Keeping up with the complex questions

Recently, we were interviewed by Regio Business, a magazine that focuses on the manufacturing industry in the province of Brabant in the Netherlands. The interview is available in Dutch in their digital version of the magazine.

Since Mennens Cleanroom Cranes started operating as an independent company, it has been able to define its own structure, culture, and strategy. And growth is far from over.

“There are more and more high-tech environments,” says Marcel Rabenort (54). “We offer solutions for clients who work in clean environments and need high standards when it comes to lifting solutions.” He was director of parent company Mennens in Dongen for seven years and has been managing director of Cleanroom Cranes in Eindhoven since the end of 2023. “We do a lot of work for ASML and for suppliers and clients of ASML. Cranes are used mostly for building EUV-machines.” says operational director Dave van Zandvliet (53). “That describes the majority of our activities. But we are also serving a growing market in controlled environments,” adds commercial director Danny van Deursen (55). “The challenge is to explain why our cranes are so special. A normal crane from a steel company is absolutely not a comparison. We are not an industrial crane builder who turned clean. No, we have been a clean crane builder from day one.”

Explosive Growth

“Cleanroom Cranes started in 2018 at the location in Eindhoven with four permanent employees. Now there are around 45. Growth has been enormous,” says Marcel. The first steps were taken back in 2007. At that time, Cleanroom Cranes was still part of parent company Mennens, before it officially split off last year. Dave: “Due to our growth with ASML, we had to scale up production, expand our team, and set up our own engineering capacity. We had to keep up with the complex questions being asked, which we only really were able to answer six years later. That is why we grew significantly.” “We already had confidence and experience in ourselves”, says Danny. “What we said yes to was a calculated risk. We got an opportunity. That is when you look more at opportunity than risks. It is not a heroic story, but it worked out well.”

Thinking Ahead

The assignment for the future is for Cleanroom Cranes to continue participating at the highest level. “That is what we have to invest in”, says Dave. “And keep thinking ahead with the right people”, concludes Marcel.