FRANK BOGAERS, DIRECTOR BOREK

This week Frank Bogaers, managing director of Borek, talks about his wheelbarrow. The family business specializes in outdoor living with unique outdoor furniture and parasols. It not only conquers the consumer market, both at home and abroad, but also the project market. With over forty years of experience, the Borek team innovates time and again. They do this by looking at the latest trends, finding inspiration in various world cities and entering into creative collaborations with renowned designers. Meet Bogaers...Text: Mical Joseph
Image: Borek

What kept you busy in the past?

"I was a real 'doer' at an early age and always played outside. I grew up in Moergestel in Brabant and lived the first twenty years of my life. Initially I wanted to become a professional soccer player and played for Willem II, but as I became a teenager I wanted to do something else with sports. I thought about sports reporter or sports entrepreneur."

Of course, that's something completely different from what you're doing now. How did you get into your current job?

"In 1977, my father founded Borek. He was really a pioneer in the field of parasols. He was the first in the country to import and sell wooden and free-hanging parasols to garden centers and camping stores. My father was always working on novelties and innovations in the industry. After high school, I did an MEAO course and wanted to go to the HEAO to study Small Business in Haarlem. I ended up not carrying out this plan because my father needed me in the business. This was in 1988. As a 19-year-old young adult I was thrown to the lions, but fortunately it worked out well. I learned early on how to deal with customers, the different facets of the business AND I worked from morning to night."

You indicate that you actually wanted to go into the sports side. Did you ever regret your choice to go into your father's business?

"No, I actually never regretted my choice. At a young age, I possessed the same work ethic as my father and mastered the commercial spirit early on. I enjoyed the work and everything that came with it."

At some point you took over the business and became the owner of Borek. What did you do differently?

"I noticed that when we had ideas, the factory where we had these concepts executed also started producing the same kind of ideas. I thought it would be good to position Borek more as a brand, so I started talking to designers like Marcel Wolterinck, Remy Meijers and Eric Kuster, and we started with furniture. Borek was transformed from an importer to a unique brand."

Who was your wheelbarrow?

"My father was my wheelbarrow for much of my life, but my mother also played an important part throughout my career. She took care of the family and was always there for us. My father threw me in the deep end and indicated that I should 'just sell' and go on the bonnet. This took me far. My parents were both a good influence on my career."

What is your greatest passion in your profession?

"We now have three brands that we are 100 percent committed to: Borek, Max & Luuk and Yoi. Max & Luuk is named after my sons and that's the brand we positioned just below Borek. Yoi means "good" in Japanese and Yoi is in the middle segment. This is for consumers who have a slightly lower budget, but still want to go for the uniqueness of Borek. With these three brands, my passion comes out well: creating unique products with our own style and signature."

What has been the biggest learning moment in your career?

"My very first job was in the hospitality industry and I learned an awful lot there. If you have a feel for it, I definitely recommend working in the hospitality industry. You do all kinds of things: walk the terrace, stand behind the bar; it is very hard work. Above all, I learned how to deal with different people. I gained respect and knowledge of people from this work experience. I do a lot by feel, I also make mistakes sometimes, but I don't feel too good for anything."

What advice would you give your 18-year-old self?

"My sons are 15 and 19 years old. To them I say: follow your heart and develop yourself. My father always used to work and my mother took care of us. I myself, besides working, am always busy with my boys. As a trainer, or as a soccer coach, for example. I like to undertake things with my children. Should they ever want to and be able to work in the company, I would like that, but I don't put any pressure on them. It is absolutely not a must. If none of my sons get into the business, or one day I won't be around, there is an investor to help us take the next steps. But, the door is always open for my children."

Have you been a wheelbarrow for anyone?

"For my two sons, I guess, I have been a wheelbarrow. They also ask me a lot of questions. But I have also coached many soccer teams; a nice example is a boy I coached. He came from Afghanistan and was staying in an asylum seekers' center at the time. At one point he moved, far away from the club. We were only a few games away from the championship and I desperately wanted him to keep playing. There is only one as crazy as me, because I drove to his house early every Saturday morning to pick him up there. He played the game and then I took him to the train station. A few years later he contacted me again to ask if he could play soccer with me again. What I really want to say: I am often with these guys, my door is always open and the glass is half full with me."