What is your business industry category or specialty?   
Avio-Diepen specializes in supply chain management services and distribution of aircraft parts and components to airlines, MRO and OEM customers throughout the world.  In business since 1946, Avio-Diepen reduces direct and indirect cost through on-time deliveries, kitting services (ADkit), supplier consolidation (ADone), Vendor Managed- or Owned Inventory (ADvmi and ADvoi) and Integrated Material Management solutions (ADvalue).
 
How do you describe your job to people outside the industry?  
Avio-Diepen strives to meet the needs of its customers by providing value adding services and by supplying a wide range of different parts and components, preferably from stock, at competitive pricing. Many of our customers use Avio-Diepen as a one-stop-source for their parts needs and it is therefore important that we can offer a portfolio of items that meets the demand in the market. My role is to develop the business by creating (contractual) relationships with the manufacturers of the parts that we sell to our customers or fold into services that we develop for them.

Who are your main competitors and what differentiates you from the competition? What makes you unique?
We have many competitors large and small, however, we are one of the larger and truly independent companies. This independency enables us to be more flexible and think more long term. We continue to invest in customer- and supplier relationships, technology and growth.

How was the business started?   
Avio-Diepen was founded in 1946 by Frits Diepen who was one of the pioneers in Dutch aviation. He recognized very early on that Aviation has tremendous growth potential and today, close to 70 years later, that still holds true.

How many employees does the business have?
We have well over 200 employees, with distribution centers and sales offices all over the world.

How did you end up in Atlanta?
I was sent here to set-up our distribution center and sales offices for the Americas in the early ’90’s and selected Atlanta as the ideal location for our activities. After moving back to Holland 5 years later, my wife and I started to miss the States and we ultimately decided to return here, which we did in 2005.

 What is your number one business goal over the next year?  
That is easy: We want to continue to show strong and profitable growth as we have been doing for many years in a row and we want to continue to add value in the supply chain. I am part of a great team that will again accomplish this in 2013.

What is the best advice you have received regarding doing business with Americans/Dutch?
That’s a bit of a trick question. I have never really received specific advice regarding doing business with Americans (or with the Dutch for that matter). I have found out by doing things the wrong way and the right way what it is that drives relationships, what works well and what not. That experience is very valuable to me personally and, after 33 years with this fun company, I think that Avio-Diepen continues to benefit from it as well.

Any other personal information you would like to share, e.g. hobbies, special interests, family etc…
My wife and I enjoy the life here. We have lived here now for about 14 years altogether (but still feel very Dutch!). We also enjoy our three kids, although the terrible teens can be a bit demanding sometimes 🙂  Our kids do not feel Dutch at all having lived here an important part of their lives and I don’t see them ever go back  This was one of the reasons why we decided to obtain US citizenship this past year.