Why Amex Logistics doesn’t regret Lelystad for a moment
Jaap Wisse moved with his company Amex Logistics and his right-hand man Ton Spijkers seven years ago from centrally located Amersfoort to Lelystad, then unknown to him. A big step for the company, but he has not regretted the choice of Lelystad for a second. “The staff didn’t want to leave after the very first day.”
Amex Logistics has been in Amersfoort since its founding some 25 years ago. “Back then in a rented building, without its own storage,” says owner Jaap Wisse. “It was an Urk colleague who called me and said I should go with him to Lelystad, because he had seen something beautiful there.”
The ideal property
In Lelystad at business park Lelystad Airport Businesspark, Amex found exactly what it needed: a logistics building that also included 1,200 m² of freezer space, now the Amex Coldstore. With also a cold store and two sheds for dry storage, right by the A6 exit: a perfect location.
At first, Jaap hesitated. “What do I need in Lelystad now? I’m super centrally located in Amersfoort.” Still, he decided to buy the property.
Soon it turned out to be one of the best choices Jaap made. First of all, for the staff. That was exciting at first, because Lelystad was quite a bit further than Amersfoort. “But they found out after the first day that they could drive to and from Lelystad without traffic jams, so they were converted right away.”
Pioneer spirit
What Jaap and Ton also quickly noticed was the tremendous pioneering spirit in Flevoland. After the move, they soon got in touch with other entrepreneurs in the area. This was also partly due to, for example, Bedrijfskring Lelystad or the initiative De Lelystadse Uitdaging, which connects entrepreneurs and local social foundations and associations.
“After being in Amersfoort for 17 years, I didn’t know who my neighbors there were. After a few months of being based in Lelystad, I already had a large network of entrepreneurs in the area,” Jaap says.
Land available
About possible future expansion, Jaap and Ton don’t have to think long. “That is not necessary for now. We recently opened an additional branch in Limburg for our southern European market,” Ton explains. “But the nice thing is that there is another piece of land available next to us, so the opportunity is there.”
With some 65 refrigerated trailers now spread across Lelystad and Limburg, Amex has a solid position in the refrigerated transport world. Jaap looks with satisfaction at where the company now stands.
“I can recommend everyone to settle business in the polder: centrally located, the land is still very affordable compared to, for example, the Amersfoort area. The entrepreneurs are connected and grant each other everything; the pioneering spirit is inspiring.” Jaap will not be leaving Flevoland anytime soon.
