Netherlands

Honda's history of adaptation to the Dutch market coupled with its focused strategy has set it in an enviable position. The man behind the wheel at Honda Netherlands looks back, and takes a glance at the future.

On his 25th year in the company, K A Dalebout, general manager of Honda Netherlands, has witnessed many changes. With each change, the company has grown in strength and position. "I want (the Dutch) to recognize us as the leading brand for small cars. Already, we have achieved success with the Civic and Accord and our refreshing new line of models offer unequalled value, reliability and quality," he says.

Another of those changes involved drastic restructuring in 1999. "Before then, we were a just so-called subsidiary left to our own devices," he comments. "But from October 1999, the company harmonize its units and now we act as a service provider. This means we do the front job and part of the back job. The regional headquarters in Germany still deals with financial issues and contracts between dealers."
K.A. Dalebout, general manager of Honda Netherlands

The restructuring, which ended up beneficial, allowed the Dutch firm to concentrate on sales of the full range of Honda products, including lawn mowers, tillers, trimmers, and pumps.

"Decades of ground-breaking efforts have seen Honda prosper in the automobile sector but now we are showing our strength in the power equipment sector too. One of our main aims is to harmonize our business units. This makes sense as it is much more cost effective. It also means we can be a one-stop-shop. So, someone who goes to a dealer looking for a motorcycle would also see our range of lawn mowers," Dalebout explains.

Innovation such as this has established Honda Netherlands as a leading player. "Our vision has always been to make Holland a strong market. We are now competing on a very high level and the company has been rejuvenated," he points out.

Asked how important it was for the cars to be seen as Japanese, Dalebout was clear about Honda's brand image. "Our customers love us for our safety features, impressive styling and overall comfort. They do know that the cars are made worldwide although they still perceive us as a Japanese brand. In a country where safety and reliability are paramount, this works in our favor," he says.

After 25 years of taking on various roles, Dalebout has fine-tuned his vision - to run a company focused on growth with a philosophy that reaches the soul of each employee. "We are proud to sell Honda," he boasts. "You have to feel it and then work with it."

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