From April 2013, Straco Heerenveen and Tolsma Tanks will be working closely together. The Heerenveen-based manufacturer of fuel tanks has chosen Straco to abrasive blast and prime their EnergyTanks. As the crow flies, these two Heerenveen companies are located very closely to each other. Brabant Groep News decided to ask Jorn Tolsma, engineer at Tolsma Tanks, about their partnership with Straco. Jorn has been working in the family business, Tolsma Tanks, which manufactures mobile and stationary fuel tanks, since 2008.
What kinds of tank will Straco be treating for you?
“The deal concerns our EnergyTanks; stationary cylinder-shaped tanks that can hold between 1,150 and 26,000 litres of oil or other fuels. They are used in agriculture, where you will find many on farms, but also in the manufacturing and automotive industry.”
Why did you approach Straco for abrasive blasting and priming services?
“Needless to say, it is very handy that Straco is also based right here in Heerenveen, but what drew us to Straco even more is that they, under the management of Guus van Gulik, are open to new ideas. They are flexible and they anticipate our needs. It turned out, for example, that they needed KIWA certification to be able to blast and prime our tanks, just like all other parts of the production process are certified. Straco obtained this certificate in no time, and they are therefore now part of our EnergyTank production process. We complement each other. We have, for example, sold a machine to Straco that makes it easier for them to spin the EnergyTanks. It’s a two-way thing, teamwork.”
So what does that teamwork look like in practice?
“As soon as we start manufacturing a cylinder-shaped EnergyTank, we submit a production order to Straco for the abrasive blasting and priming of the tank, specifying a delivery date. This creates a continuous workflow. When the tank comes out of the blasting and priming process at Straco, it is returned to us for final painting in the right colour. We can paint these tanks in any colour. After completion of all these processes, the tank is ready for use. They have a service life of around fifteen years.”
What is the particular strength of this partnership?
“That would be the mutual openness. There is a mutual interest in each other’s work processes to make things as easy as possible for each other.”