Wilmink Engine Parts has been nominated for this year's Groninger Ondernemingsprijs (GOP). A professional jury and last year's winner chose 10 nominees from a whole range of entries. Wilmink is one of them! Of course, we are happy and proud of the attention and appreciation we receive for our work! In this blog, we explain what the GOP award entails and why we secretly think we belong in the top 10 of all smart and strong companies in the province. We dare to say: Nothing beats Groningen business!

Why a Groningen Enterprise Award?

The Groningen Ondernemingsprijs (Groningen Enterprise Award) has been here for 26 years! Every year, a professional jury puts companies in the spotlight. That jury consists of specialists in economics, finance, sustainability, innovation, and corporate social responsibility.

A company can submit itself for the preselection; you may also submit another company of which you think: "they are something special".

About 'candidate' Wilmink Engine Parts

Our company has been in business since 1896! So we meet the nomination's requirement of 'being at least five years old'. Over 125 years, Wilmink has built up a lot of expertise, knowledge, and contacts. Once in the very beginning, we were a shipyard, now an international trading company for engine parts. Whatever we do, we always remember the important core values of then and now, such as quality, innovation, and sustainability. Moreover, we make sure we are always on top of the news about useful and economical innovations under the bonnet.

Quality

So, quality is in our DNA and has been a core value since the beginning. We deliberately offer our customers only quality; all parts in our range, therefore, meet the original part manufacturer's 'Original Equipment' requirements. We also distinguish ourselves by focusing on one product group within the automotive industry: engine parts. That, too, was a conscious choice. That product group is broad enough; we currently have over 1.1 million items in our warehouse, from small bolts to large pistons, but also complete engine blocks.

Karlijn Wilmink (CEO since 2008, after her father Jan) puts it this way: "We always notice that customers, mainly exports, go for trust. That is the most important thing in this industry. As there is quite a lot of counterfeiting in circulation. The wrong part or one of bad quality is not okay for these applications (shipping, agriculture, industry). Operational reliability and a long, trouble-free service life are key."

Innovation

We are consciously looking to the future of our company. For instance, we are renovating to modernize our workplaces—an efficient move, but also good for the working environment. In recent years, we have also focused more on marketing, ICT, and e-commerce departments. We do not want to stand still but look ahead with our Groningen core values in mind.

Sustainability

Fuel engines are not very 'hot' in the market at the moment. But we see opportunities. Of course, we are looking at developments like electrification and hydrogen. For now, the fuel engine will remain popular for some time. Even indispensable in certain sectors, thanks to longevity and power.

By providing as many A-quality parts as possible for remanufacturers, we contribute to a longer life and durability of a vehicle. Also, expert overhaul and repair provide a smaller ecological footprint than scrapping and trading in for new!

CEO Karlijn Wilmink puts it this way:

"In that sense, we contribute to a responsible, green choice! It's safe to say that malfunctioning parts are just not that green. At Wilmink, we are happy to participate in the innovations you see everywhere now: towards cleaner, quieter, and more fuel-efficient engines with even fewer emissions."

"Because we are such a specialist company, we don't even have a well-known name in our own Groningen. But in the world of engine parts, everyone knows us! We always like to show visitors from all over the world (suppliers, customers) our city. They are always very impressed by Groningen and its surroundings. This is another reason I am happy to be nominated for the Groningen Enterprise Award. To show our company, which I am very proud of, to the province itself!"