Leon van Leeuwen, manager at Lemmens
When you say Lemmens, you say Leon van Leeuwen. Leon was once the sixth employee to join Lemmens. In 2025, he is the manager who can be found in Bergeijk every day from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and who almost always makes a round of the machines in the evening to check that everything is set up correctly for unmanned production to continue through the night. We spoke to Leon about his career at Lemmens and why, after 32 years, he is still in Bergeijk.
Leon began his career at Lemmens in 1992. At that time, he was working as a lathe operator for Lemmens’ largest customer, where the then owner Jan Lemmens himself delivered the products. Jan was looking for someone with experience in CNC turning, as he had just purchased his first CNC-controlled machine. Leon turned out to be the right person for the job, because although his then employer was reluctant to see him go, he recognised the advantages of Leon joining Lemmens. After all, Leon knew the ins and outs of the products that had to be made like no other.
Leon’s career took a rapid turn after Jan Lemmens’ accident in 1999: “We were busy constructing the building on Galgenberg, where we are still located today, when Jan Lemmens broke his back. Jan was unable to work for weeks, but the construction and regular activities had to continue, of course. Together with a number of colleagues, I tried to keep things running smoothly during this period, which in hindsight worked out very well. After six months, Jan was fully fit for work again, the building was completely finished and we grew from ten to twenty employees. At that point, I became workshop manager.”
In 2010, disaster struck Jan Lemmens once again when he suffered a stroke, leaving another gap that Leon stepped into. Leon: “At that time, there were 42 people employed, so something had to be done. I had no experience in business administration, and running a company turned out to be quite different from my work in the workshop. Together with an external party, I reorganised Lemmens. This process was completed in 2013, and the “new Lemmens” was launched. From that moment on, I had final responsibility, but we could not have successfully completed this entire process without the dedication of my colleagues Tim and Hans, who are still employed at Lemmens.”
Later, Leon played a part in the sale of Lemmens to Peter van der Zwaan and also witnessed the transition to Andra Tech Group at close quarters. Leon describes Lemmens’ corporate culture as a flat hierarchy, where everyone takes responsibility: “When a new owner comes in, it always takes some getting used to a different way of working, but it almost always leads to exciting new developments and further professionalisation. Fortunately, the change of ownership has not led to a change in culture within Lemmens. No one here feels they are above doing anything; we have a very flat organisation. It doesn’t matter who you are or what your job is, everyone helps each other where they can and does what needs to be done at that moment. You don’t have to do anything on your own here, there is support from all sides, but you are also given a lot of freedom. There is little control, but that means you are given a certain amount of responsibility that you have to be able to shoulder. The current team is capable of doing that, and that makes Lemmens a great company to work for.
At Lemmens, it’s all about people like Leon: committed, reliable and always on the move. Curious about more stories from colleagues? Check out our other interviews here.