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After two long corona-years Damen Schelde Marine Services could finally attend a trade fair in Singapore again. The Vlissingen-based company has a branch office in the city-state and seized the opportunity to resume contact with its customers. “We wanted to show that as a Damen company we are still there for our customers and that we are strong and present in the Asian market,” explains Sales Manager Asia Ezra Lamers. “After three years of the coronavirus in Asia, it was clear that people were happy to come to an event. Partly because of this, Damen had a lot of visitors, meeting new people and rekindling old contacts.”
DSMS shared a stand with Damen Shiprepair and Damen Services. The purpose of the fair was twofold: to renew and strengthen contacts with existing customers and to acquire new customers. “In the preparation we thought about how we could join forces,” says Ezra. “Thanks to the cooperation between the divisions, we were able to establish ourselves as a quality supplier for diesel spare parts in the Asian market. With the help of our local team, we have also gained new contacts in the local market in Singapore.”
DSMS customers received their own pair of clogs.
Highlights of the fair were the visit of Hajo Provó Kluit, Deputy Ambassador for the Netherlands and the giving of clogs to the company’s regular customers. “The Dutch clog is well known in Singapore, but many people have never seen one in real life,” says Ezra. “We used a sizing tool to measure the shoe sizes of our best business relations, and then two weeks after the trade fair, I brought clogs to each of these customers. Their reactions were very enthusiastic and positive. We literally left our Damen footprint in Singapore.”