HOW IT BEGAN AS A CRAFTSMAN
Leon Torfs was born in 1932 as the fifth child of a horticultural family with 6 children. He soon turns out to be a real carpenter and craft fanatic. Over the difficult war years, he graduated from technical school in Mechelen in 1947. During his first 14 years as an employee, he thoroughly mastered various technical disciplines: in central heating, mold making, transformers, mechanics and sheet metal working. In this way it grows into an all-round
... AND ENTREPRENEUR!
For the flourishing horticultural sector around Mechelen, he uses his craft hobby and technical skills to create a "carrot washer" to reduce manual work. For this he buys a discarded lathe from the technical school. That was unique in the small village of that time. Leon Torfs describes it this way: "With the first money I earned myself, I bought a welding station. Our first big order was a rolling greenhouse (on self-made wheels!) Of 1000m² with irrigation and heating, which you could easily move with only 4 people. Then the orders started to come in and in 1967 I decided to set up my own trading company and to stop working as an employee. "
FROM HORTICULTURE AND PRESERVATIONS TO THE BROAD FOOD SECTOR AND MORE!
In the horticultural and canning sector in the 1970s, it was mainly about transport and processing of tin and glass pots. The deep-freeze applications were automatically added to this. When that local sector weakened, the technical managers of Torfs customers swarmed to other industries and orders from the chocolate, pharmaceuticals, meat and biscuit sectors continued to increase. Thus, the Torfs team became very versatile and experienced. The real focus was placed on internal transport systems. Within the food sector, more and more emphasis was placed on HACCP , the standards for hygienic processing and pure transport of food products before, during and after processing.
RATHER STEADY GROWTH THAN TOO FAST!
Leon Torfs: "A first employee was hired quite quickly, then more quickly. Staff expansion with constant attention to open and confidential cooperation is the basis for long-term employment. If you are loyal to your own people, you are also loyal to your customers. .. This is based on everyone's talents and value for specific functions. That is very important in a small company.
Expansion became a necessity, first the studio, then extra warehouse space (14 x 28 m). > Due to the good course of events, these were paid off quickly. The company is growing steadily, and one employee is added every year. Rather slow growth than too fast!
THE TORFS STRENGTHS THEN AND NOW!
Understanding the real needs, so listening to the customer, both the band worker and the head of the technical service!
Growing creatively with your own team and learning from the mistakes made
Constantly evolving, for example with the switch from people at drawing tables to people at a 3D CAD station (2002). As a result, we suddenly belonged to the circle of "big boys".
THE GENERATION CHANGE
On April 4, 2003, Leon Torfs passes the torch on to his son Jan, just like his father a professional with a well-developed eye for technical solutions and ... a listening ear for customers and employees. Jan is expanding the range with engineering services, an additional asset based on years of experience with numerous transport challenges for various industries. After all, a good system solution starts with professional engineering, according to Torfs!
GROW IT FURTHER
In 2019 Jan Torfs will go hand in hand with Koen Sprengers, his son-in-law, to continue to develop this company into a formidable market player.