Maxicon in trends

Anyone driving along the ring road in Roeselare will immediately recognise Maxicon's new, ultramodern headquarters. The white facades, clean lines and large windows are the business card of the outsourcing company for technical staff. It is the provisional icing on the cake for CEO Emmanuel Bekaert (45). When Maxicon started in 2015, the payroll had only one employee, Sophie Vangheluwe. She is now at the controls as COO. Together with general manager Trui Goderis, they help companies in their search for technical staff. These can, for instance, support the daily operation of companies, carry out urgent interventions and maintenance or assist with a move or the installation of machinery. The workforce has grown to some 200 full-time equivalents in six years. The headquarters in West Flanders was soon followed by a satellite office in Drongen in East Flanders. At the beginning of September, Maxicon also established itself in Genk. "The aim is to conquer the whole of Flanders," says Bekaert.

Why did you choose to specialise in engineering profiles with Maxicon?

"I grew up with engineering. In secondary school, I studied electromechanics at the VTI in Roeselare. It was always my dream to study aeronautical engineering in Ostend afterwards. But my mother, Ann Bekaert, was a single woman and we were not well off. I had to pay for higher studies myself. So I immediately started working as a technician at the slaughterhouse Westvlees (Belgian Pork Group). As a secondary job, I took on some technical assignments here and there. These became more and more, because I earned more. In 2011, I started my first own company Bekaert Technics. This merged into House of HR, the parent company above Accent Interim. I continued to run the company for some time, until I could no longer agree with the path the board was mapping out. After the non-compete clause expired, I went full steam ahead for Maxicon. We started with technical workers, seasoned professionals like electricians, mechanics, welders and so on. In 2019, we established the white-collar division Xellent Engineering, which specialises in matching technical white-collar profiles, such as work planners, maintenance managers and technical draftsmen."

In Flanders, the war for talent reigns. Technical profiles in particular are hard fought for. Your company does not seem to suffer from that labour shortage?

"Technical profiles are the central axis of our company. So we have to present ourselves attractively, so that they want to be employed via Maxicon. And we are succeeding quite well in this. Moreover, we continue to act as a bridge between employees and the shop floor where they end up. If there are problems, we are the first to hear about them. We listen to our employees."

How do you keep the technical profiles on board?

"If you want to keep people on board, you have to give them the respect they deserve. We soign our team and ensure a personal touch. We invest heavily in our employees. We have created several training programmes. The first is Maxicon Academy. Mechanics, for example, want basic electrical training; electricians want to learn to weld. The second programme is Maxicon Graduaters. Originally, school leavers were not our target group because we wanted to focus on highly qualified technicians. With this mentoring programme, we offer school leavers opportunities. They get one of our technicians as a godfather on the shop floor.

According to Trends Top, Maxicon generated a turnover of 11.5 million euros in 2020, slightly less than the almost 13 million euros in 2019. Nice figures to go out with in corona time.

"We are lucky to have suffered little from the corona crisis. In the second and third quarters of 2020, our turnover fell by 30 per cent. Since January, we have been back to pre-pandemic levels. This has not escaped others' notice either. In recent months, many private equity players have passed through my office. But it is still too early to sell. I still see too many opportunities to expand the business, for example with artificial intelligence or the internet of things."

Anyone driving along the ring road in Roeselare will immediately recognise Maxicon's new, ultramodern headquarters. The white facades, clean lines and large windows are the business card of the outsourcing company for technical staff. It is the provisional icing on the cake for CEO Emmanuel Bekaert (45). When Maxicon started in 2015, the payroll had only one employee, Sophie Vangheluwe. She is now at the controls as COO. Together with general manager Trui Goderis, they help companies in their search for technical staff. These can, for instance, support the daily operation of companies, carry out urgent interventions and maintenance or assist with a move or the installation of machinery. The workforce has grown to some 200 full-time equivalents in six years. The headquarters in West Flanders was soon followed by a satellite office in Drongen in East Flanders. At the beginning of September, Maxicon also established itself in Genk. "The aim is to conquer the whole of Flanders," says Bekaert.

Why did you choose to specialise in engineering profiles with Maxicon?

"I grew up with engineering. In secondary school, I studied electromechanics at the VTI in Roeselare. It was always my dream to study aeronautical engineering in Ostend afterwards. But my mother, Ann Bekaert, was a single woman and we were not well off. I had to pay for higher studies myself. So I immediately started working as a technician at the slaughterhouse Westvlees (Belgian Pork Group). As a secondary job, I took on some technical assignments here and there. These became more and more, because I earned more. In 2011, I started my first own company Bekaert Technics. This merged into House of HR, the parent company above Accent Interim. I continued to run the company for some time, until I could no longer agree with the path the board was mapping out. After the non-compete clause expired, I went full steam ahead for Maxicon. We started with technical workers, seasoned professionals like electricians, mechanics, welders and so on. In 2019, we established the white-collar division Xellent Engineering, which specialises in matching technical white-collar profiles, such as work planners, maintenance managers and technical draftsmen."

In Flanders, the war for talent reigns. Technical profiles in particular are hard fought for. Your company does not seem to suffer from that labour shortage?

"Technical profiles are the central axis of our company. So we have to present ourselves attractively, so that they want to be employed via Maxicon. And we are succeeding quite well in this. Moreover, we continue to act as a bridge between employees and the shop floor where they end up. If there are problems, we are the first to hear about them. We listen to our employees."

How do you keep the technical profiles on board?

"If you want to keep people on board, you have to give them the respect they deserve. We soign our team and ensure a personal touch. We invest heavily in our employees. We have created several training programmes. The first is Maxicon Academy. Mechanics, for example, want basic electrical training; electricians want to learn to weld. The second programme is Maxicon Graduaters. Originally, school leavers were not our target group because we wanted to focus on highly qualified technicians. With this mentoring programme, we offer school leavers opportunities. They get one of our technicians as a godfather on the shop floor.

According to Trends Top, Maxicon generated a turnover of 11.5 million euros in 2020, slightly less than the almost 13 million euros in 2019. Nice figures to go out with in corona time.

"We are lucky to have suffered little from the corona crisis. In the second and third quarters of 2020, our turnover fell by 30 per cent. Since January, we have been back to pre-pandemic levels. This has not escaped others' notice either. In recent months, many private equity players have passed through my office. But it is still too early to sell. I still see too many opportunities to expand the business, for example with artificial intelligence or the internet of things."

You are an entrepreneur pur sang?

"Still not. My life could have been very different. For a start, I am a foundling from India. What if no one had cared about me? Maybe I would never have ended up in Belgium. I am very grateful to my adoptive mum. She brought me up with the right values and standards. As a 15-year-old, I was already hopping between different jobs to earn some extra money and learn the value of money. I see opportunities in business very quickly. Networking is very important to me. You can get inspiration everywhere. I also like listening to start-ups. They often have fresh ideas, but are sometimes looking for new insights or capital. If my interest is piqued, there are opportunities to work together. But I want to be able to follow the process closely and be at the controls with them until the structure is in place."

You also inherited the West Flemish hard-working mentality?

"I was brought up on hard work. Managing a company means not only looking at the figures, but also being close to the people on the shop floor and lending a hand. At the age of 42, I had a heart attack. I had to learn to delegate. Especially since my youngest daughter came along, I find it important to schedule family moments. Now I know that a good leader makes himself misbehave. I am proud to say that I am surrounded by top employees."

Besides Maxicon, the new building in Roeselare also houses four other Emmanuel Bekaert companies. Absolute Jobs is an employment agency focused on industry, such as manufacturing, construction, electrical, logistics and metal. Absolute You is a payroll company focusing on the hospitality industry and events. With its flexible online system, Absolute You takes over payroll and work planning from employers. Spanorama makes customised stretch ceilings and printed walls. The printed walls can be admired in Plopsahotel De Panne, wellness centres and wholesalers, among other places. Certipower specialises in smart charging infrastructure for electric cars, both for companies and private individuals. The consolidated turnover of all companies together amounts to 52 million euro.

Source: Trends
Text: Myrte De Decker
Photography: Karel Duerinckx