In conversation with Jóska Hissink, SIEGENIA GROUP BENELUX

Transcript

Interview with Jóska Hissink – Marketing & Sales Support, SIEGENIA GROUP BENELUX
Host: Jerry Helmers

[00:01] Introduction to the episode
Jerry Helmers: Hello, thank you for listening. Welcome to a new episode of the Feel the Podcast series. My name is Jerry Helmers, and today's guest in the studio is Jóska Hissink from SIEGENIA, a company specializing in windows and doors. Welcome.
Jóska Hissink: Thank you very much, hai.

[00:21] Warm-up with propositions
Jerry Helmers: Jóska, before we introduce you to our listeners, although I wonder: who doesn't know SIEGENIA yet... but anyway, maybe we should get to know you better. Before we do that, I would like to ask you a few questions. And I'm strict: you can only answer yes or no. Are you up for it?
Jóska Hissink: Yes, I'm up for it.
Jerry Helmers: Okay, first proposition. The market still too often opts for cheap solutions, even when this demonstrably results in a much shorter lifespan.
Jóska Hissink: Agreed.
Jerry Helmers: Second proposition: digitization in construction is progressing far too slowly. In five years' time, this will be a serious competitive problem.
Jóska Hissink: Agreed.
Jerry Helmers: Third proposition: construction is stalling because chain partners still collaborate too little and operate too much in silos.
Jóska Hissink: Disagree.
Jerry Helmers: Disagree?
Jóska Hissink: The change has already begun.

[01:40] Introduction: who is Jóska?
Jerry Helmers: We're going to get to know you, Jóska Hissink. And there's a man sitting opposite me, not a woman. Have you heard that before?
Jóska Hissink: So often. Countless times. People often mistake me for the actress from Theo and Thea.
Jerry Helmers: That was Tosca.
Jóska Hissink: Yes. When I worked in the plumbing industry, private individuals often thought they were dealing with a woman. They were very disappointed when they found out I was a man.
Jerry Helmers: Do you still receive emails addressed to “Dear Madam”?
Jóska Hissink: That used to happen a lot.

[03:00] Career and move to SIEGENIA
Jerry Helmers: You have been working at SIEGENIA for a year now. What prompted you to make the move?
Jóska Hissink: I worked in the sanitary industry for twenty years. I know the construction culture well. Ultimately, I wanted to do more with my journalism degree. That's how I ended up at SIEGENIA, where they were looking for someone for marketing and sales support.

[03:59] What does SIEGENIA do?
Jerry Helmers: Then you're perfectly placed to explain what SIEGENIA does.
Jóska Hissink: SIEGENIA is a German manufacturer and innovator of high-quality solutions for windows, doors, and ventilation. We develop fittings, thresholds, ventilation systems, and smart solutions that offer comfort and safety. We work with window frame manufacturers, fabricators, contractors, and handymen, and we also focus on architects to provide solutions for airtight, energy-efficient, safe, and future-proof construction.

[04:52] Architects as a target group
Jerry Helmers: Is it difficult to approach architects?
Jóska Hissink: It's a different approach. The architect is at the forefront of the process and designs based on the design. Then he looks at what materials he needs. That's an opportunity to start a conversation: what do you need, what can we offer?

[06:13] Working at SIEGENIA
Jerry Helmers: What makes working at SIEGENIA enjoyable?
Jóska Hissink: The market is large: the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg. And the team is great. We work remotely a lot, but we are in daily contact. Sometimes people just ask how your weekend was. That makes it really nice.

[07:43] Major challenges in the construction sector
Jerry Helmers: What are the major challenges in construction?
Jóska Hissink: We need more houses, and lots of them. Supply and demand are out of balance. Houses are unaffordable. And then there's nitrogen, labor... even if we're allowed to build, do we have the people?

[08:35] Impact on product strategy
Jerry Helmers: Does this affect your business operations?
Jóska Hissink: Absolutely. Construction needs to be faster. So our products need to be suitable for prefabrication. Custom-made fittings, plug-and-play.

[10:18] Prefabricated and plug-and-play
Jerry Helmers: Is prefab booming?
Jóska Hissink: For years. The Netherlands is leading the way. The techniques are now much more precise and increasingly plug-and-play.

[11:00] Innovation and new building materials
Jóska Hissink: Sustainable and circular construction are hot topics. I was at an exhibition in Venice where countries were showing how new techniques work: building in mountains, using materials from the sea. That's interesting.

[12:37] What is sustainable construction?
Jerry Helmers: What does sustainability mean to you?
Jóska Hissink: Green products, but also: good insulation, ventilation, low costs for residents, self-sufficient living. It's a combination of factors.

[13:57] How sustainable is SIEGENIA itself?
Jóska Hissink: Customers don't often bring it up themselves. They look at what's needed. We work with partners to make fully circular windows: recycled wood, glass, metal, fittings.

[15:03] Renovation market growing
Jerry Helmers: Renovation is becoming an increasingly large market.
Jóska Hissink: Certainly. If you can't build, you renovate. Extensions, extending back rooms, new doors... we have solutions for all of that.

[17:26] Ventilation as a necessity
Jóska Hissink: Hotels located near highways are sometimes not allowed to open their windows due to noise or air quality concerns. We supply systems that provide 60 m³ of fresh air per hour.

[18:52] Knowledge development within SIEGENIA
Jerry Helmers: How do you stay informed?
Jóska Hissink: Listening to customers, asking questions, hearing problems. And our technical advisor takes care of certifications and checks regulations.

[21:24] Overregulation in the Netherlands
Jóska Hissink: We are overregulated. Building permits take too long. Buildings stand empty due to zoning plans, while young people continue to live at home.

[22:00] Four target groups of SIEGENIA
(architects – fabricators – carpenters – contractors/handymen)

[22:36] Conversations with architects
Jerry Helmers: What do you ask an architect?
Jóska Hissink: What do you need? And what you design must be feasible. Pressure, construction, safety. We provide answers.

[24:12] Advisory role
Jóska Hissink: We often act as a kind of consultant. We specify which door, which frame thickness, which pressure.

[25:12] Need to be early in the chain
Jóska Hissink: The sooner we sit down at the table, the better.

[25:35] Conversation with processors
Jóska Hissink: The most important question: how can I help you?
Jerry Helmers: And their response?
Jóska Hissink: Lower price. But quality has value. Fittings that last for decades are more sustainable than cheap ones that break quickly.

[28:07] Consumers do not pay attention to brands
Jóska Hissink: Consumers don't ask what brand of hardware is in it. They just want it to work.

[29:43] Carpenters
Jóska Hissink: For carpenters, it must above all be easy to work with. Plug-and-play.

[30:36] Handymen: small contractors
Jóska Hissink: They can do anything, but they're completely booked up. A good handyman is booked up a year in advance.

[32:05] Collaboration and specialization
Jóska Hissink: We need to help each other more. Know where expertise lies. Share specializations.

[33:07] Future of construction
Jóska Hissink: More consultation, more networking. The younger generation is changing a lot.

[35:33] AI in the construction industry
Jóska Hissink: AI will play a major role. Architects will be able to calculate what is technically feasible more quickly.

[36:30] Preview of the pitch
Jerry Helmers: How wonderful it will be when AI says: you need to call SIEGENIA.
Jóska Hissink: That would be great.

THE PITCH

[37:46] SIEGENIA commercial pitch
Jóska Hissink: Imagine a building that is not only strong, but also smart. One that meets the most stringent construction, energy, and sustainability requirements while also offering high-quality design. That is what SIEGENIA stands for.
Jóska Hissink: SIEGENIA provides innovative solutions for windows, doors, and ventilation. Products that are invisible, integrated into the frame, where the essential functioning of the building is not compromised. Think of fittings and thresholds that close effortlessly, regardless of tolerance or installation variation. Ventilation systems that ensure a healthy indoor climate. Sustainable components that contribute to energy efficiency and circularity.
Jóska Hissink: For architects and manufacturers, this translates into concrete benefits: reliable quality, a comfortable and healthy indoor climate, long service life, and compliance with modern building standards without compromising on aesthetics. How wonderful would that be?
Jóska Hissink: With SIEGENIA, you can create designs that are ready for the future. Whether you are designing apartments, office complexes, or commercial buildings, our solutions integrate seamlessly into building specifications and technical plans. Thanks to our focus on sustainability and circular construction, we help you realize projects that not only stand the test of time today, but will also remain relevant tomorrow and in the future.
Jóska Hissink: We bring the environment to life. Or as our slogan says: SIEGENIA brings spaces to life.

[39:23] Website and contact details
Jerry Helmers: The website?
Jóska Hissink: www.siegenia.com. See Downloads for brochures, installation instructions, and more.

[40:11] Looking back at the propositions
Jerry Helmers: We started with three propositions.
Jóska Hissink: I disagreed with the last one because cooperation is already improving.
Jerry Helmers: And digitization?
Jóska Hissink: AI will be essential. You have to learn how to work with it.

[42:21] Completion
Jerry Helmers: We may return in two years.
Jóska Hissink: Certainly.
Jerry Helmers: Thank you for joining us. This podcast was made possible by Louwers Mediagroep. Technical support: Daan Halters. My name is Jerry Helmers. Thank you for listening!