There are not many companies that can say it, but Steenhouwerij Engberts in Assen can: this year 140 candles can be blown out. A special milestone for the company that started in Meppel but has now become an indispensable part of the Drenthe capital.
Hein Engberts remembers how he and his family lived next to the stonemasonry. He was seven years old when he was already helping in cemeteries to place stones. Heavy physical work. “Nowadays, because of the machines, it is a lot easier.”
But Engberts – born and raised in Assen – learned to love the profession. And although he chose his own path and left the family business in the 1990s, he remains proud of the stonemasonry. “When you come across the name again, it does something to you.”
Erik Posthuma and Ronald Haveman now hold sway within the company. They do not carry the name Engberts, but they do carry the pride of the company. “We came in together about thirty years ago,” says Posthuma. “We had been working there for quite some time and we officially took over in 2016. We considered using a different name, but ultimately we decided to continue with Engberts. That seemed the wisest option to us.”
His partner Haveman is the man with the golden fingers. “I learned to be a furniture maker at the Lower Technology School in Assen, but a teacher advised me to do an internship here.” Haveman immediately grabbed the job. “You create something lasting. Something that people are very happy with.”
Over the years, a lot has changed within the world of stonemasons. New techniques and more machines, for example, but also ‘more assertive’ customers. “When I started, I was the man with the folder,” says Posthuma, who went from door to door with a folder full of tombstones. “Now many people have already done their own research about what they want. They know that better and better.”
In most cases, this makes Posthuma’s work easier. “But sometimes you have someone in front of you who, for example, has a graphic background and comes up with proposals about which you have your own doubts. Then you give advice, but it remains up to the customer.”
Posthuma – gifted with a photographic memory – can still recall many of the tombstones he sold. But Engberts also remembers his first one. “That was very special. A four-year-old child who had died.”
And yes, that is quite emotional, Engberts admits. It’s part of the job, says Posthuma. “If you feel good about yourself, you can do a lot. But if you are having a bad period, you can do your job less well. Especially if you have to have conversations with people who have just lost a loved one.”
But, says Posthuma, the most important thing is that you remain emotionally involved in your work. “If you no longer feel anything, it is not good. Every stone must remain special.”