PontMeyer, wholesaler for construction in the Netherlands, is going to build a new branch in Winschoten. The company is investing heavily in a new building on Riedelstraat. The company expects to move by the middle of next year.
PontMeyer’s management has considered moving to another industrial estate within Winschoten to see whether renovation is the right step. In the end, the decision was made and new construction turned out to be the best option, says Maaike van Klei, marketing formula manager.
“We have thought carefully about renovation, but we want to roll out our new formula and that includes a new business premises.”
Drive-in formula
Customers of the building materials wholesaler will be given an optimized route on the new site. There will also be more space for the products. “It will become more accessible to our customers. The outdoor area covers 600 – and the property 3500 square meters. We will maintain our drive-in formula.” Although the company focuses on professional companies from the construction industry, private individuals are also welcome.
PontMeyer is speeding up the new construction, because the work started immediately after the first pile was driven on Wednesday morning. The wholesaler will build alongside industry peer BMN building materials. According to Van Klei, that is no problem at all. “We reinforce each other rather than being major competitors.”
Three decades in Winschoten
PontMeyer has been located in Winschoten on the De Rensel industrial estate for more than three decades. Former Winschoters know that Teka used to be located on that spot. That company was taken over by PontMeyer in 1990.
No decision has yet been made within the group about what will happen to the current site. “There are all kinds of scenarios on the table.” Van Klei does not want to say which these are. It goes without saying that selling or renting are options. The site has an area of over 2 hectares. That is once as much as the new location.
Listed
PontMeyer has been part of the listed TABS Holland since 2016. Before that, it was a family business dating back to 1884. TABS Holland’s turnover fell by ten percent in the first half of 2023 (501 million euros) compared to last year (558 million euros).
The drop in turnover is a result of the many problems faced by the construction industry. Mortgage interest rates have risen too quickly, high construction costs, nitrogen and PFAS problems, inflation and too few and delayed building permits. All of these factors were previously considered ‘a perfect storm for construction’.
Sufficient perspective
The volumes in construction and thus sales of the TABS Holland companies are falling sharply as a result. Despite the problems for the sector, Daan Alberdingk, regional director, sees sufficient prospects for the branch in Winschoten. “There is a lot of potential in the region. I expect the customer base to grow. We are professionalizing our new building and offering a wider range.”
The activities of TABS Holland consist of fifteen different companies, including 48 PontMeyer branches. Last year, PontMeyer opened a new branch in Heerenveen. The management currently has plans for new construction in Wormerveer and Steenbergen.
PontMeyer has branches in Groningen, Heerenveen, Drachten and Sneek in addition to a branch in Winschoten.