What do you do when, after barely three years of employment, you’re asked to take over your boss’s company? For Tom van Schaijk, a 23-year-old carpenter at the time, it was an offer that would change his life. Nearly 12 years later, it’s time to look back. A conversation about choices, drive, and keeping things in perspective.
April 1, 2009, was the day Tom van Schaijk became both an entrepreneur and a managing director. A step into the unknown, but a calculated one. “I spent seven months thinking and doubting. Not out of fear, but because there’s so much involved. Things I knew nothing about at the time: scouting banks for financing, managing people, business management… Moreover, we were just emerging from a global economic crisis.”
“At about the same time, I received an offer from Monaco. To lay parquet flooring on boats and yachts. The sun and the sea always close by. But I chose Limburg, for—at the time—Claeys Palenbedrijf. Because I had ideas and was convinced that things could be done differently and better. The times and the market had changed significantly, but the company had not.”
“Even as a child, I wanted to move fast.”
It was clear at an early age that Tom had the entrepreneurial gene in him. “I’ve always been someone who didn’t wait around and took matters into my own hands. When we used to perform stunts with our BMX bikes as kids, I was always the first to put together a wooden ramp. In my teens, two friends and I felt it was unacceptable that we didn’t have a youth center nearby. So we started one ourselves. The desire to one day have my own business has probably always been there subconsciously, I think.”
“Sometimes you have to hit a brick wall.”
“During the first two years as managing director at Claeys, the former owner still worked under me. For me, that was primarily a transition phase. Nevertheless, I immediately tried to put my own stamp on things. During that period, I had a lot of support from my accountant. He stayed very down-to-earth and kept my feet on the ground.”
“Once I was on my own, it was completely clear to me what needed to happen. Claeys Palenbedrijf became Claeys Houtconstructies. We moved from simple carports and garden sheds to more complex structures such as pool houses and garden offices. We swapped old-fashioned wood types for high-quality and sustainable hardwood. The machinery was completely modernized, and everyone received their own equipment. Additionally, we decided to start a timber trade. Building up stock to establish better relationships with our professional customers.”
“At that time, I also met my wife. It was quite drastic, everything that happened in such a short period. At 23, you actually want to go skiing twice a year, drive to the sun, and drink beers with your friends on the weekend. But I let myself be guided by my passions.”
“In the beginning, due to my youthful naivety, I hit a wall a few times. For example, by joining the team on the construction site. But in doing so, I actually slowed down my employees’ development because the boss supposedly always knew better. At those moments, I had to learn to let go and show full confidence in my staff. And even then, I was laying the foundation for a better structure and smoother service for our customers.”
“Happy faces are the confirmation.”
“Even though I dare to go my own way, that doesn’t mean I don’t seek guidance in my choices. I have several sounding boards. My financial advisor, accountant, fellow entrepreneurs, suppliers… You have to stay open to new ideas and even to differing visions. Our carpenters and installers are also very important advisors. Every day, they hear directly from the customer what is going well and what could be improved.”
“It gives me great pleasure to see that they continue to find joy in their jobs. That they walk in every day in a good mood and go home the same way. For me, after all these years as managing director, that is the best proof that I made the right choices. By letting everyone do what they love most and by keeping a close eye on the market, we continue to achieve our ambitions: doing a little better every year than the year before. Not too fast, not forced, just organic.”