New managing director Roland Kastner: "Doka broadens portfolio and strengthens position in the Netherlands"

With the arrival of new Managing Director Roland Kastner, Doka Netherlands is taking the next step in its development. A more extensive portfolio, further digitalization and the positioning of clients as the center of the company are the pillars for this.

A conversation with the new general manager is all about down-to-earthness. In that sense, the Austrian manager fits in perfectly with the Dutch climate. With previous positions that included responsibility for Latin America, France and Northern, Southern and Western Europe, Roland Kastner has a distinctly international background. In the Netherlands, his role becomes more operational with responsibility for the Dutch Doka branch. A business unit that - following in the footsteps of his predecessor Hennie Roebroeks - he and his team of employees want to provide first-class customer service.

Customer at the center
Underlying the intended growth of Doka Netherlands is a close-knit team of employees. "I see it as an important task to strengthen the team. The stronger the team is, the better we can perform our tasks and the more the client benefits." And one of those tasks is growth. Growth to be achieved through an open and proactive attitude to the market. "In doing so, the customer is emphatically at the center of everything we do," said Roland Kastner. "The customer satisfaction shown by recent surveys is something we want to not only maintain but, where possible, take to an even higher level."

Market broadening and deepening
That customer satisfaction goes hand in hand with successes achieved in recent years in a large number of Dutch high-rise projects. A formula for success that is now being translated to other markets as well. "For example, we want to profile ourselves more emphatically in the infrastructure market," said Roland Kastner. "In addition, we are also going to broaden our foundation in residential construction. The solutions we offer lend themselves perfectly to the construction of apartment complexes, for example."

To capture new markets and further broaden the company's base, new products and systems will also be introduced to the Dutch market in the course of this year. The DokaTruss system is one of these. This new table system significantly speeds up the construction process. The Framax Xlife Plus will also see the light of day in the Netherlands. This extension to the existing Framax Xlife formwork offers formwork panels with anchoring points located on the inside. With this, requirements with regard to anchor grid and joint pattern can be met quickly and reliably.

Innovations in digitization
Doka Netherlands is further firmly committed to digitalization. Roland Kastner: "The digitization of construction is a much-discussed topic. A subject that Doka is strongly committed to. And meanwhile we have numerous examples that show that digital developments make processes in construction more transparent, better or more efficient. Take Concremote, BIM, special planning software for concrete construction or our webshop." The latter is the digital customer portal and the link to the Doka world; a time- and cost-saving tool with which customers always have up-to-date project data. "And this digitization trend will continue to develop with us. During the upcoming Bauma, we will show the necessary examples of this."

Together with the existing online customer portal myDoka, the company thus establishes a direct connection with customers. Via smartphone, tablet or PC, they have direct access to all crucial project data. A connection that benefits both parties. By the way, the same applies to the new logistics center that Doka will realize in 2019. "This will allow us to respond to customer requests and wishes even better and even faster."