Family Within a Family Business: Erwin and Jarno Drenth
A family business—who still works at one these days? Well, we do at Heuver! And the great thing is: you’ll find many other family ties within our company. That’s what this series of personal employee stories is all about.
Like the story of father Erwin Drenth and son Jarno Drenth.
Erwin Drenth (46) works as Assistant Branch Manager at Profile Heuver in Veendam.
"I’ve been working here since 2009. I started at Autoborg in Groningen, but since 2012 I’ve been at the counter in Veendam."
Jarno Drenth (17) is a part-time employee at the same Profile Heuver location where his father works.
"I’ve been working here for a year now and really enjoy it in the workshop. It all started with an internship I was able to do here, followed by a second one—even after gaining experience at other companies. When they asked me to join as a Saturday and holiday assistant, I immediately said yes. It’s a fun and friendly team, and they’re letting me do more and more jobs. In addition to mounting tyres, I’m also changing oil, replacing brake pads and discs, helping with alignments, topping up fluids, and doing other small tasks. I enjoy the mechanical work the most, because it lets me focus and work independently."
No Special Treatment
The close connection that comes with being family turned out to be quite handy in this case, Jarno explains:
"I needed an internship at a car company for school, so I immediately asked my dad if that could be here at Profile Heuver."
For Erwin, it was important that his son wouldn’t receive any special treatment:
"We don’t have much interaction during the workday. Of course, we see each other, but Jarno is supervised by our manager, Mark Potze. I hear bits and pieces, but I try to stay out of it as much as possible. At home, Jarno often talks about work—he’s young and enthusiastic. But sometimes, I’d rather not think about work and just relax, haha. Still, it’s great that he enjoys what he does and is doing well. I do notice that at work. He puts in a lot of effort, and the team is happy with him. That definitely makes me proud."
Collaboration
As a father, you naturally tend to keep a closer eye on your own son. Erwin admits that this sometimes makes him a bit stricter with Jarno than with others:
"For example, if he’s not doing anything for a moment, I’ll prompt him to tidy up the tyres or something like that. I might do that with him sooner than I would with someone else. That’s probably one downside for him when it comes to working with me."
"At first, I was worried I’d be watching over him too closely, but that’s turned out to be okay. The other day, Bertus Heuver was here and asked Jarno if working with me was going alright. When Jarno said it was, Bertus joked that he must be the first one to say that, haha."
Personal Approach
Yes, you can definitely tell that Heuver is a true family business, says Erwin:
"Every now and then, Bertus Heuver still drops by. And when you visit the headquarters in Hardenberg, you immediately sense that family-oriented atmosphere. I still occasionally speak with Bertus and Jan Heuver there. It’s all about the personal approach."
"I especially noticed that during a difficult period in my life, when I was going through a divorce. In moments like that, they’re really there for you. There’s always genuine interest in your personal situation. The entire team at headquarters is made up of people who truly fit the company’s culture. One example is Charel Nijhuis, our branch manager—we have a great relationship, largely because of the kind of person he is."
Further Education
Starting in August 2019, Jarno will begin his further education in automotive technology at Noorderpoort in Groningen:
"Until then, I’m working four days a week in Veendam. Whether I’ll be able to continue doing that once my studies start is still uncertain. I might find something in Groningen, for example, since the school has many connections with car companies in that area."
