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Oss, the magazine Zomer 2008
What do Holland Casino, Joop van den Ende, hospital Bernhoven and the Titus Brandsmalyceum have in common with each other? They all attract attention with a striking illumination. One does it large and abundant, the other small and subtle. Sometimes with neon, other times with LED-lighting. All originating from the Oss-based company 3Tac. Director René Huizenga: “We produce what others can’t.”
If you are one of the biggest producers of neon lighting, you almost have to have a trendy office with a modern design: tight lines, modern interior design and a big glass façade… Nothing is less true. The premise of 3Tac radiates modesty. Of course, in the hallway hangs an original “Barend & van Dorp”, which over a million people –unconsciously – saw on a daily basis. And in the office of the director a few showcases are hanging: pictures of impressive building that have been fitted with lighting by 3Tac. But otherwise no frills: MBI-bricks in the office, linked halls in the production area and a storage area where the newest lighting is laying next to reliquaries from the past. In short, a typical “production-building” of which Oss has many. No nonsense in optima forma.
FLAIR
It can’t be said of director René Huizenga that he is a typical Oss entrepreneur. With his confident attitude and typical Randstad humor he takes control of the conversation from the first second. He happily talks about his job, asks the questions himself (“Why are we allowed to supply Joop van den Ende?”) and of course answers them as well (“He is looking for the boundaries, and we can go along with that as one of the few”). His use of language can be called direct and the average inhabitant of Oss would interpret his flair as bluff. Furthermore he doesn’t shy away from firm commitments. On the contrary, he brings them up with ease for his conversational partner. But: properly dosed, well founded and full of passion for his trade. Like a true entrepreneur.
UNIQUE CLUB
Huizenga characterizes his company as a “unique club”, a company where traditional craftsmanship and modern technology go hand in hand and where “can’t do” does not exist. “Moreover, if people say that something can’t be done, then we start getting really enthusiastic. With “unique” I mean that there are not many other companies that get such a kick out of a difficult assignment in our industry.” 3Tac is a specialist in the field of illuminated advertisements and signage in neon and LED. The company provides these for different clients, as well exterior and interior, often as eye catchers, but also as atmospheric elements. What all assignments have in common are the high demands of quality; in the area of shape, color and atmosphere of course, but also life expectancy. Ultimately the lightings that 3Tac produces serve as very prominent business cards, where really nothing can be allowed to be wrong.
IN DE TOP
‘Unique’ of 3Tac is that the company is at home in the ‘old fashioned’ neon as well as the newer LED-lighting. Huizenga calls that a big advantage: “The reigning thought is that neon will ‘go extinct’ slowly but surely and that every ‘tinkerer’ can work with LED. These are two misconceptions. First neon has special qualities that LED can’t beat for the moment; only think of the special color intensity. Secondly you also need to know what you are doing with LED very well. With our years of experience in neon we know what a customer wants and how we can achieve that in the best way. We get the ‘emotion of light’, to put it nice and dramatic for once. It is not only a matter of placing those stupid lights; it’s also about understanding design, color, atmosphere, dosage and so on. Just for that reason alone I am convinced that there will be a clear cutting in the field of LED, where ultimately only a few companies remain that function in the top of the market. Us first.”
VAN DEN ENDE
3TAC has been in the front lines for a long time. When Huizenga entered the originally Lithian company about 15 years ago he came into contact with Joop van den Ende soon after. “I won’t talk about that man the whole interview, but he has been incredibly important for us. Like I said: he is a perfectionist who looks for the boundaries of the possible in everything. And he expects this of his suppliers as well. We have started making studio decors for television shows for him, and later on large exterior lightings as well, for example for his musical productions. And the nice thing of the man is that he made more then just a few programs. And that he doesn’t just have 1 Mamma Mia but four or five at the same time. That’s why we also work for him in Germany for example.”
GYRO GEARLOOSE
Where the distinctive capability of 3Tac used to be the fact that it had its own glass works, nowadays entrepreneurship also plays an important role. To repeat Huizenga: pioneer, pioneer, pioneer. “There are about 150 companies in the Netherlands that say they can do what we do, but have to outsource different things in the mean time. There are about 5 that can actually make it themselves. And there is only 1 that can do everything and also dares to take on large and special project: Us. It’s because all eighteen people here are just as crazy as I am. Everybody in his own field. For example; I am sitting and chatting here nicely, but I should not go into sales. I want to invent things, try them out, like a real Gyro Gearloose. That is the real sport for me. And thus everyone here has this in his or her respective fields. We are all possessed by our jobs, while we complement each other so nicely. Often I promise the customer something impossible. Then they ask me here how I got it into my head to do so, but in the mean time everyone gets a huge kick out of working with it. That’s the real basis for our success.”
NICEST IN OSS
René Huizenga has to think long when he is asked of what 3Tac lighting in Oss he is the most proud. He doubts between hospital Bernhoven, the Titus Brandsmalyceum, the Groene Engel and Ter Horst van Geel, but ultimately chooses for the last two. The Groene Engel mainly from a craftsmanship perspective, Ter Horst van Geel from their total image. “If only everyone in the center would take their building so seriously…”
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