Saint-Gobain Weber Beamix
Saint-Gobain Weber Beamix can be found in quite a lot of places actually. For example, on hardware store shelves, where there are consumer-sized packages of sand cement mortar, floor mortar, etc. Or at construction sites, where large silos supply the bricklayers. The Netherlands depends on (and builds with) the products of Beamix. And Beamix depends on Houweling.
Saint-Gobain Weber Beamix (from now on we shall abbreviate this to Beamix to save ink) manufactures products for the construction sector. This includes cement, mortars, plasters and floor solutions. The company delivers to customers – like hardware stores – and is known for its innovative and sustainable applications.
From the silo to the hardware store
Peter van Duivendijk is purchasing manager for the Benelux and works from the office in Eindhoven. He explained that the raw products of Beamix are stored in large silos. “From there they are packaged as bagged goods. This ranges from large bags of 25 kg to smaller standup pouches, which are then transported to the hardware stores.”
Storage at Houweling
Beamix also uses jerrycans as packaging units. It obtains them from Houweling. Peter explained why. “A pallet of jerrycans primarily consists of air. Jerrycans take up an enormous amount of space. We don’t have that kind of space available here. But Houweling does. They have a gigantic hall of 80,000 m2 where they store products. Whenever we need jerrycans, we send in an order, and they bring them to us. That is an ideal solution.”
New jerrycans from recycled material
The jerrycans that Beamix uses are made of recycled material. That is of course better for the planet but does lead to slight differences in colour. The colour of the final product depends on the batch being recycled. According to Peter, sound agreements have been made about this. “We have agreed a tolerance margin with Houweling that is acceptable to us. Small differences in colour are fine, but they mustn’t be too obvious. Houweling is very good in judging that. We can accept the result quite happily.”
It is interesting that the jerrycans that Beamix requires, with that particular colour and percentage of recycled material, are not a standard part of Houweling’s assortment. We agreed with Beamix and our supplier to fulfil this specific sustainable wish by working together on a project basis.
Alternatives for cement
Houweling’s jerrycans are thus sustainably manufactured. This is a major advantage for a sustainable company like Beamix. Peter added, “We are seriously committed to sustainability and CO2-reduction. That is why we switched to jerrycans made from recycled material. Our goal is to build lightly and sustainably. We have already experimented with 3D-printed bicycle bridges and stairs. There are even 3D-printed houses in Eindhoven.” To describe the collaboration with Houweling, Peter needs only a few words: “Runs extremely smoothly.” And who better to judge that than the purchaser for a cement company?
