Perfact celebrated a special milestone in 2024: its 20th anniversary. And who better to take us through two decades of memories than the man who was one of the first to join Perfact, Frits Dieteren? Frits, now 69, was there from the very beginning when Perfact was founded in August 2005. After a short period of retirement – three months to be exact – he has been back with us for a few years now, because sitting still is nothing for him.
His story at Perfact began in an unusual way. In 2005 Frits lost his job at Linisol in Nuth due to reorganization. He expected to be forced into unemployment for a while, but he did not get the chance. Soon he was approached via a platform of the UWV by Frank, one of the founders of the very young Perfact. He was asked if he was interested in a project in Germany. To Frits’ reply that he was not really eager to go to Germany, Frank said, “okay, clear. When do we meet?”
Blind date
It became a date to remember, at Van der Valk, with Frank who would be at the entrance “directly to the right.” It felt almost like a blind date, Frits recalls. They had a pleasant conversation, and despite his initial hesitation, Frits decided to accept the challenge and try the project for a few months. “A few months can never hurt, we’ll see after that,” he thought at the time. It was a decision that would give his career a whole new direction. So on to Germany, to also convince the client that Frits was a good match. Although Frits had a good command of German, he found it an exciting moment. That the client asked him to simply introduce himself took him by surprise. After “quatting” for half an hour, he still did not control his nerves and made a brief stop at the restroom to freshen up. When he walked back into the hallway, Frank was already there, ready to congratulate him: they had won the contract. That project, which he initially wanted to try for only a few months, eventually turned into a 16-year stint working for companies like INEOS and Covestro in Germany.
Cozy gathering
Perfact’s family atmosphere was something Frits always particularly appreciated. That warm culture set Perfact apart, and it is the traditions such as the annual Christmas party and the summer BBQ that he recalls with pleasure. The first year-end drinks party, attended by only a handful of colleagues, was celebrated in a cozy café in Geleen. Together with Jo, Frank and Edwin, who was hired shortly after Frits, the small team toasted their first successes. While today we gather with more than 100 colleagues at parties, back then it was an intimate gathering, but with the same connection and atmosphere that are still the core of Perfact today. The bond with his colleagues has always remained valuable to Frits. His loyalty and commitment make him Perfact’s calling card. Not only was he the first employee to be placed on a project on our behalf, but he also literally opened the gates to Germany. Thanks in part to his commitment and perseverance, Perfact has built a strong business abroad, something from which we are still reaping the benefits.
Return
After retirement, Frits returned after only three months, as he did not like the quiet days at home. With his wife working in healthcare, he found it nonsensical to sit at home all day while she was hard at work. In his own words, he had never had to go to the hospital so often for all kinds of aches and pains. So Frits decided to return to work part-time, and since then he has once again been a fixture on our team. Frits has become Perfact’s calling card over the past twenty years. We are proud that we can still call him our colleague today and hope that we may remain his ‘retirement project’ for a long time to come!
