Working at Schaap Holland
Curious about what it's like to work with us? Our colleagues are happy to tell you about their work experience with us!
- Pieter (Quality Service Sorting Company)
- Paul (Transportation)
- Dennis (Quality Service Peeling Company)
- Florian (Technical Service Sorting Company)
Pieter Quality Service Sorting company
Pieter has been working in the Quality Department since 2018 as a Quality Department Sorting Officer.
"My duties include inspecting the raw materials coming in and all batches that are within Schaap Holland. For example, presamples, acceptance samples, tender samples, wheat samples. Inspecting packaged products that are delivered to supermarkets. That is the so-called small packaging." Pieter explains what he likes about his job: "Judging a natural product, which can be very different in quality every year!
And having a lot of contact with people from different disciplines including crop supervisors, production controller, packing staff, drivers, planning and so on. The best part in that, I think, is taring a wheat sample where the crop supervisors and growers are present." Pieter is clear about his future at Schaap Holland: "If I can't become a full-time musician, I will happily continue working at Schaap Holland until my retirement!"
Paul Transport
Paul has been working in the Transportation Department since 2007 as a Driver on the truck.
"I once started at Schaap Holland as an apprentice employee training to become a professional driver. I started off as a jack-of-all-trades and worked in the cold store and in transport planning, but I also helped with storing potatoes. Currently I drive all trips, from picking up potatoes from the grower, but also taking loads away to the customers, both refrigerated and non-refrigerated products from Schaap Holland to growers and distribution centers." Drives to growers including 'own growers', who grow Schaap Holland's own potatoes, he enjoys the most."
"You get a bond with those farmers. You know each other by name, get there for coffee, chat and it's very convivial. Every year you come back to the same farmer." Not only drives in the Netherlands are Paul's business, he also drives abroad. "In the spring I bring seed potatoes to the farmer who will then plant them in the ground for new potatoes. Then around September I then pick up the new crop there again." About 80% of the farmers are homegrown, Paul said. "I also regularly drive to Germany and sometimes to Belgium and Luxembourg, or France."
Paul drives a stationary truck, which he refers to as his second home. "I am the main driver on my truck, on my roster-free day someone else is on my truck. So you start at Schaap Holland as a 'jumper'; then you don't have your own fixed truck yet and so you always drive a colleague's truck."
Paul experiences working at Schaap Holland as very personal. "I have a fixed schedule free day because of my children. It's nice to have an employer who can think along with me on this. I experience a very personal approach with my fellow drivers. If something personal comes up, they always think along with me.
In any case, I see that throughout Schaap Holland, in all departments everyone says hello and you can have a chat. It really is a family business with a down-to-earth attitude and you feel part of it. You know each other and of course it makes a difference that I have been working here for a long time and have had the opportunity to work in various departments."
Finally, Paul concludes with something that makes his driver's heart beat faster: "Those are the special trips. For example, this year I went to Texel, first with the truck on the ferry, then touring the island. Wonderful, you don't get there very often."
Dennis Quality Service Peeling company
Dennis, employed since 2000 in the Quality Department as Production & Quality Employee.
"My job involves keeping the manuals, quality certifications IFS, FSCC22000, Skall and GMP+ up to date. I also conduct external surveys, for example bacterial surveys, residue surveys, pesticides and heavy metals. I do pest control against rats, mice and flies. And I do research for water treatment; testing for its operation. And the control of cleaning by means of bacteriological growth "the critters". This makes me have a lot of contact with different people from all over the company, which makes the work beautiful."
Dennis will have been working at Schaap Holland for 25 years in 2025. What does he look back on with pleasure? "That I have been and still am part of the development of the Schilbedrijf and have experienced this process from the beginning. But also the support I experienced after my brother passed away. I am grateful for that!"
Florian Technical Service
Florian joined Technical Services in 2016 as a Mechanical Engineering Technician.
"I do mechanical and mechatronic work. Mechanically, you can make so many beautiful things, you see the effect of what you make. The laundry is a great example: how a washing drum is conceived, simple, but it works. In addition, the variety of work is fun and the contact with colleagues from other departments is very good. I feel welcome here. When it's your birthday, people know and let me know. The lines of communication are short, also with other departments."
Florian's work is diverse. "Together with my colleagues in Technical Services, we fix malfunctions and perform overhauls and projects. I prepare work myself: I arrange orders, support colleagues and I have contact with various external companies. My activities are therefore more extensive than those of my direct 'TD' colleagues. I ensure that the team can work effectively. This causes the least disruption towards production and it works smoothly and pleasantly."
What makes working at Schaap Holland unique for Florian? "Devising and creating solutions yourself in consultation with production, all the way from A to Z, from drawing to end result and until everyone is satisfied, is great fun. Every day is different. We have a lot of our own responsibility. I set priorities in collaboration with the other colleagues. Of course there are matters that sometimes take precedence, but I like arranging the day and tasks myself." Florian considers himself broadly employable, which keeps motivation high for him. "You become resourceful with the materials and machines you have. It's challenging to get to an end result in different ways. Unfortunately, modernization is not always possible, so you have to come up with your own solutions."
It is clear to Florian why someone should work at Schaap Holland: "If you like challenges and variety and want to be creative in your work, you have come to the right place at Schaap Holland's Technical Department. Together with your colleagues you carry out the work. Your own input is encouraged."
