“We once had 15 customers. Now there are hundreds.”
19 years of experience at Vivochem: Tom on his work as Sales Manager in Belgium
When Tom joined Vivochem 19 years ago, the company had a minimal presence in Belgium, with only a few customers. The market for packaged products was still wide open. Tom set out to build relationships and establish distribution channels. Today, he serves as the primary point of contact for hundreds of customers and, for many, is the face of Vivochem in Belgium.
So, how did he end up at Vivochem? “I was ready for something new,” Tom explains. “I spotted a vacancy in a printed newspaper. That’s how it worked back then.”
Initially, most of his work focused on acquisition: approaching and bringing in new businesses. Today, however, the balance has shifted. Around three-quarters of his time is now dedicated to existing customers, with the remainder focused on developing new contacts. This split is flexible; some days he travels the country for meetings, while on others, he prepares quotations, coordinates deliveries, or answers questions. It’s this variety that he enjoys most about working in the chemical sector.
What makes the job even more interesting is the diversity of customers. From large multinationals to small family businesses, and from heavy chemical industries to manufacturers of cleaning products, Tom encounters a wide range of clients. “It’s that variety I love most. Every customer is different: the sector, the business itself, and the way they communicate. That keeps it interesting.”
Although Vivochem is a Dutch company with a German parent organisation, Tom works from Belgium. He does notice cultural differences: the Dutch tend to be more direct, while Belgians usually communicate a bit more cautiously. But because Tom is fairly direct himself, the collaboration works well. For customers, the main advantage is having a local point of contact. In the early years, that wasn’t always a given. In some regions, companies preferred local suppliers. But once trust was established, they stayed. “Belgian customers are loyal. When they’re happy, they don’t switch easily.”
Over the years, Tom has continued to build that trust. Customers know they can find him for pricing, deliveries, safety data sheets, or just to ask a question. This personal connection makes a real difference. While other major players might change contact persons every six months, his customers have relied on him for years.
In addition to expanding his network, Tom’s knowledge has also grown. Where he once struggled with product names, he now often knows exactly what customers need. Although he is not a chemist, he recognises patterns: which products are required in specific sectors and what kinds of questions typically arise. He approaches his work more efficiently than he did in the past, planning meetings more smartly.
He’s especially proud of how Vivochem has developed over the years. From those early days with just a handful of customers to a professional organisation serving hundreds of Belgian clients. “The move to the new site in Almelo was a turning point for me. That’s when it became clear that everything fit together. We’d really matured as a company.”
And the future? According to Tom, there are still plenty of opportunities ahead. Not all market segments are easy to serve – smaller bulk solutions, for example, without local storage – but through advice, distribution, and service, there’s still plenty of room to grow. Is he still happy in his role? “I built up my customer base myself; I know them very well, and I still get energy from my work every single day.”
