NEW ROMA BENELUX CONSTRUCTION BEGINS - THE BAPTISM OF FIRE OF A NEW CONCEPT

The new building being realized by ROMA Benelux in Zevenbergen is in full swing. In September, the site was prepared for construction, the piles were drilled, the foundations poured and the excavation work started. The entire construction process is proceeding steadily. The planned construction period is 26 weeks, which means that the new building will be completed - ice and weather permitting - in late February, early March 2021. The opening of the new showroom is expected to be sometime in April. 

The employees of ROMA Benelux have now moved into temporary office units, where ten workstations will be created. "Because of the great rush and because our current building has to be empty, we are going to have a hectic time," expects director Toon van Osta. "Now we are used to some stress in recent years, because ROMA Benelux is growing enormously. But it will still be a very different situation than when I moved from my attic room to the current ROMA Benelux building in 2005," he laughs. "That was a 'mega operation.' What got us into the first
quarter of 2021 ahead will be at least as impressive!" 

New concept

To furnish the new showroom, which will be incorporated into the new building, ROMA has developed a new concept. Had the Fensterbau Frontale trade fair in Nuremberg taken place this year, it would have had its baptism of fire there, because in addition to showrooms, it is also intended for ROMA's exhibition stands. Now that the fair has been cancelled due to corona, the new furnishing concept is undergoing its baptism of fire in Zevenbergen. "It will be ROMA's new look for all branches, fairs and showrooms. A first, then," Van Osta said. ROMA Benelux also had the premiere in 2005 with the first so-called forum building, a concept that was subsequently also applied at ROMA's headquarters in Burgau and again later at ROMA's Obenai branch in France. 

In addition to the showroom and logistics space, the new building will house eighteen additional workstations. These are necessary to accommodate ROMA Benelux's staff growth. ROMA hired six new people in the last six months alone. Among them is Geert de Blieck, originally from HAROL, who will work as a field representative for Belgium. Geert de Blieck and also inside sales representative Gilles Curtoud both speak French, so ROMA Benelux can now also serve Wallonia from Zevenbergen. Another change concerns the orders. Previously, these were always written in Germany, but from now on, this will be handled in Zevenbergen.