Did you know some of our orders consist of as many as 2,000 bags of seed? As you can imagine, Sjaak, our beacon on the spinach packaging line, does not want anything to go wrong in the handling process. This friendly rocker from West-Friesland has a down-to-earth perspective. Some call that simplicity – to Sjaak, it’s just common sense.

As Sjaak puts it: “We pay very close attention and everyone in the Packhouse has a strong sense of responsibility. That’s very important, because if we accidentally mix the seeds, we’re in real trouble.” Luckily, Sjaak and his team take their jobs very seriously, so we hardly ever spot any mistakes. Unless they are really good at taking care of them before we even notice, of course. But hey, that’s also a great asset.

What you see is what you get with Sjaak. He is an original Westfries, so being direct is in his genes. Sjaak lives and breathes Pop Vriend culture, having worked with us for literal decades – but he still rolls up his sleeves every day and won’t shy away from a challenge. Sjaak’s most important job is to ensure that nothing is left to chance. Thanks to him and his team, the right seeds end up in the right bags and in the right quantity. That’s how Sjaak makes our customers happy!

The thing Sjaak likes most about his job at Pop? “Our ‘work hard, play hard’ mentality. I’ve witnessed how the company has grown over the past years, but our spirit hasn’t changed. We get the work done and have fun doing it. It hardly feels like work this way. And everyone is equal. Whether you’re in the warehouse or the boss: everyone’s opinions and ideas are valued.” To Sjaak, there’s no doubt he’ll be at Pop for the rest of his working life. “The sense of shared accountability, the easygoing vibe, and the fun activities mean I always go to work with a big smile.”