40th anniversary Henny Nijssen

‘Everything will be fine, but that doesn't always happen automatically; sometimes you have to work hard for it. In life, it's often a case of go big or go home; the trick is to find a balance.’

On December 17, 1984, I joined Stienen BE through the START employment agency. This was my first employer after completing my technical secondary education. Six months later, I was given a permanent position, which is now 40 years ago. At the time, Stienen was still a small company located on Hulsenweg, and when I started, the first expansion, a workshop behind the existing building, had just been completed. It was still very small-scale and you did everything yourself, such as printing, etching, drilling, assembling, soldering, making cabinets, installing, and testing.

Computers were still rare, so there were no construction photos and adjustments were often made through verbal communication. If you had to make a series of 25 devices, that was already a huge order.

My first job was to sand the prints by hand with steel wool and then coat them with Rosco, a brown substance that prevents oxidation of the print. At that time, you knew everyone personally and Stienen was a male stronghold, apart from the administration. When the first women joined the production team, this changed and the atmosphere became different, in a positive way.

We always worked hard, but it was also often fun, and sometimes so much fun that we would say to each other, “Come on, let's get back to work, guys.” We also played silly pranks on each other. I remember once being called by a former colleague, and before I could respond, an orange whizzed past my head and burst on the test board hanging next to me. I had to clean it up, and my colleague just laughed!

I have always worked in production because I enjoy making things with my hands. Shifting zeros and ones on a keyboard doesn't appeal to me. I also worked on service a few times, but something always went wrong, so that wasn't for me either. Usually, there were a number of devices I had to make, such as the EHJ 622PI, EPR 612 and 616, APC 512, UPS 511, PCS 9000 and 9100, all of which are now antique. I also worked with the first SMD machine for a long time. Nowadays, I often work with the EGM 100 and 250 series. I think I've worked on tens of thousands of them.

The company has had few bad times and has actually always grown. After yet another renovation, the building was finally too small and we moved to our current premises on Mangaanstraat, which has since undergone several extensions and has plans for further expansion. The old building was sold, and I hear that our old workshop was later turned into a cannabis farm. Yes, you need climate control for that too, but I don't think Stienen would have thought of that!

I have always admired Michel Stienen; his inventive mind has always been the driving force behind this company. To this day, he remains something of a “Nederweert inventor”! The next generation has now taken over, leading to further professionalization and globalization of the company.

When you look at how production is now, how the digital age has made its way into the company, and how many people now earn their living from it, it's miles away from how it was when I started. I remember Erwin walking around the workshop as a little boy, and it's great to see that under his leadership, the company is now flourishing and continuing to grow.

To say that the Stienen family has done something good is an understatement. The family business has grown into a global player in our sector, and I am proud to have been able to contribute in my own small way.

For me, the finish line is slowly coming into view. Next November, I will be retiring, which will take some getting used to, I think. Stienen BE has always been a constant factor in my life and has also shaped me into who I am today on a personal level. It was where I met my first love (which didn't work out, by the way), and it was also where I went through some very dark periods in my life. I always felt supported by the company, for which I am grateful.

My motto is “everything will be okay,” and that doesn't always happen automatically; sometimes you have to work hard for it. In life, it's often a case of running or standing still; the trick is to find a balance.

So, back to work, as I often jokingly say, “for Mies and fatherland... and Rabobank.”