Saying farewell to a beloved colleague puts success in a different perspective

2022 also had a low point. In November, BAS said goodbye to colleague Theo van Kempen who held key positions for many years and contributed passionately to innovation and success. He was a friend of the family. "When you lose someone like that, you realize the relativity of business success," says Caspar.

"What really matters is the mutual involvement and the enjoyment with which you build the future together. We have grown into an organization with more than a thousand employees. As a BAS family, we can easily take responsibility for everyone's livelihood. The involvement in the private lives of colleagues weighs much heavier. I still think of Theo and his family every day."

At BAS, we do everything together

Caspar's words are indicative for the atmosphere at the family business. "Successes are achieved together," says Bas. "From a healthy ambition and a lot of entrepreneurships. Teamwork, enthusiasm, and daring to think beyond borders are essential in maintaining our top position in the road transport equipment market. Together, we are 'hard' in processes, but 'soft' when it comes to the human factor. That is why BAS is such a great company to work for. A family business in terms of atmosphere, a top international player in terms of business. Just consider; more than thirty nationalities work here!"

Within the international 1,000-strong BAS family, almost ten percent is now part of BAS Tech. Business Owners, Developers, Software Engineers, Data Experts, and Product Owners form agile tech teams and work together to keep things moving. They come from all corners of the world and speak the universal tech language. The bold decision of the management to fully take control of IT and digitalization and to set up its own Tech department from 2020 has completely transformed the company.

Inventing the wheel with BAS Tech

"If you told me ten years ago that there would be more than eighty tech professionals involved in our truck company today, I would have laughed. I know little about tech, but I do know that digitalizing sales, service, and logistics is essential to increase our market share and strengthen our top position. By continuing to invent the wheel ourselves, we can quickly adapt our systems to international market opportunities and trends. Building your own systems and tools requires courage, patience, and perseverance. We now see that our investment in tech is paying off."

Innovation at the highest speed

BAS World, the global business-to-business marketplace for used trucks, trailers, vans, and construction and excavation machinery, is living proof of this. The BAS Dealer Management System, developed in-house, also confirms the power of digitalization. From 2023, customers of BAS will be able to follow and manage quotation, maintenance, and invoicing processes through their own portal. This has never been seen before in the automotive industry.

BAS Tech is also responsible for innovation that is less visible to the outside world. Business units such as BAS Parts & Tyres, BAS Lease, BAS Rent, and FleetCareXL now work with very advanced service and management systems and smart tools, and all contribute to growth.

Growing against the market trends

There was also growth in 2022. Despite the aftermath of the coronavirus, the war in Ukraine, the disrupted supply chain, and soaring inflation. The market for road transport equipment was stubborn. The supply of both new and used trucks lags far behind demand. Result: exorbitantly high price levels. The combination of high prices and a slight increase in the number of units sold resulted in a 15% increase in revenue in 2022 compared to 2021. The total revenue was around €600 million in 2022. For this, BAS sells over two hundred transport vehicles and machines per week.

More than ten percent of the used equipment found its way from international sellers directly to worldwide end-users through the online platform BAS World. Now that BAS World is fully ready for both sellers and buyers and the balance between supply and demand is slowly normalizing, BAS World expects to put at least five thousand extra vehicles on the market through the platform from 2023.

Efficiency and sustainability go hand in hand

"The experience of the last months of 2022 points to that," says Caspar. "It's suddenly going fast, and it can only get better. BAS World brings demand and supply together efficiently and 100% reliable. In addition, BAS World contributes to the necessary sustainability. Trucks no longer have to travel to Veghel but are delivered directly and ready for use to customers through smart logistics. Wherever in the world. That saves a lot of miles. And therefore, a lot of nitrogen and CO2 emissions."

Sustainability and greening are also a major theme in 2023 for the international family business in Veghel. The retail division of BAS, BAS Truck Center, laid a solid foundation for the electrification of domestic road transport, both in sales and after sales. "The introduction of the iron-strong electric Volvo and Renault trucks was the moment for us to radically change course," says Bas. "Volvo and Renault prove that electric road transport is indeed possible, efficient, and profitable. It's a great story that we'd like to take our customers on."

The future is electric and Powered by BAS

With the motto Powered by BAS, BAS Truck Center was able to quickly adapt its sales and service processes to the future of electric driving. Account managers and Sales Engineers are EV certified (Electric Vehicle); the workshops are NEN 9140 certified. A partner network has been built to take customers along in both the subsidy process and innovations around fast charging, self-generated energy, connectivity, and earning opportunities in the new market of 'Renewable Fuel Units', a better version of the comparable trade in nitrogen credits.

“The enthusiasm among carriers and drivers is increasing,” says Bas.” We show that electric driving is indeed profitable and competitive if you properly arrange all the facilities around it. And that is exactly what we do. We also take our market leadership role in that. In 2022, we delivered the first electric trucks and recorded sixty-five orders. Knowing our customers, I expect that in 2023 we will deliver at least 150 electric trucks, which amounts to 20% of all new trucks we sell. That percentage will increase strongly in the coming years.”

Growth as an ambition, human factor as a core value

Fewer miles and less emissions thanks to the efficiency of the international Trusted Platform BAS World. Less emissions and better profitability for carriers thanks to the transition to electric driving with Volvo and Renault truck technology and BAS as a trailblazer. Quickly and effectively responding to developments that contribute to sustainability thanks to the successful marriage of truck technology and Tech. Bas and Caspar van Heertum are proud of the results of enthusiastic teamwork and involvement of employees. Because growing together may be an important ambition for 2023 and beyond, the human factor remains the core value of the international family business.

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