Fred Spijksma was pleasantly surprised by the phone call he received from the organisation of the Lodewijk van der Grinten Prize. Nevertheless, the owner of logistics specialist GEBA Trans decided to think about the nomination quietly for a while. "It was quite an honour, but I don't like being in the spotlight. On the other hand, it's always good to step out of your comfort zone as an entrepreneur. Moreover, it has a positive impact on the company. Because without the team, you are nowhere as an entrepreneur."
So Spijksma decided to say yes. Although he could not attend the presentation and introduction of the nominees due to holiday commitments. So the 52-year-old born in Venlo had to get to work earlier to still leave a positive impression at the introduction. This year's theme is Omdenken. "So I was able to get straight to work on that last summer," he says with a laugh. "We had to pull out a contingency plan to present myself in an innovative way anyway. That way, I was basically present anyway. I still invite the other nominees to a joint lunch to get to know each other better."
From well-behaved to recalcitrant
Although he says he is a 'pleaser', Spijksma faced several hard life lessons throughout his life. He was barely 10 years old when his parents decided to divorce. "No, it was not a fighting divorce. My father was still just visiting mother." Yet this had a big impact on him. Spijksma changed from the best boy in the class to a recalcitrant adolescent. "My high school period started at atheneum, but I dropped down to LTS installation engineering. In the end, I still worked my way up."
'Thanks to financial independence, you create spiritual independence. That is worth a lot'
Mental independence
The young Spijksma also saw how, as a regular factory employee, his father worked extra shifts at the end of each year to buy St Nicholas presents. "My father wanted to enjoy life after retirement. He died at 68. I don't want my work to determine my life, but to determine everything myself." Thus arose the drive not to have to work until retirement and then have no time to enjoy it. He wanted to be able to take charge of life himself from the age of 50." Later, Spijksma saw how the founder of GEBA Trans, who also became his business partner, died at the age of 49 due to a serious illness. "People ask: is money your driving force? Then my answer is: no! But thanks to financial independence, you create spiritual independence. That is worth a lot."
Crisis manager
When his former partner fell seriously ill and did not return to the business, everything fell to Spijksma. "He was told on 3 April 2008 that he was seriously ill and took the decision not to come back to the business. The next day, I took over his duties. The business had to go on. On Friday, October 30, I bought the remaining shares. On Monday 3 November, the financial market collapsed and the credit crisis began. On 9 December 2008, my former partner died. I was 36, someone who always saw opportunities, but I suddenly had to take off my rose-coloured glasses and became a crisis manager.
By hanging on, I managed to pull through." It was a tough period in which Spijksma often worked 80 to 100 hours and had to take harsh measures such as firing employees. Not much later, both his parents-in-law died at too young an age. After four people who were important to him died at too young an age, the aspiration to be able to decide for himself what he wanted to do from the age of 50 strengthened. Then came the real blow. "I became overworked. My accountant saw it as a logical consequence and said: what you went through in a few years, many people don't go through in their whole life. It was a rollercoaster."
Making choices
He did not take any trade-related courses. Spijksma learned everything in practice. By trial and error. "I have little use for models from a management course. However, give me a beer mat and I draw my plans perfectly. No, I don't feel any less because of that. Of course, in the first few years as an entrepreneur, you are uncertain. Everyone is watching you. I have learned to do business on my gut and intuition, but substantiated with figures. In business terms, you sometimes have to make hard decisions. In my career, I bumped my nose more than once, but it was my nose. Every person makes certain choices. If they turn out not to be the right ones, you still have to move on. You can't get stuck. In the end, I am proud of this nomination, the team and my career."
Text: Rob Buchholz - Photography: Bram Becks
