Solero moves to new location

NOT AN APRIL 1 JOKE, BUT FUN!

Solero Parasols evidently has a thing for April 1. The company was founded on April 1, 2004. The place where that happy event took place was sun protection capital of the Netherlands, Best. That is where the company is still located. Soon Solero will move to a new and larger building. Of course in Best and... again on April 1. Not a joke, but fun! 

Helga van Keulen started in 2004 at a relatively small location of 600 m2 on the Magazijnweg in Best with the development and sale of innovative parasols with lighting. She took this step after working for decades as the director of an awning company. It was a leap of faith, putting everything on the line, but a conscious decision to make the dream of her own company come true with Solero. 

"The first years were mainly very hard work as a self-employed person without staff," Helga van Keulen looks back on the early days. "But thanks in part to the help of our - mainly regional - awning dealers from the very beginning, Solero soon proved to be viable." 

In 2009, the premises at the Magazijnweg had become too small, and Solero moved to new premises of approximately 2500 m2 at the Industrieweg in Best. In the larger, more spacious premises, plans continued and Solero put increasing focus on professionalization, internationalization and export. "As you can see from the country flags on our website, Solero now presents itself in several languages and our high-quality parasols are delivered throughout Europe - and even far beyond," says Helga van Keulen. "Our team now also speaks quite a bit across the border. Customers can also contact us with their questions and orders in German, English, French, Spanish and Polish!" 

'No better advice, than stock'

"In recent years we have noticed that our customers' requirements are becoming more numerous and larger," continued Helga van Keulen. "Whereas in 2004 it was still common and acceptable for customers to wait several weeks or even months for a product to be delivered, in today's 24-hour economy customers count on super-fast delivery. To meet this, Solero has invested heavily in the depth of its product range." 

Solero's new premises are located at De Maas 34-36 on the Breeven industrial estate in Best. For Solero, the move to this premises, which have been remodeled and enlarged for the occasion, means an expansion of the company area to over 7500 m2. "In our renovated and modern warehouses the parasols are carefully checked, packed and put on transport," said Helga van Keulen. "Within the Netherlands, orders are often delivered as early as the next working day." 

'A place where the customer feels welcome'

In April 2022, Solero will open in its new premises not only its new warehouses, but also an atmospheric and interactive inspiration center where customers can, by appointment, not only view and try all the products, but also receive personal advice. 

"As a family business, we attach great importance to a pleasant, homely and familiar working environment for our employees," Helga van Keulen emphasizes. "The customer who walks into Solero will notice that the Solero team has a real we-feeling. To make that even stronger, our new location will feature several modern kitchens, a gym, shower rooms and spacious flexi-workstations with stand-up desks. Moreover, there is plenty of room for personal growth for everyone!" 

'Growth is an outcome, not a goal'

Whereas until 2010 Solero's assortment consisted of only 4 products, today there are 23 different parasols. They are all available in at least 4 colors, but often the choice is (much) wider. The range has also expanded to include special heating and lighting for the parasols. 

At Solero, we don't see growth as a goal, Helga van Keulen explains. "In our vision, growth follows from what we do. Our aim is to exceed our customers' expectations. What makes Solero special is that this feeling exists with everyone. The involvement is high, everyone from his or her own specialty. The reviews we receive from our satisfied customers are the best advertisement we could wish for. Whoever calls us gets to speak to someone who knows what he or she is talking about. And should we unexpectedly make a mistake, the customer can expect us to resolve it neatly." 

"From our new location we hope to serve our customers even better in the future," concludes Helga van Keulen. "We would like to thank all our resellers, consumers, hospitality operators and colleagues for their trust in Solero!"