Happy People: creative director & owner Floris Bertrums

SHAKING THINGS UP

At B&B Fabrics, Floris is known as a passionate fabric entrepreneur with many different qualities. “I was twenty years old when I joined, right after I graduated. Then you have to prove yourself first. After about four weeks, my father, the 3^rd generation of B&B Fabrics, and I already knew it was the right move. From that moment on, it all went very fast. I dealt with financial matters. That went very well, but I noticed that the creative aspect also attracted me. As an entrepreneur, you have the freedom to do anything. Purchasing, sales, development, products and much more. That was my advantage because I liked different departments. Then, when I was 24, I took over the company. That was almost twenty years ago.”

With Floris in the business, things moved quickly. B&B Fabrics grew, professionalised and, thanks to his passion and enthusiasm, the number of employees steadily increased. “It never felt like I was the boss. The strength of B&B is precisely that we work as a team. We went from 4 to 30 employees. That takes a lot of adjustment. It’s a challenge, but you also learn a great deal. Entrepreneurship is a matter of trial and error, but as long as you involve each other, you will always be on the right track. The quality of your products and services is, of course, the most important thing. These have always been strong because we all work hard. I play my part in that and try to provide direction, but it only really works as a team. We look for inspiration together, listen to our customers, watch developments and start from scratch with every collection. High-quality fabrics, creative designs and optimal deliverability. And I’m very proud of that ‘big picture’.”
 

INNOVATE AND KEEP LEARNING

Originally, B&B Fabrics was a traditional wholesale business. So buying and selling. Ten years ago, that was no longer enough, says Floris. “The true gems in the market had run out and we were getting demand for products that did not exist. Since then, we’ve been developing our collections ourselves with a design department. From concept to creation and from production to delivery. If you can’t find something you want to deliver, then just make it yourself. You look at what the market wants and surprise customers together with the whole team. For me, that’s the beauty of this profession.”

Besides his attention to the products, Floris also focuses on the business. For 2022, ‘growth’ is the buzzword, according to him. “We are continuing the line that we started years ago. This means further professionalisation and the like. We are a jack of all trades and want to further promote that. Together, we ensure higher quality throughout our entire organisation. You empower your people, which really energises everything. So each individual, each specialist, gets the time and attention they deserve. We do this on an individual level, but also on a business level. And we are all better off for it.”

B&B OF THE FUTURE

Thanks to the appointment of Edwin Bertrums as the new CEO, Floris has more time to do what he likes best. “For me personally, I am going to have a very good time. As an art director, I already did a lot with design and creation. Now I can focus on that even more. For me, ‘product and development’ is more fun than work. And I just love that. This role does not involve me dropping other tasks – we just divide tasks better now. As a result, I’m more involved in the further development of our unique decorative fabrics on a daily basis. We are ensuring smooth operations, of which I remain a part, but I'm now giving myself a little more leeway than in recent years. Wonderful.”

He also sees a bright future for B&B Fabrics. “We’ve mastered the craft of textiles. It’s woven into our fibres. We’re in control, always deliver from stock and never take no for an answer. So we are already doing very well. We make sure that our customers lack nothing and get all the attention they need. To do this even better, we are making many plans behind the scenes. We’re making sure everyone is on the same page and are making important and specific decisions together. We also make all the data transparent so that we can use it as a basis for steering things. This will enable us to become more efficient and increase profitability within a few years.” And also with a view to his own role, Floris is very excited about what the future holds. “For now, I am looking forward to ‘product and development’. Basically the same role, but with a greater degree of freedom.”