INTERVIEW with Werner Van der Steen, Managing Director Insulcon B.V.
Welcome at the Insulcon Group, a visible quote on the internet, but could you tell us more where Insulcon stands for?
Insulcon was founded in 1980 and is nowadays an international group of companies with offices in 4 different countries. Our main goal is to be the best possible high-temperature solutions supplier within the global market. That’s why, the adaptability of our people is critical to our success as we aim to deliver added value in combination with superb levels of customer service.
At our head office in the Netherlands (Insulcon B.V.), we serve customers throughout the world. Our main warehouse and production facilities (such as CNC milling machinery, computerized cutters for fabrics, automatic die-cutting machinery, a sewing workshop etc.) are situated in the Netherlands. Started out as a trading company, nowadays a major part of our Group’s turnover comes from customized solutions from our own production. These solutions are customized to make our customers’ business processes more efficient and effective, thus providing a trouble-free operation. This creates value for both our customers as for Insulcon. Nothing makes us happier than understanding our customers’ challenges and helping them with the right solution for their application.
In our textile plant in Belgium (Keramab N.V.) we manufacture technical textiles, such as packings and ropes with temperature resistance up to 1400°C. You can find Keramab products for example in most of the domestic gas fires and wood-burning stoves. Keramab N.V. is responsible for the sales of all Insulcon Group products in Belgium and Luxembourg.
Insulcon GmbH is our German office and responsible for the customers in German-speaking countries (D-A-CH). Insulcon Projects SA in Switzerland is our engineering company and responsible for complete engineering projects all over the world. Paul Noonan, who is managing the Switzerland operation, has joined Insulcon in 2018 with a wealth of relevant refractory experience. He is also developing our business in the UK, his home market.
Has Insulcon developed its own products under what brand name?
One rule that Mr A. L. D. Noppen Sr. implemented in our companies in the 80s was that we never do direct shipments from the manufacturer to our customers and wherever possible we shall sell our products under our own brand name and datasheet.
Throughout the years we’ve also developed several new products under our own brand names. For example, we have a complete range of converted high-temperature resistant products made out of technical textiles which we call Wearflex®. All these products are custom-made and share high flexibility and high-temperature resistance as a common factor. Examples are expansion bellows, heatshields, seals, etc. We deliver these products to several industries such as oil- and gas, waste incineration and power generation.
All these products are custom-made and share high flexibility and high-temperature resistance as a common factor. Examples are expansion bellows, heatshields, seals, etc. We deliver these products to several industries such as oil- and gas, waste incineration and power generation.
Another example of products we developed in-house and branded are our Refrex® Multi Tube Bellows, these are flexible seals, which are being used to prevent cold air ingress around multiple pipe penetrations in the roof of petrochemical furnaces thus reducing gas/fuel consumption and C02 emission.
What is on your wish list for the next 5 years?
As stated before our people are our main asset. Transferring the existing know-how to new people and developing new markets and solutions is really important and will be one of our focal points. Like many companies, Insulcon needs to see how the industries we serve will change in the future. Our customers in the domestic heating industry will switch from gas to hydrogen, the automotive industry will switch from gasoline to electric (hydrogen), what will happen to the oil companies? This transition of our customers and their applications will also mean that the Insulcon Group will have to find new applications, markets and customers. All this will take years, but if we want to remain a leader in our markets, we will not only have to start this process today but also sustain it. For the only constant in life is change. (Heraclitus)
Do you have a favourite quote?
My favourite quote is the one which I have on display in my office in Steenbergen. It is a quote from Albert Einstein.
“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honours the servant and has forgotten the gift.
Managing Director
