New FINAT president announces initiatives

There is no substitute for experience, maintains Jan Frederik Vink, the self-adhesive label  association’s new president – which is why he is so enthusiastic about encouraging moves within the organization to create a Young Managers Club geared to providing exchange working visits between label printing companies for the up-and-coming people in the industry.

He speaks from a position of experience – management science degree at university, company doctor, consultant to Holland’s metal working industry as well as a firm backgrounding in labels which 14 years ago drew him back into the industry.

Mr Vink, 52, is the joint owner (with business partner Paul Holland) of the Dutch Kolibri labels group. He became the FINAT president, succeeding David Harrisson of Skanem, at the organisation’s June Congress in Berlin and will head the organisation during its important 50th anniversary celebrations next year.

Born in Arnhem but soon moved to the nearby village of Oosterbeek – still his home – he was the eldest son of an aspiring businessman who created a plastics company carrying the family name.  But as a possible foretaste of his belief in experience he decided not to join that company, but to pursue a career in the wider field of industry.

‘I had more interest in production than in trade and I decided to study the wider field of management.  This he did at the Eindhoven University (HTS Bedrijfskunde), which was heavily influenced by the presence of the giant Philips group which was headquartered in the town.

His first job was in labels, with the Nimax Etiketten company, which was in some degree of difficulty. ‘My job was to restructure the company and make it profitable again.  As the project succeeded and I was asked to do similar projects at other companies, I decided to start my own consulting agency.’

As the scope of his experience widened through that work, he came to the notice of the Dutch organisation for companies in the metal working industries (Metaalunie) who asked him to become a regional business consultant to their members.

‘It was interesting, but I decided I would prefer to continue my career in a company atmosphere and, 14 years ago, the then foreign owner of Kolibri asked me to join them as a manager charged with planning for the future.  It sounded interesting and I decided to join them,’ he said.

He was able to lay the foundations for expansion and future growth and when, in 2001, the opportunity to mount a management buy-out arose, he, Mr Holland and another colleague took over the company.  At the moment it is owned and managed by Mr Vink and Mr Holland.

With his track record at Kolibri attracting admiration from other members of the self-adhesive industry, he was asked to join the FINAT board in 2002 and after a year he became its treasurer.  ‘Although time is a big issue when you have a busy company to run, I finally agreed to become its vice-president in 2005 which – as everyone probably knows – means you will be the president two years later.

‘So here I am, building on the foundations laid by David Harrisson and facing an exciting couple of years which will include the Golden Anniversary celebrations.

‘But the first project we will be launching – in November – will be this Young Managers Club which I believe will have an important role to play in developing the self-adhesives industry in the years to come.

‘Apart from a dozen, or so, major label printing companies, most of the label printers are small to medium sized firms, largely family-run, with up-and-coming people in junior management positions but with no opportunity to gain wider business experience.  I hope that by encouraging their participation in the club, through forums, conferences and exchange working visits to other FINAT member companies, they will gain that experience and become,’ Vink concluded.