Ropetex brand strengthens ties with customers

Ropetex is the private label for the group’s own range of steel wire rope products. The development of a private label has been in the works for some time, but it was not until early 2020 that the first products were market-ready. The Ropetex range is a price-competitive alternative for customers who do not necessarily need steel wire ropes from established brand manufacturers but still demand quality.
Ropetex products are now available to order from the group’s European Distribution Centre in Maastricht, The Netherlands.

“We’ve managed to specify and source a product range that’s been conceptualised with logos and marketing materials, and now it’s really starting to move. The development ­process has been demanding, but I think we’ve achieved a lot,” says Erling Haug, Strategic Sourcing Director at Lifting Solutions.

To bring the project forward, Erling Haug scouted for suitable candidates within the Lifting Solutions Group. He found the right talent in Hugo Gerrets, who was working as Sales Manager at Mennens in Amsterdam. Hugo first set foot in Mennens at the age of 21, when he started out as a junior Account Manager at the company’s Rotterdam branch. Since then, he has worked his way up through the ranks.

In 2015, Mennens became fully incorporated into Axel Johnson International.

“Joining the group provided new opportunities for the employees. For me it meant education and personal development,” says Hugo.

In 2017, Hugo was selected to participate in the Axiom Leadership Development program for top talents in the Axel Johnson Group.

“It’s wonderful working in an organisation where an ordinary guy like me is given such great opportunities,” he says.

Hugo has put what he has learned to good use, not least in the building of the Ropetex brand. The goal now for Ropetex is to achieve 15 percent of the sales under the private label by 2023.

“There will still be plenty of business for our valued brand suppliers who we need and rely on, but having our own brand gives us additional control of the supply chain and the way forward,” he concludes.