CEO Marc Aandeweg and CTO Bas Nieuwenhuis of MovaColor
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Movacolor wants to grow internationally 'There are still lots of opportunities around the world'

Movacolor, a specialist in dosing equipment for the plastics processing industry, is fully committed to further international growth. With help from the Oranjewoud Export Academy and Ynbusiness, the focus is now mainly on Asia and the United States. 'Our machines work anytime and anywhere.'

Behind the large windows of the ultramodern building, on the northwest side of Sneek, a water-cold January wind is raging this Monday afternoon. Inside, in a cozy meeting room, CEO Marc Aandeweg and CTO Bas Nieuwenhuis look out over the A7, where traffic races by against a backdrop of vast meadows.

'No, Movacolor is not a paint manufacturer,' Marc laughs, 'That impression is sometimes created when people see or hear our company name. Because yes, with the word color you quickly think of paint. But nothing could be further from the truth. We develop and produce dosing equipment for injection molding machines and extrusion lines. Primarily for the plastics processing industry. Only two percent of our sales go to clients in the Netherlands. The rest we export to more than 35 countries'

In short, the machines that Movacolor invents, designs and supplies mix plastic granules and everything else that needs to be added to give, for example, caps of PET bottles, car dashboards or Playmobil dolls the right color and properties.

Not too much, not too little

'Look,' Marc says, taking the case off his phone. 'If you want to make a case like this, then color goes into it and also a chemical that prevents it from discoloring. All that has to be injected into a mold. Our machines ensure that the amount of color and additives are added with the utmost precision. Not too much, not too little. Exactly in the ratio that a client finds necessary for a specific product.

That sounds logical and, at first glance, does not seem to be a complex exercise. "Basically, it is not that difficult," agrees Bas. 'Except that the apparatus, measuring 10 by 4, is quite moving. The large molds are constantly pounding and shaking. Under those conditions, of course, it becomes difficult to dose everything properly. But: we have developed a software algorithm that, despite the shaking, ensures that the machine doses correctly and very accurately. In this, we are one of the technological leaders worldwide.'

Next phase

Movacolor was founded in 1989 in Zwaag, Noord-Holland, and moved to Sneek in 2001. The company grew so much that in 2018 it moved to a new and energy-neutral building. At the same location in the Waterpoort city, only with an area of some 3,000 square meters three times larger than before.

In 2021, Marc was hired as the new CEO. Movacolor had grown into a major global player in the international dosing world and saw in him the right person to take the company to the next phase. After all, he had extensive experience in commercial positions at various internationally operating technical companies, including Neopost of Drachten, now Sparck Technologies.

During his first year as CEO, Marc noticed that Movacolor actually needed someone else to solidify its position as a technology leader. Or better: an end responsible person in the field of innovation who could help the company scale up internationally at an accelerated pace. He was reminded of Bas Nieuwenhuis, who at the time was working as R&D project manager at Sparck Technologies. Together they had already brought several products to market at Neopost. Bas was enthusiastic and has now been CTO of Movacolor for more than two and a half years.

'There are still a lot of opportunities all over the world for the company,' Bas states. 'I was keen to take on that challenge, especially from such a great starting position. Anyone can make a device that works once. We make equipment that works always and everywhere. We have between 50,000 and 70,000 dosing and mixing machines worldwide: from Europe to South America and from the United States to the Middle East. And they never come back. They do what they are supposed to do year in, year out. And always with high accuracy.'

Rating

After a record year in 2022, the company continued to grow unabated the following year. Not for nothing was Movacolor elected Frisian company of the year 2023. 'That was a fantastic appreciation,' says Marc. 'It shows that we have long been seen as a gem in the North. Yet, even in the region, there are still many who do not know us or what we do. Such an award has obviously helped us to increase brand awareness.'

With the war in Ukraine, the stalled economy in Germany, unrest in the Middle East and the U.S. election results, 2024 was also a challenging year for Movacolor. Nevertheless, sales remained stable, while those at most companies declined. "Our growth ambitions didn't suffer at all," Marc emphasizes, "Once the economy and political winds pick up a bit, things can get tough.

The dispensing equipment is sold to customers through dozens of partners, distributors and agents. Currently, Movacolor's focus, which already has an excellent market position in Europe, is primarily on expansion in Asia and the United States. Bas: "Almost 50% of the plastics processing industry is in Southeast Asia. This is followed by Europe and North America. Hence, to fuel growth, we already have our own sales and product support office in Kuala Lumpur. We are now going to do the same in the United States.'

To best shape its international growth ambitions, the company joined the Oranjewoud Export Academy in 2023 , a low-threshold platform where northern companies and experts come together to gain and bring export knowledge. In the form of knowledge sessions, programs or master classes, for example. 'It is hugely inspiring to discuss challenges with like-minded people, exchange experiences and be each other's sounding board,' Marc explains of the reason for membership. 'Without getting in each other's way.'

Channel management

During a dinner at the Oranjewoud Export Academy, Marc met Wessel de Vries. Wessel is theme specialist International Entrepreneurship at Ynbusiness and GroBusiness and active at the Oranjewoud Export Academy as trainer Distributors & Agents. Marc explained that Movacolor organizes a sales meeting twice a year for which salespeople from all over the world come to Sneek. He also indicated that the company wants to pay more attention to channel management in the coming meetings. That is, creating, maintaining and adjusting sales channels through partners, such as distributors and resellers, based on predetermined goals.

Channel management proved to be by no means unknown territory for Wessel. In fact, as a former export manager and trainer, he already had a lot of experience in this field. Marc: "I immediately thought: we should have Wessel provide a training course on behalf of the Oranjewoud Export Academy. In the end, all our sales people at our location received two days of training from the Oranjewoud Export Academy. What do distributors now expect from a sales team and sales support? How do you manage that in the different countries? And how do you quickly anticipate unexpected events? All these issues, and much more, were discussed in detail. Our sales team was so enthusiastic that they said they would like to follow up.

Connector

At the same time, Wessel is regularly approached by Marc and Bas to spar about strategic choices and other challenges related to internationalization. He is very knowledgeable, has a large network and is a real connector," Marc emphasizes. "He always knows a company in the region that has faced the same challenge or has an interesting solution. It is of course fantastic in any case that there are initiatives in the region such as the Oranjewoud Export Academy and Ynbusiness that help companies position themselves better in the international market. It has already brought us a lot and will undoubtedly bring us a lot more in the future.