18 July 2017 | Interview
To mark the occasion of SADC’s 30th anniversary, the summer 2017 edition of the business magazine Haarlemmermeer INTO Business included a special feature on SADC. Six businesspeople were interviewed for the article; read more about the interview with Arjan van der Heijden of Just Brands (Airport Business Park Lijnden) below.
Just Brands is a Dutch fashion company. In 2009 the company moved to Airport Business Park Lijnden, which is now the home of casual denim brands PME Legend, Vanguard and Cast Iron.
“We were able to set down a building that suits us completely and that reflects the identity of our company and our brands here,” says Arjan van der Heijden, Operational Manager at Just Brands. Since most of the company’s employees live in Amsterdam and there is also a lot of international travel involved, Lijnden was an obvious choice. Still, Van der Heijden sees some room for improvement. “The connection by public transport is still inadequate, so a lot of our employees are forced to commute by car.”
The fact that Just Brands has recently started work on an expansion to the building shows that the company is nevertheless pleased with the location. “This way we will have twice as much space and can continue to grow”, says Van der Heijden. He describes the location as one of the best managed, safest, cleanest and greenest business parks in the country.
Van der Heijden is positive about Lijnden’s future, too. “Given the low levels of vacancies, even during the financial crisis, and the strong financial position of the Airport Business Park Lijnden Association, the future looks very bright. But only once the relocation of the A9 highway is completed will I be able to fully assess the situation – when it becomes clear what the possibilities for expansion are.”
Just Brands bought its premises through a real estate broker, so Van der Heijden has not had much contact with SADC. “I think it’s good that SADC always remains involved with the parks that it develops, so it can offer support and insights into their history and continuity.”
Download the full article here (in Dutch), including the interviews with all six businesspeople.