The temperature drops as Geert de Koning opens the door. Koning Koudetechniek’s practical training environment resembles a small supermarket. Rows of refrigerated and freezer units stand against the wall, humming softly. There are a couple of shopping carts by the entrance. “You’ll find these refrigeration systems in most supermarkets,” Geert explains. “Even before our technicians start working on projects, they get a handle on the technology here.”

Koning Koudetechniek designs, installs, and maintains high-quality refrigeration and freezing systems. Primarily for the retail sector, but also for industry, the food industry, and the commercial sector. The company, based in Bakel, North Brabant, trains its staff in-house through its own training and development center.

Geert walks over to the back wall. A variety of electrical test setups are set up and ready to go. He pulls out a simple control panel: “This is what the kids who come to work here on Saturdays use to practice. They’re high school students, fifteen or sixteen years old. If they want, they can get an introduction to the technology here in an accessible way. We think it’s important to get them excited about the field, too.” It’s just one of the ways Geert and Marc are making their company future-proof.

Twenty years without missing a single deadline

Koning Koudetechniek is a family business through and through. At 8:30 in the evening, the father is still walking around the office. “Oh, I’m interrupting you,” says Gerrit de Koning as he steps into the conference room. In the Bakel dialect, he addresses his sons about the work of the painters who are still at it. Conclusion: it’s not looking good. As he leaves, the brothers exchange meaningful glances. “For us, it’s perfectly normal that he’s still here,” says Marc. “We’re here too.” Dad Gerrit founded Koning Koudetechniek in 2002. In 2014, his sons took over the business. From that moment on, things moved quickly.

Under their leadership, the company grew by at least 15% annually—both in revenue and headcount. For Geert and Marc, staff shortages are a thing of the past. What’s even more striking: in an industry where companies are constantly lowering their standards, Koning Koudetechniek refuses to compromise. The company is known in the area for the strong work ethic of its employees. “For example, we don’t have part-time employees in key positions,” Marc explains. “Our technicians work long hours. That’s necessary and inherent to refrigeration technology. Our projects simply have strict deadlines. If there’s a malfunction, it has to be resolved the same day, because we’re dealing with food refrigeration.”

In twenty years, the company has never missed a delivery deadline. Not a single one. They manage this with a small, well-coordinated team. “Which means we generate quite a bit of revenue with relatively few people,” Marc adds. “Competitors have twice as many staff on the same project. Having more hands on deck doesn’t mean anything. It’s about the quality of those hands.” How do they continue to build such a strong team? Through exceptionally effective leadership.

Finding the right people

For Marc and Geert, attracting the right people is essential. They hold their employees to a high standard—both in their work and in how they present themselves. Not everyone is cut out for that. “Two or three years ago, we were briefly tempted to lower our standards,” Marc admits. “The demand for staff was just as high then as it is now, but the narrative in our heads was: finding staff is difficult, and the people we’re looking for simply aren’t out there. It even happened a few times that a new employee was already out the door before his contract period began—even though he came from a large, established company.” Marc and Geert then decided to create the staff they needed themselves. There was no such thing as a daytime refrigeration technology program. Most refrigeration technicians learned the trade on the job or from a family member. To move more effectively from A to B, Koning Koudetechniek invested in a training and development center—complete with a hands-on environment and an online learning platform. This is how they upskill their team and train future technicians.

“The techniques we use today aren’t taught in school,” says Marc. “We want to stay ahead of the curve. That’s why we train our guys ourselves in the latest developments.” Geert adds: “Our mission is to excel through service and quality. We can now make faster progress toward that goal because the quality of our technicians is rapidly improving across the board.” For the students doing internships, they go the extra mile. Marc shows them the company’s new magazine, which features an interview with a teacher from a technical vocational training program. He reads aloud: “At Koning Koudetechniek, they know how important education is. What I appreciate is that the focus isn’t solely on work. They genuinely encourage students to do well in school.” But it goes beyond good grades. Koning Koudetechniek helps students mature into responsible adults. “Some young people haven’t developed much of a sense of responsibility at home,” according to Marc. “For example, they find it hard to get up early and arrive on time. We show them that this is nothing more than a habit. You just have to do it.”

The leader as the foundation

For the brothers, effective leadership means taking decisive action, no matter what comes their way. In other words: maintaining integrity under all circumstances. “I keep coming back to this, but it’s all about integrity,” says Geert. “You have to be a person of integrity to demonstrate strong leadership. Because you can’t convey to others what you aren’t yourself. That’s simply not credible.” A fundamental insight he owes to Straight-Line Leadership.

“I’ve learned to be completely honest with myself,” says Geert. “I thought I was a person of integrity. My brother and I believed we always kept our promises. But if we were honest, there was definitely room for improvement. Thanks to the tools I received from Straight-Line Leadership, I’ve made significant strides both professionally and personally.” When Marc talks with other entrepreneurs, he notices that this insight is often missing. “I always ask about their staff and turnover,” Marc begins. “And when I then ask what they do themselves and how they conduct themselves toward their employees, I often hear the core of the problem right away. They place themselves above their employees. The standards that apply to their team don’t apply to them. Don’t get me wrong—at appropriate times, you need to be able to put yourself above your team, but ultimately, you do it together.”

The limits of their own abilities

What impact has Straight-Line Leadership had on the entrepreneurs? “It showed me that I need to step back from day-to-day operations,” says Geert. “That allows me to make room for things that are important for the future of our company.” Marc adds: “Exactly. We can now literally lead a company, rather than just working within it. That’s what has benefited me the most. It’s still far from where it should be, but that’s not why I’ve stopped yet,” he says with a laugh. “And I’ve benefited greatly from learning to listen carefully to people, making clear agreements, and keeping them. There’s certainly still room for improvement there as well.” Through Straight-Line Leadership, they delegate responsibility to their team. They make clear agreements and trust that employees will act with integrity. As a result, they dare to let go more. “We used to think: if we’re not there, it won’t happen,” says Marc. “We could set the alarm even earlier, work even longer, but that wouldn’t make it any more productive. We had hit the ceiling of our own capabilities. We were so deeply immersed in day-to-day operations that we could no longer work on our future. Every day, we were just reacting to the situation.” That had to change, so they empowered both their employees and themselves. “Through Straight-Line Leadership, we started working on ourselves,” says Geert.

Seeing is believing

Last year, Koning Koudetechniek grew by 20%. Their plans for this year could lead to even greater growth. How will they maintain their high standards? “We only hire people with drive and a strong work ethic,” says Marc. “We’ll continue to do that, no matter what happens. We’ll also keep leading by example, because people follow what they see. Our own employees contribute to that as well. Our culture ensures that new employees quickly learn the standards we uphold.” According to the brothers, it’s rare for someone to apply who doesn’t fit into their culture at all. That’s due to their public identity. At Koning Koudetechniek, people get up early, work hard, and keep their promises. On the other hand, the team is well-paid and gets plenty of opportunities for development. People sometimes ask us, ‘Do you really think this is sustainable?’” says Marc. “Or they say, ‘That’s not normal, that way of working. You have to move with the times a bit.’ “It’s mainly competitors who say that.” Geert believes that says more about their own standards. Marc adds: “It’s not even about the working hours or the long days. It’s about whether team members are willing to go the extra mile. We have to do it together, after all. I always say: if you can’t share, you can’t multiply. That applies to them, but certainly to us as well.”