Havo b.v. in Rabo & Co Magazine
Rabo & Co Magazine is published by the Dutch bank Rabobank. The goal of the Rabobank is to make the world a little bit better. In Rabo & Co, they share inspiring stories, beautiful initiatives, tips, and insights, to inspire and support fellow entrepreneurs and achieve their goal. For this edition of Rabo & Co, Rabobank asked for our story. Read it below:
Sustainable clay and paint for schools
‘Havo b.v., a family company based in Ermelo, makes clay and paint for primary schools, and exports these products all over the world. They have their own laboratory, where they experiment with sustainable products.’
It’s a great idea: powder based paint. At schools, they will only have to add water to the powder and the paint will be done. It’s better for the environment, no preservatives are needed, and you can put the powder in a refill bottle. Jan Zwiers, managing director with Havo b.v. in Ermelo, is proud of the innovation that was developed in the company’s own laboratory. ‘But the market is not ready for it. Schools tend to choose the products they’re used to, for the sake of convenience.’ So there are not a lot of orders for the powder paint yet, but: ‘We keep developing new products. We like being ahead of the market, and we’re sure that there will be a time that schools will choose the sustainable options.’
Millions of litres of paint
Havo b.v. is a real family business, founded by Zwiers’ father in law Jaap Vos in 1963. It started out as a small modelling clay factory in Bussum, and turned into the go-to company where Dutch schools order their clay, paint and glue. ‘Older’ hobbyists also love the modelling clay and paint from this company, sold under labels like Creall. By now, Havo b.v. has moved to a business park in Ermelo, supplies products to 55 countries, employs 120 people, and produces about two million kilos of clay and three million litres of clay per year. Zwiers and his wife Annemieke took charge of the company in 2007. ‘My wife only wanted to do it if doing it parttime was an option. We had two small children at the time, with a third on the way. We do it together: I work four days a week, and Annemieke works three days a week. This way, we can combine taking care of our family and running our business.’
Step by step
The couple gradually expanded the business. ‘Last year, a new hall of 3000 square metres was added. With 360 solar panels on the roof, led lights and a heat pump. Every time we grow and innovate, we pay attention to how we might save energy. For examples, could we make the machines more energy-efficient? So we are making the company more sustainable, step by step. Of course, one of the reasons is that the rules are getting more and more strict, and we can save money this way. But we also do it because we believe it’s important to take care of the world around us.’ In the hall, there are machines kneading the clay (similar to kneading machines used by bakers). After kneading, the clay is pressed into sticks and packed in buckets or foil. Large containers with blue, bright pink and green paint will be sent to the production line, where the paint will be put into tubes and bottles. ‘We produce those bottles ourselves, which saves us a lot on transportation. And we always recycle the plastic waste we generate during this process.’
Everyone an artist
And the company also works on making paint and clay more sustainable. The pride is audible in Zwiers’ voice when he talks about it. ‘Our gouache is for 98 percent made of natural materials; you always need to add some preservatives, because bacteria love water. These days we do produce our fingerpaint without any preservatives – we create an environment where bacteria don’t stand a chance. I won’t say exactly how, but it’s just like adding a lot of sugar to fruit to make jam.’ Isn’t it wonderful that they develop all this in their own laboratory?
‘We are doing our best for future generations. We believe that there is an artist in every person, and that it is very important to stimulate creativity in children. For us, this includes taking good care of our planet for their sake.’
Rabo & Havo b.v.
For every innovation and expansion, Havo b.v. pays attention to how it can be done in a more sustainable way. The company uses more and more natural materials, plastic is recycled, and they limit transports as much as possible. The company also has solar panels, led lights and a heat pump. Rabobank likes to think along with their customers about financing sustainability.
