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Partnerships
VVV-Venlo Seacon Blue
As a company, we have become successful through the engagement of people in our environment, which is why we want to give something back to our society. On our Seacon Blue page, we share stories of some of our great partnerships. We spoke to Marco Bogers, Managing Director of the Dutch football club VVV-Venlo (which plays in the first division, the Eredivisie) & Frank Hermans, Chief Sales Officer at Seacon Logistics.
“Seacon is always prepared to think along with us, which shows that they're able to – and want to – make a difference to others as well. This commitment is Seacon’s strength.”
Marco Bogers Managing Director
Story
"The partnership with Seacon Logistics goes back for decades," Marco begins. "In 1996 we approached Hai Berden, Seacon's founder and owner, to ask if he would like to sponsor two business seats at VVV-Venlo. In 2002 he became more involved with VVV as a sponsor. The club was in a bad situation at the time, the stadium was outdated and we were in bad financial shape. Hai was right there at the foundations of our club's resurrection. Under his guidance, the stadium was completely renovated. He was also chair of VVV-Venlo for many years. From 2005 to 2019 Seacon was the stadium's title sponsor, and Seacon became our main sponsor in summer 2007. Seacon plays a prominent role in all of our club's developments. The highlights have been rejoining the Eredivisie, the renovation of the stadium, and the arrival of great football talents from Japan and Nigeria, such as Keisuke Honda and Ahmed Musa."
"Seacon is a leading logistics company in the Netherlands, and has a large international reach and network. We're proud to have Seacon as our main sponsor. The collaboration has been beneficial for both of us; we make use of each other's strengths and networks. For example, Japan is one of the markets that Seacon specialises in and the company has a large network there. Japanese talent Keisuke Honda came to VVV via Hai and former VVV head coach Sef Vergoossen. He is a top player who furthered his career in Venlo and who brought a lot of good things to VVV and Seacon. In particular, Honda was pivotal in VVV's return to the Eredivisie. We still have Japanese visitors coming here to see where Honda played. And there really is a Japanese VVV fan club, for which there's an event held each year. Football combines well with doing business; it connects people and means that you expand the network!"
"The VVV-Venlo Network is very important to us, especially as part of the combination of sport and business," Frank says. "Football opens doors in the Netherlands, and in other places too – for example Germany. Venlo is only a few kilometres from the German border. VVV's network is an active, cross-border business platform. German businesses form part of this network too; they include our German colleagues from Duisburg and Gera. Networking and relationship management are very important to us. The business lounge is the place for meetings and for taking clients and partners along to matches. Business meetings are organised too, and special matches are sometimes redubbed 'official Seacon matches'. These things generate additional brand awareness, help us to build our network together, and of course we enjoy great matches. So it's a win-win-win situation."
"Seacon is more than a partner for us," Marco says. "Our collaboration has become a very stable relationship with strong bonds of trust. We really understand each other and we've been through a lot together in all these years, from deep troughs to amazing highs. They also support our VVV Foundation, enabling us to organise a range of successful social projects and initiatives in the region. Things like football activities for children with disabilities, visits to primary schools, and walking football for seniors in the neighbourhood. The VVV Foundation also explores the possibilities to intensify and create long-term alliances with companies, organisations and institutions. Frank Hermans, among others, has joined the board of the foundation to boost its effectiveness and safeguard quality.
“To increase the purpose and significance of the cooperation between Seacon Logistics and VVV-Venlo, contributing from my role to the goals of the VVV Foundation seems logical," Frank says enthusiastically. “By drawing on my network, the company and my own experience, I want to add value and create synergy, to create more support and positive energy to realise even more projects and initiatives."
“Seacon is always prepared to think along with us, which shows that they're able to – and want to – make a difference to others as well. This commitment is Seacon’s strength. We're a good match in that way, because VVV also wants to be make a difference to the region. There's a good reason why we've been working together for so long! What’s more, the length of our collaboration is unique in professional football. It's something we’re extremely proud of. We hope to be able to expand and strengthen our collaboration in years to come, so that together we can turn it into it an even bigger success!"