Power
In conversation with Matthijs de Rooij
Matthijs de Rooij thinks the great thing about his job is that he can add a bit of beauty to the Dutch kitchen landscape. MASTERS talked to the General Manager of SMEG Netherlands about his experiences in America and his vision for the company's future.
The best bosses
“Before I became director of SMEG Netherlands on October 1, 2021, I first worked for thirteen years at the American toy manufacturer Mattel and then eight years for the German sanitary ware specialist Grohe. What I have in common with the Americans is that the work is only finished when it is finished. And it's actually never finished: work and private life merge into each other. I worked for Mattel as Direct Import, in which position I spent a number of weeks a year in Asia. I was able to see a lot of the world and had the best bosses, as the most talented managers were sent to Europe for three years for the European experience. When my wife, an Italian, became pregnant with our daughter and I was ready for a different challenge, she thought it would be nice if I would be home a little more often. At that time, Grohe came my way. There I became Sales Director, first for the Netherlands, then for the Benelux. After being interim general manager of Grohe Belgium for six months, I accepted a job within the company to handle the largest international accounts. The ink was not yet dry when the corona pandemic broke out. I was sitting at home in my office... After a year and a half I was done with that: I thrive on interpersonal contact. I took a look around and spotted SMEG. I had never worked for an Italian company before, nor for a family business. I thought that would be a lot of fun, partly because my in-laws are Italian.”
Technology with style
“SMEG is known for its refrigerators, kettles and toasters. I was hired to expand the scope. And to load that SMEG is an Italian brand. That is why we have started to collaborate more with Italian manufacturers. For example, we make limited edition refrigerators and toasters with Dolce & Gabbana. SMEG is captioned 'Tecnologia Che Arreda', technology with style. German brands are very focused on technology and functionality, we add emotion. Italians love beauty: a plate of food is beautifully presented, fashion looks beautiful… Life is too short to skimp on beauty. Italians understand very well that the time you spend is qualitative, while the Dutch are more often focused on quantity. The great thing about my job is that I can add a bit of beauty to the Dutch kitchen landscape. SMEG products are an enrichment for every kitchen. Both our small and large household appliances have taken off enormously during corona. People sat at home and kept looking at that ugly toaster and kettle. In addition, people are living in increasingly smaller homes and the living room often flows into the kitchen. The kitchen is therefore becoming increasingly important. Not least because cooking and food have become increasingly important in our lives, partly due to the popularity of cooking programs. All those things work in our favor. This is also reflected in the sales of our coffee machines. The Netherlands was originally a country of filter coffee, but people increasingly want better coffee. We have beautiful machines in all colors, matte and glossy, with which you can make really tasty coffee. Bean to cup: the coffee beans go in at the top, the coffee comes out at the bottom. The Consumer Association has given our espresso machine SMEG BCC02 the highest test score for best taste.”
Can do mentality
“When I started at SMEG, I submitted a plan to double in size in three years. Due to the changed macroeconomic situation, this may take a few months longer, but we will double. Whether the market in the Netherlands is growing or not is irrelevant. I don't care if the pie gets bigger, I just want a bigger piece of the pie. We are relatively a niche player in many categories. If we double in some of those niches, we will have a great year. That upward trend has started and I am proud of that: we are growing faster than the market. This mainly has to do with drive, looking for opportunities, never resting. We have grown in large and small equipment as well as in all channels: electronic retail, kitchen retail and online. In addition, we have started tapping into new channels, including the projects business. We have just equipped three hotels with minibars: our iconic refrigerator in mini format. We are also taking the first steps in housing construction. Our induction stoves and hobs are a solution for many homes. People who want to cook without gas often do not realize that they have to convert their meter cupboard from a 1- to 3-phase connection. With our products – and this is unique – you can leave the meter cupboard intact, because they have Eco-logic. This allows the induction hob to be set to a lower power. Furthermore, I am proud that since I took office, the mindset of the staff has changed even more can do-mentality. I got that from the Americans. I like people who are on, always working on it. In return, I create an environment where they enjoy coming to work. My adage is: choose a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life. One of the great things about getting older is that you are less bothered by ego. In the words of Stef Bos, one of my favorite singers: 'The longer I live, the less I know, the less I think in good and evil, in truth and lies, in love and hate.' When your ego becomes smaller, you can give more growth to the people around you. I don't like losing, I always want to achieve my targets. At the same time, I try to take others along in the flow of nations to give them the same thing I had in my younger years, namely that people believed in me.”
