HARDERWIJK/ERMELO - LooHorst Landscaping in Ermelo was created in 2006 and started out with eight employees. LooHorst grew to having about 70 employees and they do work throughout the Netherlands. “The result matters, but it’s just as important to us what customers think of us after a project is finished.”
General Director Reinald van Ommeren is very conscious of the factors that make his business a success. “We sell added value, an atmosphere that people feel comfortable in. The project software Invantive Vision supports us with that and helps us to become more professional.”
Optimal performance
“How to act in a time like this, that’s the question we ask ourselves. In essence, this means that we want to create added value for the customers with our work. The result should be good, but we always want to perform better than what’s expected of us,” says Van Ommeren. LooHorst is active in the field of gardening, maintenance of greenery, designing outside areas and taking care of trees. “We’re jealous of other successful businesses, but we don’t pay attention to organizations that are active in the same industry. We think it’s interesting to see how companies from other industries work, mainly how they deal with their customers."
The client’s needs
LooHorst got a great compliment after doing work for a Volvo dealer in the region of Harderwijk. The director of Volvo was very satisfied with the correct way the employees of LooHorst presented themselves. “That’s what we’re aiming for,” says Van Ommeren. “We have to work in such a way that we become one with the company we’re doing work for. Everything at Volvo is professional and neat. That means we have to behave in a professional and suitable way while we’re working there.” By looking at the customer’s needs, LooHorst became successful. They recently got the large order to maintain the greenery in Belevenspark Emmen in collaboration with Volker-Wessels as the main provider. LooHorst has a large network of partners with whom they collaborate. LooHorst chooses the right partners to work with on each project. “If we have to perform work at a care institution, we need socially skilled employees that are willing to chat with the inhabitants. Our employees will then make a very good impression on the clients in care institutions. It’s our goal to use the right persons for the right jobs.”
Recently it has become widely popular to have a garden on the roof. “Roof gardens can be practical or for recreational purposes, but we always want to create something unique,” says Van Ommeren. This is part of looking at what his client’s needs are. “The current mindset might be that all work has to be accepted, but we continue to assess if projects are suitable for us, and if we can really help the customer.” “We always have a lot of projects running at the same time.” Van Ommeren says Invantive’s software is a great help in this respect. “Invantive Vision offers us better insight into our activities and we can coordinate the project more easily and efficiently.”
Collaboration Invantive
LooHorst had been looking for project management software for a long time so the company could increase its performance. Thanks to Invantive, that happened. “I came into contact with Guido Leenders of Invantive. He was interested in our company and listened to what our needs were. He was interested in hearing our story and to find out what moved us. That’s how Invantive got a clear image of what we were looking for, and they found a suitable solution from their products.” Van Ommeren indicates he is very satisfied with Invantive’s support. “Sometimes we need the program to be expanded or updated. Invantive can always be reached and is always happy to provide support. All we have to do is call, and our request is processed. Flexibility and openness are the strongest features of Invantive.” Van Ommeren also thinks it’s important that all successive processes (from sales to execution) can be managed in an orderly fashion. “Most technical administration packages are mainly focused on ‘the average’. We wanted a customized solution. Invantive listened to what we had to say and was able to deliver.”