Design finished. What now?

How did it all start?

When Theo was still the owner of Fabrique Invent, Martijn contacted him. Martijn offered to create prototypes of our designs. We could then use these prototypes for testing and to see if our ideas worked as envisioned. This led Theo to connect one of our clients with Martijn by ordering the aluminum milled prototypes from him. This client then decided to have Martijn set up the entire production process, and the partnership was born. The success of this collaboration lies in the trusting collaboration between us. In addition to production, Martijn can also offer his clients the opportunity to have designs developed in terms of shape and ergonomics, and he can handle the production and prototyping for our clients. Thanks to our long-standing partnership, the combination also provides a solid foundation for long-term collaboration and continuity. This, in turn, is very beneficial for the client.

Link between China and Europe

QoCreators serves clients in Europe (primarily the Netherlands, Germany, and France) from its office in the Netherlands as a production partner in Shanghai, China. Based in Haarlem, Martijn and his two colleagues focus primarily on producing hardware for products and industrial semi-finished products made of aluminum, steel, or plastic. They specialize in a specific complexity of products and maintain a series size range of between 500 and 10,000 units. They also mill rapid prototypes in their factories and manage assembly. Besides the Haarlem office, there’s also a QoCreators facility in Shanghai. This provides short lines of communication with the manufacturer network and makes it easier to visit them for communication or quality control.

And what exactly do you do?

Martijn acquires new clients and manages production for existing clients. The first year, when serial production of a design begins, is the most intensive. The drawings must be prepared for production by the appropriate parties. Then, the delivered products are inspected and tested with regard to assembly tests, quality control, and checking dimensions and tolerances. If approved, the step towards serial production can be taken. Once the line is set up, it’s a simple push of a button for Martijn to order and have a new batch produced. He has been the link between companies and their production for 17 years and already has many regular customers, including Fabrique Invent.

What are the major challenges currently facing the sector?

On the one hand, there’s the rising cost of materials. Raw materials are becoming scarce; this affects prices. However, this is a global problem, and therefore everyone is affected. The raw material shortage is something we all have to solve. Another challenge QoCreaters faced last year was rising logistics costs. Where a container on a ship previously cost €4,000, the same journey now costs €13,000. This tripling of prices is the result of a combination of circumstances. The causes of this include production delays due to Covid-19, empty containers stuck in the United States, a monopoly on the logistics market, and the blockage in the Suez Canal last year. This has made delivery times from China to Europe a hot topic in the sector. It’s also difficult to predict whether this is a temporary problem or a long-term one. What can we do about it? We try to look at the bigger picture. We consider these additional factors when determining what’s best for our clients when setting up their production line.

Of course, we’ll continue doing what we do best. In the future, we’d also like to launch our own product by participating in a startup or scale-up. Investing in a company with a good idea and sharing our knowledge, experience, and network would be a great next step. We’re keeping our eyes peeled for a good partner to partner with, but so far, we haven’t had any success.
Martijn is proud of the BU50 grow light and the light fixture we developed together for Dutch Lighting Innovations. We design and test the fixtures, Martijn mills the prototypes, and rolls out serial production. He estimates the production costs, whether they’re feasible, and whether they fit within the product’s cost price. He also advises us on the feasibility of the production techniques we intend to use. Thanks to open communication and quick turnaround, we’ve achieved a fantastic result in record time.

This was an interview with Martijn Poepjes. Martijn is Managing Partner at QoCreators.