For the spring edition of Master Magazine, we paid a visit in Marknesse to Lambert van Benthem, co-owner of contracting company L. van Benthem V.O.F. A special visit, as the company has been a loyal Veenhuis user for 30 years. Together with Lambert and his wife Idette van Benthem, we look back on the past 30 years and look to the future of the family business.

How it all started

Lambert started in a partnership with his brother. Together they ran a dairy farm. As the farm proved too small for two men, Lambert started looking further to set up a side branch. ‘Then we started looking around a bit further and saw that there was a demand for injecting manure,’ Lambert says. He continues: ‘In 1994, we bought our first Veenhuis slurry injector. The slurry injector was used in combination with a 6-cubic tanker. That’s how we started farming at the time and that’s how it actually started’. One thing led to another and soon we had to get a bigger tank, of course from Veenhuis. Later, another Veenhuis manure tanker was added and so the business grew bit by bit.

Not only did the business grow, but also the size of the manure tanks it worked with. After the 6-cubic metre tank, an 8-cubic metre Veenhuis Hondegang tank was also purchased. ‘Then the fence was drawn, Lambert laughs’. He continues: ‘Things got crazier and crazier. We went further and further away from home more often and at one point I was only involved in contract work’. In 2002, Lambert and Idette moved to another location, where they continued the contracting business. In 2008, the company started slurry spreading, for which the Veenhuis Manure Reel, the forerunner of the current Veenhuis Rotomax, was purchased. ‘In 2016, we traded in the Veenhuis Fertiliser Reel for our first Veenhuis drag hose injector,’ says Idette. Lambert adds: ‘Now we have traded that slurry injector for the latest Veenhuis Fullject X1200’.

All in all, the company has known quite a few Veenhuis machines. One of the first Veenhuis Combi 2000 loader wagons to hit the market could also be found on the farm.’We first used the wagon on the farm and later it went with us to our new location. There it was used for contract work,’ Lambert says.Later, a second and third Veenhuis Combi 2000 loader wagon were even purchased; it is still in use today.

A manure tank as a 10-year wedding present

Due to the need to apply more manure to the land in an increasingly short time, Lambert and Idette decided to buy a Premium Tandem 15,800 with sliding axle and pressure changing system. ‘When we were married for 10 years, I had arranged with the Veenhuis representative that the new tank would come then, as a wedding present,’ Idette says with a big smile. ‘That was a nice present,’ Lambert continues, laughing. As a result, the manure tank is still used today during the manure season.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree

Loonbedrijf L. van Benthem V.O.F. is a real family business. ‘In 2002, we entered into a general partnership,’ says Idette. From then on, they started building the business together. Lambert is often on the road bringing in trade, and together with Idette he completes the planning for the coming period in the evening. Idette is responsible for the company’s accounting and invoicing. ‘If the guys have bad luck, I also sometimes jump on the service bus and bring oil or parts. I also do the emergency service,’ Idette laughs.

Together, Idette and Lambert have four sons, all four of whom have a role within the company. ‘We do it together, we really are a family business,’ says Lambert proudly.The oldest son has been with the company for two years, while the second and third sons have also been fully involved in the business for a few years.‘At 15 they were already on the baler and at 16 they were already working with the drag hose injector,’ Lambert adds.Idette adds: ‘Of course, they were not allowed to drive the tractor back then, so I drove the first bit and they took over the wheel in the field’.The contractor’s blood runs through the youngest already runs through his veins. He is still at school, but helps out a lot during holidays and after school,’ says Lambert.He is still at school, but helps out a lot during holidays and after school,’ says Lambert.They maintain the machines themselves as much as possible, together with their four sons and employees in their own workshop.
The contractor’s blood already runs through the youngest’s veins. He is still at school, but helps out a lot during holidays and after school,’ says Lambert.They maintain the machines themselves as much as possible, together with their four sons and employees in their own workshop. ‘We have the knowledge in-house, so we can always keep going and are not easily at a standstill,’ Lambert explains.

The power of cooperation

Previously they bought the machines directly from Veenhuis, now sales are made through Veenhuis key dealer GroeNoord. ‘This took some getting used to at first, but we are now perfectly satisfied with it,’ says Lambert. ‘We have known the GroeNoord representative for a long time, which obviously helps,’ says Lambert. What’s nice is that you can always contact SVgroup if you have any questions. Close contacts, that works best,’ he adds. ‘I’ve been loyal to Veenhuis longer than to my own wife,’ says Lambert, laughing hard. ‘We’ve actually never had anything else and stand behind the product. If it’s not good, it just works out,’ he adds.You sometimes hear stories in the market and then I think ‘that wouldn’t happen with a Veenhuis’.There have been the occasional forays with another brand, but we always come back to the Veenhuis in the end,’ Lambert says.‘There’s not likely to be anything else on the dam here,’ he adds.

Anticipating the changing sector

That there are changes in the market is clear. The family does not see this as a negative but rather as a challenge. ‘The laws and regulations are constantly changing and finding good employees is increasingly difficult. You also notice this among fellow contract workers, Lambert explains. Our strength is that we have built up a good name over the years through word-of-mouth advertising. This makes us quite successful’. Because the company keeps innovating and responding to the market, customers are increasingly finding us. ‘The arrival of the Veenhuis Manure Reel put us on the map because we did things differently from others,’ says Lambert.

Technology is also changing more and more because of innovations.For example, the next generation of Loonbedrijf L. van Benthem V.O.F. is also picking up the deployment of NIR sensors.‘This will become increasingly important in the future, precisely because of constantly changing and stricter legislation and regulations in the Netherlands,’ Lambert points out. Over the years, the family has already made several acquisitions of contracting companies to continue to grow. ‘Perhaps things will come our way in the future, but what is important to us is that we continue to build our customer base and innovate in the future.We are proud of what we have built together with our guys,’ Lambert and Idette say in conclusion.■