Martijn Janssen

Can you introduce yourself?

“My name is Martijn Janssen, I am 31 years old, and I live in Nuenen. I have been working at Bulsink as a Project Engineer for six years now.”

“Outside of work I like to exercise. Football, fitness, cycling. In our business, we have a lot on our plate at the same time. Sports are a perfect way for me to clear my head in the evening.”

How and why did you end up working at Bulsink?

“Before, I worked at a façade construction firm. A small company with four, five employees. That wasn’t really my thing, so I started looking around through a secondment agency, which introduced me to Bulsink. I find it important to have a good click with colleagues and I had that right away. So after a first year on a secondment basis, I started working directly for Bulsink.”

“Bulsink is not your standard construction company. We work on projects for high profile customers. When you tell other people what you do at birthday parties, they immediately have an idea of the type of construction projects we are involved in. A Rituals store, a Basic Fit gym, a well-known hotel. Something totally different than the umpteenth anonymous warehouse or barn. And we get to work in inspiring places such as the city centers of Amsterdam and Rotterdam, or abroad.”

What can you tell us about your work as a Project Engineer?

“As a Project Engineer, I form a team with a Project Manager. The Project Manager is ultimately responsible and the first point of contact for the customer, while the Project Engineer is the silent force behind the scenes who arranges and coordinates everything. Planning wise, purchasing wise, budget wise.”

“For that you have to be precise, to be clear to partners, and to have a good understanding of what is required on the construction site at what time. You also need to be able to keep the overview. We have many projects running simultaneously, with short lead times. So you are often working on two or three projects in execution phase, two or three others in preparation phase, and two more in quotation phase. All in all, you have six or more projects on your plate at the same time.”

“Als a next career step, I think about becoming a Project Manager. Being out of the office even more, seeing what we are building every day, being involved and responsible from the first to the last minute. Bulsink is a place where you can realize these kinds of ambitions. I have open and pleasant conversations about that with my managers. They listen, adjust, confront, support. And you can also take the initiative yourself to get extra training or support in certain areas.”

“With us, eight weeks are eight weeks. Whatever happens along the way.”

The Bulsink organisation uses B.U.I.L.D. as its core values: Brand-conscious, Ultra-fast, Inspiring, Leading and Determined. Can you pick one or two of these core values and explain what they mean to you?

“Ultra-fast is really typical Bulsink. Getting things done quickly is our strength. An example? A while ago we had this gym in Utrecht, that we would build in eight weeks. During construction, however, it turned out that we had a fire safety issue. We took the lead on that issue and in the end we still managed to open on the agreed deadline. With us, eight weeks are eight weeks. Whatever happens along the way.”

“Brand-conscious also appeals to me. It’s a personal thing; I like to build beautiful things for well-known brands.”

“Oh, and inspiring. Did you ever visit our office? A tour of our office is our best imaginable sales pitch to customers.”