Creating solutions based on very broad experience
To master a subject well, a lot of energy must be invested in knowledge and experience. You also have to take the time for this and take advantage of all opportunities. Sjoerd followed the LTS carpentry course in Sneek and spent an extra year to reach a higher level. During that extra year he gained his first work experience in the form of an internship at a construction and restoration company. All the more reason to then start working there as a carpenter/bricklayer. At the same time he completed the primary carpentry training. A good basis for what would follow.
Sjoerd: "To gain experience in furniture and interior construction, I joined my father in the furniture making business. An excellent training ground for finer carpentry. Another challenge followed in 1996. Together with his parents we took over a "do-it-yourself business". Due to changing economic circumstances, we stopped doing so. And the circle was complete when I went back to work at the construction and restoration company where I had started as a carpenter."
During that period he and his colleagues restored various churches and farms. The knowledge gained then came in handy. He acquired his extensive knowledge of materials at a hardware store. Amidst all the hustle and bustle, Sjoerd has renovated several houses in his spare time.
Sjoerd continues: "The desire to become independent kept nagging at me. How should I approach that? I came into contact with De Vakman and I wanted more support, especially in the field of marketing and entrepreneurship. We reached an agreement and since then I have had my own handyman company. The fact that I have so much experience now serves me very well. No job is the same and that requires a solution-oriented and inventive attitude. I feel like a fish in water with this work."
If you think that's all, then you should know that Sjoerd has been active in the volunteer fire brigade since 1994. He also tries to make time for his hobbies of sailing, fishing, renovating his own home, watching films and model trains. He is sometimes called a jack-of-all-trades... and rightly so.
