"If you're here, I'm in the new building across the street. Gray on the ground floor, white above? Uh... I think so, but let me check." Over the phone, it immediately becomes clear that Demcon is thriving, with an office building so brand new that purchase manager Rudi Munster (56) has barely had a chance to explore it himself. "I don't come here very often," he clarifies later at the coffee machine. "My work mainly takes place on the other side of the street, where the workshop is located." We are in Enschede, on a business park wedged between the University of Twente campus on one side and the Grolsch Veste stadium on the other. At Twente Solid State Technology (TSST) — acquired by the larger Demcon in 2018 — they excel in a very different kind of top-level performance: the company builds equipment for atomic layer deposition for university research centers. Rudi explains how the company, like many others in this area, originated from the ideas of a few professors. "Someone comes up with an idea, and if that idea takes off, they're given the space here to set up a spin-off company. In this case, it was a system that generates a very deep vacuum, creating an ultra-clean, uncontaminated chamber. Ideal for nanotechnology research and for vapor-depositing layers. Let me know if it gets too technical, okay?" From lecture hall to corporate The story is certainly technical, but also impressive. Although TSST remains closely connected to the University of Twente, the company now supplies research centers worldwide, from the Benelux to far into Asia. "We create a test setup here on the shop floor to ensure everything works perfectly, and then we install it in the same way at the customer's site." BOIKON has grown alongside them as a supplier, the native of Twente explains. "In a previous life, when we were still smaller — almost hobby-like — we were looking for extrusion profiles. BOIKON stood out among all the suppliers because they could provide exactly the right corner connectors, which required minimal drilling on our part. For the first few years, we only purchased loose components, but at some point, it became quite a labor-intensive task. So, I called Leek and asked: can you also assemble these for us? Their answer: ‘Of course, we do that every day!’ And could they also procure materials from other suppliers on our behalf? That was no problem either. Since then, we’ve been getting almost a complete package from BOIKON. A bit of peace of mind, really." Laser-sharp The engineers at BOIKON are now quite self-sufficient, Rudi explains. "They order standard components — what we call stock items — from abroad and then use the TSST drawings. Well, they tailor everything to size and assemble it into our system. Just recently, a university in Denmark wanted a non-standard size. Most frames are, what, 1 meter 70 high? But in this case, you had to be able to walk underneath it. Well, they handled it." Safety also remains a key aspect, especially when lasers are involved. "Almost all of our systems are equipped by BOIKON with enclosed windows so that no one accidentally comes into contact with a laser beam." Above all, Rudi emphasizes, BOIKON is very good at thinking along with TSST. "Sometimes we have nothing more than a rough sketch, and they look over our shoulders to figure out which materials would work best. We could try reinventing the wheel every time, but there's no point when they already know everything. Siebo Beukema has even visited us for a tour. I always appreciate it when suppliers make an effort to understand the customer." He pauses for a moment. "To be honest, I've never been to BOIKON myself. Lack of time, lack of capacity. Maybe I should make a trip to Leek one of these days to take a look behind the scenes. See if they can offer even more added value in other ways."

Let’s go back to 1999. Electrical technician Klaas Slagter (55) was working in light advertising at the Diepswal industrial park, but things weren’t going well between him and his boss. Through mutual connections, Jeroen Oosterhof and – back then – Gert Jan Brons heard about his ambitions and invited him for a conversation. “We clicked right away. There were only six of them at the time, and that includes the cleaner. They did everything themselves: drilling, sawing, visiting customers, and then starting the whole cycle over again.” Klaas joined what could still be called, without a hint of irony, the young guns of BOIKON, and he’s never looked back. “It felt like a warm bath, and it still does.” Over the years, Klaas has become a jack-of-all-trades. “I’m involved in the Wiki and BOIKON Academy, still do assembly work, and handle maintenance for the building, machines, and other internal systems.” The Wiki has become something of a passion project, although its origins were quite practical. “In December 2021, I had surgery on my hand and couldn’t do assembly work for a while. This idea – like so many ideas – had been on the shelf for a long time, and that was the perfect moment to pick it up.” “We’re trying to document all the knowledge within BOIKON so that every new technician understands how our philosophy works. If they don’t know something, they can immediately check our intranet. It’s still a work in progress and probably never truly finished, but we’ve made significant strides. In a way, it’s also a necessity: as the company has grown, you can’t discuss every component individually anymore. For example, we have a specific rule that, unless stated otherwise, we always use electro-galvanized bolts. No stainless steel. If that’s ever overlooked, we’re held accountable. These are growing pains you can’t avoid, but you have to do everything you can to address them.” The process is now clear: if a technician can’t figure something out, they check the Wiki first, then ask their colleagues, and only if that doesn’t help, they turn to the engineer on duty. This relieves the staff and ensures everyone knows what to do. It’s one example of how BOIKON has evolved since its humble beginnings in a Groningen attic. Klaas has nothing but praise for the projects he’s seen over the years. “What we’ve built here makes me proud. And we stand behind what we create! Even if something doesn’t work right away, we solve it. We once had a project at Akzo Nobel in Hengelo that wasn’t going smoothly, and the pressure kept increasing. So, you put your heads together, check everything, and make sure it works. In the end, the problem turned out to be with a supplier who had repeatedly delivered faulty batches of chain sprockets. You learn something every time.” “The tobacco industry is another example. It’s a sensitive topic, but as a small company from Leek, we can be proud of what we’ve accomplished. We’ve worked with big names from Germany, Hungary, and Poland, and we’ve grown a lot because of it. I still remember my first business trip abroad. It must have been 2002 or 2003, and we were approached by a cardboard manufacturer near London. We had to plan the entire trip ourselves, buy tickets, book hotels... It’s much better organized nowadays, but it was an experience. Or a trip to Germany, even though I didn’t speak a word of German. Jeroen said, ‘Just go to the ANWB and get one of those phrasebooks; you’ll be fine.’” When asked what else has improved compared to the past, Klaas doesn’t have to think long. “Good tools. Every technician gets the equipment they need to work comfortably. Whether it’s hand tools or large machines, we work with the best materials here. When I look around at customers and partners: you really don’t see that everywhere.” He laughs. “We’re well taken care of.”

BOIKON Automates Inventory System with Vertical Shuttle Storage BOIKON recently automated its entire inventory system with the implementation of a vertical shuttle storage solution, streamlining order picking processes for greater simplicity and efficiency. By fully integrating the inventory system with BOIKON's 3D CAD, workflow, and ERP software, the company achieves precise inventory management and optimal project flow. The closed-loop nature of these three interconnected systems ensures a reliable and seamless goods flow. Additionally, the new system improves workplace ergonomics for employees and saves valuable floor space, creating a future-proof inventory solution. This innovation completes the puzzle of BOIKON’s inventory management strategy.