In this series, we will interview the people who are always ready to assist you with importing or exporting your goods without worries. Next up in this series is Rick Kramer, who is Regional Manager West at Customs Support Safety.
Who are you?
My name is Rick Kramer. I am 42 years old, and I live in Dordrecht. I was born in Vlaardingen. I’ve always lived “Under the smoke of the Port of Rotterdam”, as we say in Dutch.
I have worked in the gas measurement industry for 12 years. I got into measuring gas immediate when it started to become known that containers could contain dangerous gasses, and measuring was a way to prevent incidents with those gases. I was fascinated and read all I could about it, then followed specialised training and jumped into this new business line. Soon after, measuring gas became a legal requirement. I left the gas measuring business for a short time to work at a transportation company.
On December 1st 2020, I became Regional Manager West at Customs Support Safety. So happy to be back in the gas measuring business!
What does a regional manager do?
As a regional manager, I am responsible for all the Customs Support Safety activities in the Western Region, which covers the provinces of North Holland, South Holland, Sealand, Utrecht, and a part of North Brabant. Customs Support is a fast-growing company. We recently welcomed gas measurement company G.O.C. Rotterdam to the family. One of my responsibilities as a regional manager is to facilitate the integration of our newest member into Customs Support Safety. Next to that, I manage a team of gas measurement specialists, and I am responsible for the sales and business development activities in my region. I’m also part of the Customs Support Safety Management Team, together with Rob Gielen (CS Safety South).
A final area of responsibility I’d like to mention is the implementation of new services, like the stop&go gas measurement station in Rotterdam, which we will launch in the upcoming weeks.
What does a typical working day look like?
I am on the road a lot. One day a week, I’m doing planning and admin in Venlo. Another day a week, I’m at G.O.C. working on the integration. On other days I am visiting terminals, partners, customers, looking for new suppliers. I also do many MS Teams calls with colleagues, the Management Team and the Customs Support Leadership Team.
"You get a lot of responsibility, and there is excellent potential to grow"
Rick Kramer
What do you like most about your job?
Not one day is the same. I love the variation and the constant change. Another thing I love is the specialised knowledge I am working with. There are not that many people that know what I know and can do what I do in the Netherlands. I like being in a business that is very different from what many other people do. And a large part of my work is in the Port of Rotterdam. I love working in and around the Port of Rotterdam.
What is one of the biggest challenges?
Integrating different companies and creating one new company is a big challenge. Merging companies and cultures and starting a new organisation that is flexible and efficient and which delivers the high quality that Customs Support customers are used to. Customs Support is growing fast, and with Customs Support Safety, we want to keep up with that pace. That is both a big and exciting challenge.
And what if you are not at work?
My girlfriend and I love a good glass of wine and going out to dinner. We also love travelling to the United States, South America and Asia. Soaking in the culture, enjoying great food, but also relaxing and recharging our batteries. I also love walking with our 6-month-old puppy. He’s a dachshund called Doodle.
Why Customs Support?
I chose to work with Customs Support because of the challenging position they offered me. I get to build an organisation from the ground up again. Also, Customs Support is a company that provides a lot of opportunities. There is a lot of room for developing yourself and the organisation. If you have new ideas, the management team listens to them. You get a lot of responsibility, and there is excellent potential to grow.
