PromZ Vak 4 · 2026 · English edition

‘I don’t like being in the spotlight’

"One thing that came over from Canada, and which I think is a very nice and valuable product, is the `Senior Focus' box."

Senior Focus

Can you give some examples of products that really stand out to you?

“One thing that came over from Canada, and which I think is a very nice and valuable product, is the ‘Senior Focus’ box. It is a simple yellow lunch box with Senior Focus printed on it in full colour. It is offered through the government and is intended for elderly people and people in need of care. It comes with a form that the recipient has to fill in together with a family member or doctor. For example, the names of contact persons, blood type, medication use, allergies, whether the person has a pacemaker, that sort of information. There is also a sticker that has to be placed on the front door. The lunch box is always stored in the fridge. If something happens to this person and care workers or emergency responders receive a call, they see the sticker on the front door and can go straight to the fridge for further information. It is a very simple product, and it saves lives. That makes me happy. In Belgium, this product is doing very well. I am still waiting for a Dutch distributor to pick it up!”

Do you have a vision for the future of Goodwill?

“Apart from wanting to continue as we are now, we are ‘busy’ with our son Gijs. He has a marketing agency in Den Bosch and may also be interested in working together in the future. But he is only 23, and for now he simply has to do his own thing. Our daughter Eva is 20 and studies psychology in Tilburg, so that is a completely different direction. But never say never…

Just as I used to do everything together with my father, I would like to keep it that way now too. The trust between us and the factories is strong, and we work well together. What I notice is that I no longer lie awake worrying about the company as much. I think that has to do with age; at some point you become a bit calmer and more relaxed. With my father, I eventually saw that he was becoming too old for this trade, and I can understand that. Sometimes you feel a bit chased, but these days I increasingly think: it will work out. And it always does!”

Modest

How are the roles divided between you and your husband?

“Roel and I are both owners, so as life partners that is quite special. In terms of the division of roles, we both do sales, but I am more visible and, for example, visit trade fairs, customers and factories, while he takes care of the backoffice here. I am the face of the company, although I don’t like being in the spotlight. I am modest by nature; even this interview is already quite something for me… I always think: I’ll just do my thing.”

What do you enjoy doing most?

“I really enjoy customer contact. For example, getting a new online webshop as a customer and getting to work with them using as many beautiful products as possible. Or when something I initially did not expect much from turns into a very nice contact and a new collaboration. We serve both smaller companies such as Bovi and Pronel, whom my father already worked with, and larger ones such as PinkCube, Keiretsu and Kick and Rush. I am also currently in the early stages of a collaboration with PromoCat. It took a number of years before I managed to get Elasto ready to take that step. Something like that requires patience and a lot of coordination with Germany, and that gives me energy too.”

Your office at home. How do you manage working hours and free time?

“We simply start at eight in the morning here, just like in any office. Sometimes I work in the evening or on a Sunday morning, and of course work also comes up at the dining table, but you do have to set boundaries. What is also important is that each of you continues to do your own thing. I also saw with my parents that working together in the company goes well if you also keep doing things