Ready for a splashy new year

2023 could not begin under a better star, for 247TailorSteel. The e-commerce specialist for sheet metal not only submitted a brilliant report for the past year in Belgium (+40%), this year also promises nothing but good. 247TailorSteel expects to double its sales here, and to do so is looking, among other things, to the new site in Hooglede, which will officially open its doors after the summer. "We are perfectly on track," CEO Carl Berlo summed up the outlook.

In September, the ground was broken in Hooglede for the construction of the first 247TailorSteel plant in Belgium. If all goes well, the management team will be back there in the summer, cutting the ribbon on the new production unit. "Today, all the earthworks are behind us and there are solid foundations with enough bearing capacity to ensure stable operation of the state-of-the-art machines, which we plan to install in August." 

That new site will be responsible for the bulk of deliveries in Belgium starting in September. Not a second too soon, because the company is steaming ahead with impressive growth figures. "In 2023, we hope to double our turnover in Belgium to 30 million euros. By creating more capacity locally, we want to further expand our e-commerce activities and increase our speed of delivery."

More local capacity

No shortage of ambition, then. So is the construction of the new production site, which will be there in record time. A trick that 247TailorSteel already occurred with its sites in Hilden, Oyten and Langenau. 2023 will also be marked by the creation of significantly more capacity. Berlo: "While the contractor, in close consultation with the construction team, is working on the realization of the production unit, the first recruitments are already happening behind the scenes. We prefer local people, who know the local customs. We may be a company committed to thorough automation and digitalization, but that local sauce has to go over each site to best support our customers." At the top of the list was finding a plant manager to manage the entire operation of the plant. That has since been ticked off. 

Working in and building the future

Starting in the second quarter, the first operators will also be employed. The goal is to start in September with 50 to 65 employees. "All of them will first receive their training at our headquarters to learn how to work with the latest technology. 

They then stay overnight in a local vacation park. So whoever starts working for us can start vacationing," Berlo says with a quip. 

247TailorSteel makes every effort to be an attractive employer. It will have to be, because West Flanders boasts the lowest unemployment rates in the country. "That does not deter us," assures Berlo. "The situation for the Oud Gastel site is similar. There we have to contend with competition from guys like ASML, DAF, Philips... But what we have, that's a unique story. We give people the chance to work ín and at the same time build the future." 

Continue to develop new features

A story, by the way, that will also be heard on Machineering. 

"We are greatly looking forward to updating everyone on the new plant and on the latest developments in Sophia®." This software allows customers to digitally order their custom sheet metal in a snap. "We are constantly tinkering with it to provide even more functionality. For example, a web-based version will soon be launched, which means that nothing more has to be downloaded." For tube laser cutting, the Tubes Library was recently added. Berlo: "From there, you can quickly and easily assign the right materials to your design. A feature that was particularly popular in Belgium, by the way. A third evolution is that we can now also apply galvanizing in plates, often a better alternative than tapping."    

247TAILORSTEEL - Booth number 142