The end of an era: Gerrit says goodbye to Prins after 24 years

What do you say to someone who, after 24 years of hard work, is leaving the ship? We have to admit: that's not easy. Just like saying goodbye to our loyal and fun colleague: Gerrit Haverkamp.

Gerrit joined Prins in 1999. Here's how it went down: during an evening visit to a local car parts store in Nunspeet, Gerrit, who was working at KwikFit at the time, got the tip that Wim Prins was looking for a motivated warehouse worker. “Have you heard? That position is really perfect for you!” And it was. That same evening, Gerrit made his way to Prins. Overalls and slippers on; nothing could stop him. Gerrit went for it. His enthusiasm was contagious, because shortly after he started working in the old building on Harderwijkerweg – then still officially an Alfa Romeo sub-dealer.

After focusing solely on keeping the warehouse running for six months, it was clear to Wim: “I can confidently put this young man behind the reception desk.” He was right: Gerrit got along very well with our customers with his cheerful mood and huge likeability. This is how he looks back on it himself: “It was a fun start in the old building, with three mechanics (Mark, Henry, and Gert), the lady from administration (Evelien), and Wim, we had a lot of fun and craziness there.” Fun fact: all these people are still working at Prins. Just to show how close-knit that team has always been. And how much we will miss Gerrit, who, along with the others, laid the foundation of the company Prins as we know it today.

Speaking of which: barely a year after his debut at the reception, things suddenly got more serious. The new location on Galvaniweg was almost ready. Gerrit was tasked with building an entirely new warehouse.

“That was a fantastic time! Everything new, fresh, and completely my way! It was a massive change, from a small room with a leaking roof and wooden shelves to a large, brand-new, and ultra-modern warehouse. I remember, for instance, how much I loved those red storage bins. Each small part had its own bin, neatly numbered. That was real enjoyment!”

“Soon, I could reel off all the numbers from memory, as well as the license plates incidentally. Remembering customer names proved to be a bit harder, haha!”

He's not exaggerating: Gerrit is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to license plates. Alfa Romeo was booming back then, with cool models and super enthused customers who were crazy about our beautiful products. However, stock management was not so great: “The challenge back then was the Italian way of delivering. It required forward thinking or finding a different route. Soon, you have built up an entire network and know exactly where to get what from. That was the thrill! And it also brought a lot of satisfaction when it benefited customer contact.”

Gerrit was perfectly in his element, and this was frequently confirmed in the showroom. Compliments like “I send my trainees to you so they can see how well Gerrit runs things” were not uncommon. In 2004, the first exclusive cars came to Prins. “This reminds me of a track day at Zandvoort, where we were tearing it up with Alfa GTAs among Maseratis and a Lamborghini; a fantastic match. We had a blast! The last few years I experienced as more hectic. Alfa Romeo sales declined, shifting our focus more towards Esclusivo’s and Classics. Again, a great challenge that we as a team managed through together.”

“It feels like I can confidently leave my spot, after the renovation of the showroom, the new setup at the reception, and how Nic and Mark have everything under control. For me, it's a good moment to take on a new challenge, with another 15/20 years ahead. For example, I always enjoyed handling damage cases. And I mean specifically making calculations and finding the right parts.”

“Let me put it this way: an opportunity arose at exactly the right moment. So, I chose to go for it. Just like I did 24 years ago at Prins.”

Our customers, relations, colleagues, and particularly Wim will greatly miss Gerrit: “It will take some getting used to without his presence. The always cheerful Gerrit who radiates joy and enthusiasm wherever he is. This was contagious for the entire team; Gerrit brought a smile to your face. Whether he was attentively sitting at his screen, busy on the phone, or having a dedicated conversation with customers at the front desk, Gerrit handled everything with ease. His new employer is gaining a real asset! On behalf of the entire team: thank you Gerrit, for everything!”