With a strong commitment, you can make significant progress within VDL. Vedat (38) knows all about it. He is full of ambition. For four years, he has been responsible for improving products and production processes at VDL Fibertech Industries in Hapert. That wasn’t always the case. After studying Commercial Marketing and Communication, he first had an office job. He didn’t like it, sitting behind a desk all day. "I need to be active. Literally." So ten years ago, following a friend’s advice, he started working as an operator at VDL Fibertech Industries. There, he made medical table tops from start to finish: cutting the fabric, layering it into a pack, and placing it in the press, where it was injected with resin. His colleagues finished the product. Together with a colleague, he turned it into a sport to work more efficiently every time.

Seeing what Vedat was capable of, his manager placed him on additional improvement initiatives. It eventually led him to a role as a team leader. But he didn't feel at ease there. “I found it difficult that I could perfectly plan everything myself, yet still didn't have full control over the end result. Colleagues handle things differently than you do, that's just how it works.” So he became a process engineer. A role that is tailor-made for him. “A product that doesn’t pass inspection can be expensive. I never just accept that something goes wrong; I want to know exactly why it happens and be 100% sure of the cause.”

Vedat believes that everyone can grow within VDL. “But you need to have potential, you have to show it. If you take one step yourself? VDL will take two steps towards you. The team leader, manager, director: everyone sees what you do for the company.”