From nothing to a single, all-round solution

Veteran Jaap and Expertise Center Manager Dirk on working at height and in depth

In the late 1990s, Mennens expanded its services by selling personal and collective fall protection equipment. Because the companies to whom Mennens supplies lifting and hoisting equipment also often work at height. The now-retired fall protection product manager Jaap Waling was at the forefront of the rollout. Today, as manager of the Safe Site - Powered by Mennens Expertise Center, Dirk van Blijswijk advises and trains organizations in safe working at height and in depth. Together they reflect and look forward.

When Jaap walked into Mennens in Schiedam (now Rotterdam) in November 1998, the supply of fall protection materials was still in its infancy. Jaap: "There had been some market research into fall protection, but sales were not yet happening. It was up to me to roll out the programme. I was ultimately responsible for putting together the product range, purchasing, sales and generating publicity. We were also already offering inspection of resources directly."

In 1999, the first really big order came in

The first major orders

Jaap gets busy and it pays off. In May 1999, the first really big order comes in, he recalls. "A telecom provider needed a large number of fall harnesses for the construction of the 3G network. The order was for 60,000 guilders. A large request from Allseas followed shortly thereafter. Soon one order after another rolled out of the fax."

Competition from a certain Safe Site

Although business was good, Mennens had some competition. Especially from a certain company called Safe Site, says Jaap. "We liked the approach of them. They knew how to convince their relations of leading, quality brands. They also offered training in working at height, which put them well ahead of their time. I had already realized that, as Mennens, we also had to move in this direction, but we had not reached that point yet."

Training

Dirk, who joined Safe Site in 2005 as a trainer and salesman, adds: "Safe Site, like Mennens, started out selling fall protection, installing permanent precautions and inspecting the equipment. However, they soon realized that although you can sell a harness and a line, the user must also secure himself and know how to do this safely. There was virtually no attention to it at the time, but training in the use of personal fall protection was mandatory even then."

Lectures at customer sites

Meanwhile, Mennens' sales force continued to develop. Jaap: "We gained more and more knowledge and were able to handle larger and larger requests. I started giving free lectures to customers about fall protection and working safely at heights. We purchased a demonstration vehicle with a frame and tower to give instructions on fall protection. The idea that we needed our own training center became stronger and stronger."

Safe Site Acquisition

In early 2011, Jaap heard that the Safe Site owners wanted to sell their company. Jaap: "It was an enormous opportunity as a takeover would immediately give us a training center at our disposal. We started talks. Successfully. In the summer of 2011, we took over Safe Site."

Brand New Expertise Center

In 2020, Mennens Rotterdam and Safe Site merge, and the brand new Expertise Center is opened. Dirk: "Here we provide training in working at height and in confined spaces. We also offer advice. And we have a Rope Access team at our disposal. These are trained experts who can reach difficult-to-reach places with ropes. With this we offer - together with the sale, installation and inspection of collective and personal fall protection equipment – a single, all-round solution for working safely at height and in depth."

A single all-round solution for safe working at height and in depth

Most beautiful experiences

What do Jaap and Dirk remember most from all these years? Jaap: "For me it was one of the first assignments. For a large factory in Rotterdam's Botlek, we installed 2 x 160 meters of fall protection cables on each of six high sheds for a line system on the roof. We also placed the anchors on the roofs."

Dirk: "For me, it’s the training sessions to which there’s resistance initially. Often intrepid employees come in who claim to 'already know it all'. At the end of the training I invariably get the reaction that they found it very instructive and fun after all. And that they are aware of the danger of falling. That’s why we do it."

Read the blog about the top 5 fall protection errors (only in Dutch).