41 2025 - number 4 - promzvak.nl 8 In 1997, I joined Wasa, where I was first introduced to this branche. We imported a few fun products from Sweden back then already to sell in Christmas gift packages. In 2003, I moved from Barilla, an Italian company, to a small chocolate business called Elvee, which eventually brought me fully into the world of holiday gifting. That’s when I hit a burnout. “I was out of work for two years and was officially declared unfit for employment. It was a time of intense learning — and unlearning. That wasn’t always easy. We’re all shaped by our upbringing, our background, our environment. I grew up on a farm in the Alblasserwaard region, where working hard, holding multiple jobs, and not complaining was the norm. That attitude initially served me well in my career. But much later, a former colleague once told me, ‘For you, it was never good enough.’ That really hit me. Because also in my personal life, I was always very active in different organizations. It’s just in my nature. During that period at home, I started to reflect. And I realized that constantly demanding the absolute most from myself was what ultimately made me sick. I was 37 at the time, and I didn’t want to be written off and stuck at home. When I started to recover little by little, I looked for a way to rebuild my life. I wanted to create something small — something that would allow me to support my family and remain connected to society. And that’s what eventually became Tastemakers. My wife Rita and a few close friends supported me tremendously — mentally and financially. If that hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t be sitting here today.” That must’ve been a difficult place to start from… “It was, but the seed had already been planted back in my Wasa and Elvee days. That’s when I really got to know the industry. I liked the creative side of the business and knew it had commercial potential. It really did start small. In 2010, I officially registered under the name Tasty Products with the Chamber of Commerce. By 2012, I had launched my first product lines and hired my first employee. My wife helped out during those early years, too. Later, she stepped away from the business — we made that choice together so she could pursue her own path. But she always stayed involved behind the scenes. Soon after launching Tasty Products, we had the opportunity to acquire our competitor Elvee with their Christmas product line. In 2013, we merged both businesses under the name Tastemakers. So that already was our first real step toward growth. The acquisition also brought in a few new colleagues. And from there, we continued developing steadily.” Growing pains Are you a long-term visionary as a leader? “I’ve always had a clear vision for the company: to create added value with products and concepts that genuinely surprise and delight people. That’s still the benchmark we use today. Every company experiences growing pains — you learn from them and take your next small leap forward. I had to learn not to constantly run out ahead of the team, but to let them — now about 20 people — solve problems on their own and express their creativity. I love “We want to ‘tickle’, but it has to be appreciated”
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