Combining the love of barbecuing with entrepreneurship. Student Sietse van der Wal has succeeded. He develops luxurious handles for kamado barbecues such as the Big Green Egg and The Bastard. He won the Anner Award this year with his product.

Sietse van der Wal is owner of Customado and a student at the Hanze. Customado is a sole proprietorship specialized in making luxury handles for kamado barbecues such as the Big Green Egg and The Bastard. “I am in my last year of the Technical Business Administration course,” Van der Wal begins to talk about the origins of his company. “In my third year I took the minor in Business Class Entrepreneurship. During the minor you were given six months to start a company. I love barbecuing in my spare time, but one thing always struck me: after a year the handles no longer looked good. During the minor I investigated whether a company specialized in handles for exclusive barbecue brands was viable. I looked for suppliers, tested different handles and purchased the right machines. Through trial by error I developed the right tools.”

Eén standaard

Van der Wal developed one standard per brand. “We now sell a total of 25 different handles. I wanted to meet the needs of customers. Without a need it is difficult to sell. I made prototypes for a few restaurants in Heerenveen. They were immediately enthusiastic. My business has continued to grow through word of mouth and social media. The product can also be easily found via Google. We now know that the product remains good for a long time. One of my first customers gives a lot of cooking workshops. He says the handles still look completely intact after one and a half. Through attention to detail and high-quality materials, we strive to provide the best quality. We also offer the option to have the handle personalized, which provides an even more luxurious look.”

Willpower

Van der Wal thinks he knows why he won the Anner Award. “I was able to present a complete picture of all finances and I was able to answer all the jury's questions properly. I also have a passion for entrepreneurship. That was also how Anner was. I think they saw most of Anner in me.” The brand new winner of the Anner Award has some tips for future enterprising students. “Entrepreneurship is willpower. Just do it, is my advice. Some people wait a long time with their ideas, which is a real shame. You shouldn't immediately expect to make money with it. Entrepreneurship is not easy, but with the right willpower you can succeed. You will automatically find out whether your product or service is viable.”

New machine

The Anner Award comes with a prize worth ten thousand euros. Van der Wal: “You get 2,500 euros in cash. I'm going to buy a machine from this. The machine ensures that I can produce three times faster. You will also receive support worth 3,500 euros from the Groningen marketing company TriplePro. I can use that, for example, to update my webshop. Finally, you will also receive four thousand euros for coaching.” Van der Wal is honored with winning the Anner Award. “I especially wanted to gain experience in presenting and giving pitches to interested parties. I think it is a tremendous honor to win this prize, especially because of the background of the prize. In addition, it is good for the brand awareness of my company. It is a very nice win-win situation.”

The Anner Award is a tribute to student entrepreneur Anner van der Mheen, set up in 2011. Anner was a special, enthusiastic entrepreneur and student at the Hanze. During his internship he unexpectedly became ill and died. This annual award was established to ensure that everything he stood for lived on.

Source article: hanze.nl
Photography: Ravi Steneker