Elfa and Faes Cases: the ingredients for a successful collaboration

"Elfa's strength lies in our broad perspective on solutions and customer service. We are flexible and provide custom solutions. We relieve the customer by also offering complementary products and services that are not part of our standard range. Our motto is: 'If it doesn't exist yet, we'll make it.' We consistently deliver on that promise in the broadest sense of the word."

Pieter Schutte, CEO of Elfa.

Stricter laws and regulations for transporting lithium batteries

As part of emergency management, increasing attention was paid to safety surrounding primary and secondary lithium batteries. Laws and regulations, standards, and requirements were further tightened, also in the area of transport.

For example, IATA (International Air Transport Association, the authority on Dangerous Goods Regulations) initiated new regulations, stipulating that batteries may only have a maximum 'state of charge' of 30%. Elfa, together with its customers, successfully took on the challenge of devising a solution to quickly and efficiently reduce the maximum charge of batteries.

Turning necessity into a virtue

The collaboration between Elfa and Faes arose from a similar necessity. Restrictions on packaging and labeling also became stricter in early 2020, leaving customers in a difficult situation. Transporting certain types of batteries according to standards and requirements was cumbersome and time-consuming. This prompted clients to ask, or even urgently appeal, to Elfa to help brainstorm solutions. After all, doing nothing was not an option.

An Elfa employee suggested packaging specialist Faes Cases as a potential partner to tackle this challenge together. And so it happened that Pieter Schutte (CEO of Elfa), Daan Schutte (Sales Director), and Jeen Budding (Marketing Manager) visited Faes in Reusel, North Brabant.

"I immediately clicked with the people at Faes and felt right at home; we also proved to be a great match in our philosophy and working methods. Like Elfa, Faes is a family business, and they, like us, highly value a human approach, loyalty, integrity, and mutual trust."

Pieter Schutte

Shortly thereafter, Bart Burmanje (Sales Manager at Faes) in turn visited Elfa, and that marked the beginning of a first joint project and a close collaboration.

"From the very first conversation, it was clear that Elfa and Faes have a lot to offer each other. Elfa has interesting and challenging packaging issues for Faes, and Faes, in turn, provides excellent packaging solutions, making Elfa feel completely understood. In my opinion, these are the ingredients for a close and long-term collaboration."

Bart Burmanje, Sales Manager at Faes

What makes the collaboration between Elfa and Faes successful?

Beyond personal connections, Elfa and Faes also proved to be on the same wavelength professionally. Both companies excel in flexibility and customization, considering total solutions, rather than just products, as their core business. Solutions with which they relieve their customers or support them with specific issues.

For example, Elfa helps clients consider safety risks and supplies additional products, such as (lithium) fire extinguishers and suitable packaging according to applicable standards. Faes not only provides durable custom packaging but also advises on the correct specifications for packaging for specific applications.

Additionally, they advise clients on efficient and effective packaging management. Both companies do all this with the aim of delivering added value, leading customers to view them not just as suppliers, but as partners. These similarities are the ingredients that make the collaboration between both companies successful, now and in the future.

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