Column Saskia Stender: Charged up

Summer is just around the corner, bringing high temperatures and vacation time. While everyone enjoys the sun and days off, the food industry faces additional challenges. How do you keep your production facility in top condition during the heat, especially with fewer staff available due to holidays?

When planning the construction or renovation of a food factory, it's not just about the walls and the roof, but about a plan that's ready for the future. A good design takes into account what you need now and what might be required or desired later. The right design makes your business more flexible and resilient, enabling you to quickly adapt to changing market conditions and customer needs.

But that’s not all you need to consider. You need to act now. And on promises from The Hague. You might think you're future-proof by installing solar panels: partially self-sufficient, reasonably independent. Yet, you're penalized for all your efforts over the years. Now you have to regularly shut down your solar panels to avoid overpaying. What’s next?

Solar panels or not, heat pump or not. It's a political tug-of-war. What’s true today can almost certainly be the opposite tomorrow. As an entrepreneur, you can't work with that. It really gets me heated!

Make your own plan. Summer brings not only warmth but also energy. Channel that energy into growth and efficiency for your business. With this approach, you and your employees can face the future with renewed energy and be fully charged, just like after a vacation.

Saskia Stender