Magazine website - Aartsen - 2023

PARTNER
STILL
STILL
going strong
partner
OUR RELIABLE LOGISTICS PARTNER
Arthur Musters
Countrymanager STILL,
The Netherlands
All forklift trucks that drive in
the Aartsen warehouses have
been supplied by STILL for
years. A dynamic, international
company whose history dates
back to 1920, and it speaks for
itself that we selected STILL
as our partner for our internal
logistics. The company is
a leader in intralogistics,
mobile automation and
sustainable business. Arthur
Musters, director of STILL’s
Dutch branch in Hendrik-Ido-
Ambacht, explains
The Gaul of the Roman Empire
"Logistics, I love it. The Netherlands is a logistics hotspot in
the world. All new developments in the sector come together here.
The Dutch are also delighted to take the lead and stick our necks out
business development-wise. We’re not arrogant; it’s more of a quirky
trait. We choose our path, and the positive effect counts. I know that
Aartsen thinks the same way."
Hydrogen-powered forklifts
"One of the major trends in our field is sustainability. In February, our
Dutch location was awarded the energy label A+++++. A certification
that, in addition to our ISO certificates, I am proud of. Our top goal is
zero emissions. We want to set a good example in this. We already
get most of our electricity from solar panels. Most of our lease cars
are electric, and we are now considering whether we can also use
a heat pump. Electric forklift trucks have been on the market for
years, but slowly, the market is moving towards hydrogen-powered
propulsion—everything must change for more sustainable energy
consumption. Many forklift trucks now run on hydrogen: we do it!"
Robots do the work
"The other major trend is automation. That’s a hot topic. Particularly
during the pandemic, many customers had issues due to thirty
to forty percent of staff loss in their warehouses, so numerous
companies have started thinking about the possibilities of automation
at an accelerated pace. Innovations in the field of autonomous mobile
robots gained momentum as a result. Our company has the solutions
for this and responded flexibly by investing heavily in subsidiaries that
program the software. Not only giants such as Bol.com and Amazon
are reaping the benefits of self-propelled forklifts and warehouse
trucks. Smaller companies in, for example, logistics, production
and retail also benefit. The continuity in your business operations,
the safety and the environmental aspect, are decisive."
Orange Heart, Orange Blood
"Before this, I was active in the telecom field for a large corporate
group. Think of it as a supplier of services – a business that’s not
tangible, and I missed the identity that I found at STILL. We carry
much Dutch pride within us, and I like to think that our hearts are
orange, and we bleed orange as well. We want to be the best
employer in our industry. We ensure that people consciously choose
a job at STILL and stay with the company. Our employees are proud
to work for STILL."
Women in Engineering
"With the current shortage in the labour market, recruiting the right
people is a mission in itself. The shortage of technical employees is
upsetting. It can still keep me awake at night. It’s a shame that such
a beautiful profession is not considered sexy. For me, the knowledge
of a technical professional is just as valuable as that of a lawyer.
At STILL, we now also prefer to talk about service engineers and
mechatronics specialists. It’s not that, as a mechanic, you only do
heavy work. Precision mechanics and control technology require
completely different capacities. This may be the field in which we
interest even more women. Out of seven employees in our new
business development department, four are now women. We are still
on the right track."
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