PromZ Vak 4 · 2026 · English edition

By Lisette Erdtsieck

Lieke Jans

Lieke Jans Stroomer wants Goodwill to be a reliable bridge between factory and trade

‘I don’t like being in the spotlight’

Hidden in a farmhouse south of Den Bosch is the office of Goodwill Schijndel. An enthusiastic dog, a daughter studying for her exams, the sound of the wind moving through the trees; at first glance, nothing seems to point to the trade in promotional products. And yet this is where sales and coordination take place every day for a wide range of products from three renowned German factories, that find their sales channels in the Benelux through Goodwill.

“You go through two doors and you’re in the office, which is very convenient! At the same time, it also means that private life and business constantly flow into each other,” says owner Lieke Jans Stroomer, who has been running the agency in Schijndel together with her husband Roel since 2003. And that is exactly how it was when she was growing up, with her father doing business with Germany from his home office.

Can you introduce Goodwill?

“We are a trading company and represent a number of German factories in the Benelux. In 1987, my father came into contact with Sweda, a manufacturer of watches, desk clocks and wall clocks based in Asia, with an office in Mannheim. He became the exclusive agent for the products in the Benelux, and that marked the beginning of Goodwill. Sweda shared a stand at PSI with JUNG Bonbonfabriek, and they worked with the same representatives, so it did not take long before my father also took on that brand. Around 1998, when I was already working at Goodwill, Elasto joined.

At a certain point, when JUNG and Sweda started organising their representation differently, Walz and Magna Sweets took their place. Both factories are also located in southern Germany. Walz produces desk and wall calendars and wellness promotion products, while Magna produces all kinds of sweets, chocolate, mints, nuts and advent calendars. We have been working very pleasantly with these three factories for a long time, and to this day they all deliver high quality. There are certificates and quality checks; in short, the products are right. At Elasto, for example, I have been working with the same people for almost 30 years, and that feels familiar, a bit like family. At the same time, we work on a contractual basis, targets have to be met and sometimes things go wrong, so I also keep a certain healthy distance. Every now and then, you need to be able to have those difficult conversations as well.”

Collaboration

How did your father end up in this industry?

“My father had always worked in trade and came into contact with the industry during his time at Koninklijke Van Kempen & Begeer, through the loyalty campaigns they organised. He later became director of De Kijkshop. At the time, the head office was in Den Bosch, so we moved to Schijndel.