Are factory-built homes attractive? Until recently, she had her doubts, but since becoming CEO at Plegt-Vos, she’s been “thrilled” by them. An interview with Marieke Mentink, who had been harboring an uneasy feeling for some time. “Developing affordable, high-quality neighborhoods isn’t profitable. It’s time to walk the talk.”
And Marieke Mentink certainly has some big news. “Today, the first test modules for the prefabricated buildings for the Ministry of Defense are rolling off the assembly line,” she says on a weekday morning. “We first built a mockup of them. It’s a further innovation based on the products we’ve been developing for some time. Now they’re actually being produced from wood and steel. That really makes me happy.”
Hengelo. This is Plegt-Vos’s headquarters. From her office, Mentink looks out over the city center. Calling it “cozy” would be an overstatement—she could still use a little decorating in this space. “…I do have a few paintings on the wall already,” she laughs… “I really like the one behind the whiteboard: an intuitive painting that captures the essence of a meeting.”
She points to the structured pattern beneath a layer of abstraction: “That’s just who I am. I love organizing things, because when you organize and think things through properly, it creates plenty of room for creativity.”
Mentink (41) speaks with a soft, velvety voice and an Eastern accent. Her words roll out like neatly manufactured building components from a “sentence factory.” It’s as if she’s thought through every sentence. She may well have, but the brand-new CEO is emphatically not a one-liner machine—she has something to say.
Job Dura’s response
It’s no surprise that Cobouw named her “Construction Woman of the Year” in 2022. It’s no surprise that, until recently, she was the director of construction and real estate at Dura Vermeer—until Theo Opdam, director-owner and former CEO of Plegt-Vos, approached her to succeed him.
The conversations with Opdam quickly turned to leadership, culture, and mission-driven work. Mentink: “We really clicked on that… And I mentioned that I see industrial construction primarily as a means to an end. He felt the same way.”
At that point, she still had to speak with Job Dura (former chairman of the board and now a member of the Executive Board) to tell him she was leaving Dura Vermeer. It was a nerve-wracking moment. “But his reaction was really nice: ‘It’s a shame for us, but a great move for you… I’m truly happy for you,’” he said.
She’s now been at the helm of Plegt-Vos for four months. Not a trace of regret—she’s even more enthusiastic than when she started. “This job is so much fun…. I really feel like I can make an impact here,” she says in the latest episode of the Bureau Stoer podcast.
What are you most enthusiastic about?
“I naturally come more from a development background, so I’d like to create beautiful, high-quality neighborhoods. Over the past four months, I’ve discovered that industrial construction can be an even greater driving force behind that. I’m truly inspired by what’s already possible. Affordable construction goes hand in hand with maintaining quality here. I’ve been really impressed by that.”
So you’ve suddenly come to love industrial construction?
“Well, yes. I knew it was a good solution, especially when it comes to affordable and sustainable construction. But I also always had my doubts—are industrial homes really attractive?”
So?
“Well, yes, definitely. When I see what’s already rolling off our production line and look at our development plans… We’re already able to create so many beautiful architectural details… And we can do it affordably, too. It’s really cool.”
You say, “I can make an impact here.” How?
“My drive is to create good neighborhoods, but that’s actually unprofitable.To do it right, you have to subsidize it through the private sector (expensive and mid-priced housing). That immediately shows how fragile the system is. All it takes is one thing to go wrong and the whole thing grinds to a halt—I’ve had that uneasy feeling for quite some time.”
The interview continues below the photo
Marieke Mentink stands in front of the painting that symbolizes who she is.
How do you develop a good neighborhood?
“It starts with the question of what kind of life you want to create there. How do you want people to live there? What do you want to see emerge? What should it add to the city, the district, or the neighborhood? And then you create spaces where people can meet and figure out how the homes are situated in relation to one another. I support the idea that 70 percent of new construction should be affordable housing, because there’s a major shortage in that category. But I’m seeing these kinds of developments stall more and more often because they’re not financially viable. Then we end up cutting corners on quality. That really has to change.”
What needs to change?
“By 2030, half of allnew construction must be industrially manufactured. If the government makes that statement, I think it needs to walk the talk. How? Look at large-scale housing developments and encourage industrial construction through subsidies.”
A subsidy for factory builders?
“No, I see it more as a package that helps you get your entire area development off the ground, that allows you to arrange access or guarantee the quality of an area. So not as something that goes directly to the industrial builder, but with industrial construction as a prerequisite.”
Won’t that run into resistance from ‘traditional builders’?
“I think that’s a non-issue. We need to build much more than we do now. If you add renovation to new construction, we need to more than double our production capacity. We’re already seeing that we won’t be able to keep up.”
Many housing construction plants are operating below capacity. How is that going for you?
“This year, we’re producing just under 2,000 homes annually, and things are looking good for next year as well. We do see that many projects are being postponed, and that’s where the uncertainty lies.”
The dilemma facing industrial builders. Don’t you ever get fed up with your factory?
“No, not at all. Plegt-Vos actually does a lot more than that. We develop projects, build partly using traditional methods, and also carry out infrastructure work. Moreover, we believe in our factory-based approach… Just look at everything that’s happening in Iran right now. The construction cost index is skyrocketing, but our price increases are lagging significantly behind. That’s very positive—and exactly what we expected and why we do this—but it’s also nice to finally see the benefits.”
You use gentle words to draw attention to the cause. Do you always wake up cheerful and go to bed cheerful? I mean, isn’t there a hint of frustration or impatience anywhere, because progress on “all those housing promises” isn’t moving fast enough?
“I’m all about building connections, but I can also be honest and direct. I’m not afraid to challenge people and call them out on things, because things simply have to get done… But it’s not an aggressive debate. We need each other to get the housing construction effort off the ground.”
This interview is an edited version of the interview with Marieke Mentink on the Bureau Stoer podcast. You can listen to the full interview here.
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