?
"The governance structure, along with the different tier levels, forms the core of the Cloetta way of working. Our approach is strong because our systems are built strongly bottom-up. We start at the shop floor and build it up to senior management. It has to fit if you come to work here."
Why was this way of working chosen?
"Many colleagues have seen how it should not be done elsewhere. We have reversed the approach; the shop floor is the most important."
Have there been any recent successes?
"What I find particularly fantastic is the ambition for a sustainable future. Cloetta invests significantly in the future and chooses not to maintain the three existing locations in the south, but plans to build a completely new factory in Roosendaal. This factory operates from a sustainable vision and reduces our footprint. This shows courage and long-term vision."
What are the challenges faced by a candy manufacturer?
"Inflation. Everything is becoming more expensive: energy, raw materials, labor... That's why it's important to ensure that we remain competitive. This really comes down to our continuous improvement programs and our Perfect Factory program. Raising performance, including through automation, is the game changer."
Does the working method also contribute to a good work atmosphere?
"Absolutely. We work in small teams and everyone knows each other. The engagement survey shows that we are among the best companies. This is mainly due to the strong team relationships on the shop floor. I consciously chose Cloetta myself because of the atmosphere and culture. It is a family-like and social culture in a publicly listed company."
How does this manifest in practice at different levels of the company?
“At the workplace, people are quite green-purple oriented: focused on harmony, solidarity, togetherness. Purple signifies pride and connectedness to the origins. Colleagues are proud of the brands. But with only green and purple employees, a company won't survive in the long term. The team leader is starting to turn more orange, focusing on results and reports. In the management layers, red, blue, and yellow come into play. Together, we create a unique whole: pure gold. That makes us special.”
And the new Production Manager. What kind of leader fits this role?
“Man, woman, they - it doesn't matter. If you feel comfortable in a company that feels like a family but is publicly traded, and you can navigate between these different dynamics, then you'll fit in well here. Stay above operational management, don't get lost in details, and be authentic. Those who feel at home are more successful. In the management team, we have a culture of 'agree to disagree'. Together, we make each other better.”
What do you notice about being part of a Swedish multinational?
“Swedes are very focused on sustainable employability and empowering people. For example, a colleague wants to work in Sweden for a year and then come back. That's perfectly fine. This shows that Sweden is ahead on topics like well-being, work-life balance, and workload.”
Ready to take the next step? Then get in touch with us.
Photographer: Martina Ketelaar
[Published: July 2024]
