In 2024, we celebrate 40 years of WKK. The fact that we are truly a family business is shown by Jenny, Linda, Brigitte, and Branka, who have witnessed nearly all of WKK's developments together. Roxanne, WKK’s Marketing Manager and daughter of founder Ward Willems, sits down to talk with “the ladies.”
Roxanne: Alright, here we are. Between the four of you, you’ve accumulated a remarkable 125 years of experience at WKK. I thought it might be nice to start with a quick round about how each of you came to WKK. Jenny, you were the first, right?
Jenny: I found my way to WKK through an ad in the City News. 35 years ago, I responded and then received an invitation from Jozef (WKK’s co-founder). I went for an interview on Voltstraat in Tilburg. After my first interview, I was invited back to do a sort of psychological test. The team was still so small, and they wanted to see if I would be a good fit with Cynthia, the only other sales colleague.
Roxanne: What was the job title in the ad?
Jenny: Inside Sales Representative. We worked with these thick databases, calling people one by one, reaching out to prospects and sending samples. Then we’d call them back, and that’s how we got our first clients. It worked, and we’re still here!
Linda: Yes, we worked with index cards, calling for repeat orders and new customers. It went like clockwork. We used color codes; red was for a two-month follow-up, yellow for three. We’d write on the card what we agreed with the customer. It’s hard to imagine now, but that’s how it was.
Roxanne: Linda, you joined not long after Jenny, right?
Linda: Yes, Jenny and my sister were friends. At a birthday party, Jenny asked if this job might be something for me. I wanted a different job, but I found it scary. Like Jenny, I eventually got the call that they really wanted me. At first, I said no, thinking I was too nervous and unsure. But a week later, I came home from my old job and thought, “I’m going to do it.” I called Ward (WKK’s co-founder) back, and I started on December 2.
Roxanne: So, you also started with those databases. But how did you acquire these?
Brigitte: From the Chamber of Commerce directories. One would tackle the electrical sector, another would look for wholesalers. Full steam ahead.
Jenny: And we were thrilled with a 100-euro sale, Roxanne. If we sold a few thousand euros in a day, we’d do a little dance! We’d go tell Ward and Jozef. It was a wonderful time.
Brigitte: And we shared everything. Such great memories.
Roxanne: Then Brigitte joined in 1992. How did you end up at WKK?
Brigitte: Linda joined through Jenny, and I came through Linda, through mutual friends. I was working in a hair salon and eventually dropped to 8 hours a week. I thought, “I can’t make a living like this.” So, I called and had an interview with Ward and Jolanda (Ward's wife). A week later, I was hired and started on March 4. I arrived, and it was more like a garage shed. We eventually outgrew it, with boxes piled up in our office. At first, we did everything ourselves—helping with packaging during busy times, creating our documentation, everything.
Branka: Yes, pitching in wherever needed.
Jenny: Jozef really mentored us. He’d even record our calls on cassette tapes so we could listen back. Do you remember that?
Branka: I still have them! He’d tell us what went well and what didn’t. We learned so much.
Jenny: We also took Pieterman courses with role-playing, focused entirely on telephone sales. We learned a lot from that too.
Brigitte: WKK was one of the first in the business to start with telephone sales, and that’s how WKK grew. When we went to trade shows in the electrical engineering field, people were surprised we were WKK employees; they thought we were hired temps.
Roxanne: How did other companies do it back then? Did they drive around with samples in their car trunk?
Linda: I think so. Or at trade shows too.
Jenny: I did that as well. I spent seven years in field sales, traveling across Belgium with samples. That was also really fun.
Roxanne: Then Branka joined, now exactly 25 years ago.
Branka: Almost to the day, September 1999. I used to walk my dog and ran into Remco, the then-sales manager at WKK. We’d chat, and he handed me a catalog with the cable ties, heat shrink tubing, and cable glands in it—a black and white booklet with a spiral binding. I liked the idea, even though I had no experience. He said, “You can learn everything.” And I did. I immediately felt at home because everyone was so friendly.
Roxanne: What would you say characterizes those early days at WKK?
Branka: Smoking at the desk; very casual. It’s strange to think that was allowed.
Jenny: Yes, it was very “anything goes.” During breaks, everyone would gather in the canteen and have a chat. You shared everything with each other.
Roxanne: But did you work hard as well?
Linda: Yes, definitely. Ward and Jozef would say, “If you’re done with your work, then that’s fine.”
Brigitte: Once, the three of us went to a René Froger concert in Hilversum, leaving the sales department empty. It was all possible. We had such a good time. We could write books about it!
Branka: Ward told me yesterday, “I remember when you first came in, like a fresh flower. Then you got married, had kids, and life went on. It’s special to share that together.” And I remember little Roxanne going on WKK weekends with us.
Roxanne: Are there any milestones that stand out to you, significant achievements or events?
Brigitte: Yes, some larger clients we landed, certainly. But also all the annual company weekends we shared together.
Jenny: I think the highlight for the three of us was when Jolanda, Ward’s wife and the “WKK mother,” took us on a trip to Thailand. Jozef called me into his office one morning and said, “You’ve been so loyal to WKK. We want to give you, Brigitte, and Linda a trip to Thailand with Jolanda. We appreciate what you three have built here.” I said, “I’m in!” It was an unforgettable trip. Back at the office, Jozef hugged me with tears in his eyes. He was so happy to have been able to give us that. These are memories for life.
Jenny: We also landed some big clients who are still with us. When we speak with clients, they know us, and they ask for Branka, Linda, Brigitte, or me.
Roxanne: Are there clients you’re especially proud of?
Linda: Together with Rob Jansma, we brought in Zevij. That was my baby. It was the first overarching corporate organization, and we had to develop a process for handling it. It didn’t exist yet.
Jenny: Vansteenbrugghe Electricity in Belgium is another. They once told me, “You’re a real tenacious one.” We’re also very diligent in following up on inquiries. If we send a quote, we follow up the next day. We go after it, all four of us.
Roxanne: What else contributed to WKK’s growth?
Brigitte: We began offering new products. We started with cable ties and heat shrink tubing, and then cable glands, bootlace ferrules, and crimp terminals were added to the assortment. I loved that. We’d create promotions, sometimes bundling products with a drill. Those sold like hotcakes! That’s how WKK grew at that time—good deals, good products, because people love to get something extra.
Roxanne: As WKK grew, customer contact changed. Have you noticed a difference over the past decades?
Brigitte: Yes, larger companies now often have professional buyers who expect a different approach. But smaller companies still appreciate the personal touch, like receiving a chocolate letter.
Linda: Yes, but in recent years, especially since COVID, people have become… How do you say it, Branka?
Branka: A bit stiffer.
Linda: Yes. Customers are less patient and take our efforts for granted, unlike ten years ago.
Roxanne: Are there challenges you think shaped WKK?
Linda: In 2009, we skipped our annual weekend trip because WKK wasn’t doing well that year. We wondered if we should worry. But things worked out.
And we’ve seen technology evolve. We started with floppy disk computers, and now we’re fully digital. We had to adapt as the company grew. But we all decided to stay, and it was worth it.
Brigitte: Yes, professionalism increased. Gerald (WKK Group’s General Manager) was brought in to lead the company in a new direction. We grew from a family business into a larger organization with nearly 40 people in the Netherlands and four international branches.
We still feel like family. Newcomers sometimes look at us like, “What are you talking about?” They see things differently.
Roxanne: What do you think causes that?
Jenny: I think it’s experiencing everything from the beginning. When new employees join now, they don't know the legacy. But for us, it’s an incredible company.
Roxanne: Are there traditions that still remain part of WKK’s culture?
Brigitte: Yes, they still want to keep it human, with staff outings, sometimes with partners. Although Jolanda, your mother, is no longer with us, the family spirit continues.
Linda: That’s why we’ve stayed so long, Roxanne. It’s unique. Jenny has 35 years, Brigitte and I have 33, and Branka has 25. How many companies can say that? You’ve seen it grow, and that’s beautiful.
Branka: And we stayed together. We grew from young women into adults together.
Roxanne: How do you feel about working together?
Jenny: We know what we have in each other.
Brigitte: And we’re really there for each other.
Linda: We also help with each other’s tasks. It’s not always easy, but we think it's important.
Roxanne: Any tips for other teams?
Brigitte: Have more consideration for each other. We do things for each other, even if it’s not always fun.
Roxanne: Have you changed as employees over the years?
Linda: Every day. Ward and Jozef shaped me. I’m confident now, but I was once a shy girl.
Roxanne: How do you see WKK’s future?
Jenny: I hope it’s still a fantastic company where future generations feel personally involved.
Branka: Yes, that it remains family-oriented.
Jenny: And that we’re remembered.
Brigitte: And that Ward, Jozef, and Jolanda are never forgotten.
Linda: Yes, I think WKK will keep growing.
| WKK congratulates Jenny, Branka, Brigitte, and Linda on their combined 125 years of service. We look forward to many more years together! |  |
