"To be good at something, you have to find a specialization.

Deutsche Gründlichkeit in Neer, Limburg. That's what it's all about at Limas CNC machinery, an importer/dealer of various German CNC machines. Their wide range includes three-, four- and five-axis CNC machining centers, gantry milling machines and teach-in turning machines.

Owner Hans Blomen started Limas more than twenty years ago as a commercial agent for the Matec brand. Other German suppliers were soon added. Hans: 'A conscious choice. Not only because of the German quality, but also because the companies are relatively close by.' Son Bas Blomen has also been part of the team for several years. While Hans is responsible for sales, Bas focuses on service and after sales. Within the team of twelve men, eight of whom work in the service department, it is clear where the priority lies. 'We don't want to be the biggest, but we do want to be one of the best' says Bas. 'And we do that by focusing specifically on these brands. To be good at something, you have to find a specialization.' In addition to the fixed assortment, a good relationship is hugely important to Limas. 'Both with our dealers and with customers. We have been working with most suppliers since the early years. That creates trust, among ourselves and towards our customers.'

Aftersales

From the dealership came the service branch in 2006. 'Customers know what they can expect from us,' adds Hans. 'We don't just deliver a machine. We make sure it is installed properly and, if necessary, adapted to the customer's wishes. Many customers have even purchased several machines from us. Even after the purchase, they know where to find us. Because we work with established brands, we know our machines well. If a breakdown occurs, we do research in advance, which means that we are often done with just one visit. Our mechanics can then immediately take the right parts with them and thus solve most problems on site. In addition, we have information and diagrams of all machines available. Or we log in remotely to operate the system and restart it where necessary. This way of working ensures that customers can get back to business as quickly as possible and we can use our man-hours deliberately. And then you see the advantage of local cooperation. Our factories are relatively close, communication is good, and when we need to, we arrange a courier so that the required part is where it needs to be within a few hours.'

Steady team

Limas is responsible for the Dutch-speaking part of the Benelux. To serve the French-speaking part of Belgium in the future, a new colleague who speaks the language has been hired. Hans: 'It is so important to invest in a steady team. So that your customers have a steady face and you can rely on each other. For example, we train our CNC technicians ourselves. You don't learn this specific knowledge at school.

Total Solution

Asked about the future, Hans and Bas see an increasing focus on complete projects and automated processes. 'Where necessary, we offer a total solution. We do that by also thinking with them about the process and automation. Growth alone is not necessarily our ambition. We focus mainly on real contacts and good service. And that is only possible if you have the right people and components.'