“You really have to care about the end product”

At SDB Vitrinebouw, it’s all about craftsmanship. After all, it’s the details – visible and invisible – that make the difference. And that’s exactly what our people ensure. One of them is 63-year-old Diel van Heist. A woodworker by trade, and he’s been doing it for many years.

Can you tell us a bit more about your career at SDB?

“On the 1st of May, I’d been with the company for 37 years. I used to work in a woodworking factory and on construction sites, but I wanted to do more precision work. I found that at SDB. First as a fitter and now for over a quarter of a century in the woodworking department. Which, incidentally, consists solely of myself, haha.”

What does a woodworker’s day look like?

“I make all the wooden components for our display cabinets, such as doors, ceilings, bases and sides. I mainly work with sheet material. It starts with sawing, after which I get to work on countless processes. From making grooves and rebates to veneering and rounding off the edges. The great thing is that a display cabinet requires all the finer points of the trade.”

What makes a good woodworker?

“The most important requirement is that you’re skilled with your hands, because everything has to be accurate to the millimetre. If you’re off the mark? Then the parts simply won’t fit together. You also have to really care about the end product, otherwise you can’t work with such precision.”

 “There must be no splinters, dents or gaps between the parts”

How can you tell from a display cabinet that the wood has been worked by a craftsman?

“If it looks flawless, from top to bottom and front to back. There must be no splinters, dents or gaps between the parts. If there are, the display cabinet comes back. Does that ever happen to me? No, actually never.”

When do you have a great day?

“I really enjoy my work when all the parts are on the trolley on time, ready for assembly. Preferably parts with different finishes, holes and bevelled edges. And it’s extra fun if I get to do some upholstery as well. Fortunately, I still enjoy my work every day, so I’m sure I can keep this up for another four years or so!”