During his student years, Paul Leemans bought a rusty, corn-yellow Peugeot 304 convertible that was already twenty years old at the time—just as old as he was. He restored it himself and used his first salary to have it repainted and reupholstered. Now, thirty years later, it’s still on the road. In the parking lot in Bladel, the yellow Peugeot immediately stood out. “Colleagues came up to me asking: is that your car?” Paul says. “Especially in the Research & Development department and in machine building, there turned out to be quite a few people who share the same hobby.”

Off the beaten track For the past two years, Paul has been the manager of Quooker’s machine factory in Bladel. A small team of six works here, as an extension of our factory in Ridderkerk, building the machines that produce Quooker components. He enjoys it. “Quooker is a great company that creates a very distinctive and innovative product. We have to come up with our own solutions, and that’s what makes the work so interesting: all the machines we build are new—there’s no established path to follow. On top of that, I’m very happy with the work-life balance. I’ve finally found a job that leaves room for my hobby, which helps me relax and clear my mind.”

A certain type of person At home, Paul has a workshop attached to his house, complete with lifts and all the equipment he needs to work on his classic cars. Besides the yellow Peugeot, he also owns an old Volkswagen van, a 1971 Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV, and a Mercedes SLK. And then there are the cars of his wife and sons as well. “They’re ongoing hobby projects where I can really express myself.”

At Quooker gatherings and parties, the shared passion Paul has with several colleagues regularly comes up. According to him, it’s no coincidence that this hobby is so common among Quooker employees. “It’s a certain type of person who enjoys working on cars: technical, creative, and resourceful. Those are qualities that come in very handy at Quooker.”

Published on 27-10-2023