Technical excellence and great career opportunities: IMS has it all!

“We share the position”, says Mike. “I am responsible for purchasing, realisation, service and after-sales, while Martin is responsible for design, project management and IT. Together, we ensure the development and growth of IMS. We both have our specialities and complement each other.”

“We rarely say ‘no’ at our company”, says Martin. “We design and supply all kinds of things: from machines for production lines that produce headlights for cars or pressure sensors to adapting screws for medical implants. Every day is different, and I get a lot of energy from that. It’s been like that since I started working here almost twenty years ago.”

“Not at IMS”, he says. “I held several positions before I became Director of Operations. I know IMS well, so I empathise with what employees need and what they deal with in their jobs. It’s cool to create something from nothing. That customers have questions to which IMS comes up with a specialist high-tech solution that you can literally see being created here in the production area.”

“I started working at Enrichment Technology after my studies (Mechanical Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences and Technical Business Administration at the University of Twente). The secrecy surrounding uranium enrichment excited me, and I was curious about the technology. I worked as a project manager at Sensata for a year afterwards and then as a project leader at IMS. I got more and more responsibility here and held many different positions, and I am now Director of Operations.”

Martin: “Indeed. The work is incredibly varied, and IMS allows you to grow. I like the way IMS is structured. Responsibility, ownership, development, short lines and a no-nonsense attitude: these are all things that define IMS. A great employer.”

Mike: “Yes, from an early age. My parents had an electronics shop in Losser, where I was born and raised and still live. I grew up among televisions and game consoles. We always had the latest tech gadgets. I used to take everything apart, just out of curiosity. And I still love technology, also in my private life. I want to know about sneaky power consumers (which is the boiler in our house). I also have a robot vacuum, things like that...”

“Yes, same here! It drives my wife crazy! I control everything at home through home automation, from the coffee machine to the lights. And I’m always working with computers and software. You can do wonderful things with technology.”

“Never”, says Mike. “I wouldn’t know why. The mentality here suits me. Just getting it done, working together, and being approachable. That applies to my work and my private life. I was a member of De Ronde Tafel until I was forty: a service club that does a lot for society. We organised a day for mentally or physically disabled children and their parents in De Waarbeek and planted a garden at one of the residential facilities for these children. And Twente is a great place for activities: cycling, going out for dinner, a beer bath in Ootmarsum; everything is possible

“Yes: all the ingredients in beer – minus the alcohol – are added to a bath, in which you can completely relax. They say it’s good for you, the hops and barley. And you can drink from a beer tap right next to you.”

“I should get one of those beer baths”, says Martin. Twente, especially his place of birth and hometown, Oldenzaal, is so dear to him that he cannot imagine leaving. “Het Hulsbeek, the centre, the summer festivals and the annual carnival: Oldenzaal has it all.”

Both of them say that they have regularly travelled abroad to supervise projects for clients. They have been to places like Mexico, England and China but only feel at home in Twente. And IMS has a cultural diversity policy, so we have employees of many different nationalities. The working language at the company is English as a result. “Which makes sense”, says Mike. “We work internationally, and all our (written) company communication is, therefore, in English. Speaking English with colleagues comes naturally. They feel at home here with us, just like Martin and I.”