(Partnercontent) “Working together to get better. That really is our motto, it’s in our company name: Co-Works Mechanics. We want to unburden our customer and we want to do that quickly and well, so that no precious time is lost,” says Eric Scrayen.
Passionate mechanics at Co-Work Mechanics
Eric Scrayen, business manager at Co-Works Mechanics explains: “On the way back from a job or after an intervention, we always ask ourselves: What could we have done even better now? Working together to become better. That’s really our motto though, it’s in our company name: Co-Works Mechanics. We want to unburden our customer and we want to do that quickly and well, so that no precious time is lost.”
Co-Works Mechanics is a team of expert mechanics for the broad logistics and maritime world. Eric Scrayen, managing director of the company, gives some examples: “An excavator standing on the quay that no longer wants to start but still needs to be embarked, preferably today? We get it running. Those wind turbine blades on the quay that still need anchor points before they can be loaded onto the ship? We can do that. Maintaining the fire intervention vehicles on your site? We do. Collided with something and damaged, a reach stacker stuck? We come and depot it. Getting a ship full of machinery ready to unload or load? We are much in demand for that too. And getting equipment ready for work, building machines, that’s our thing too.”
Maintenance and repairs
Co-Works Mechanics works on all machines, all rolling stock at the port: forklifts, reach stackers, mobile cranes and their accessories, attachments, spreaders, trailers, terminal tractors, straddle carriers and rail route vehicles. The company also does maintenance, service breakdowns and road assistance of trucks and tractors, repairs of hydraulic cylinders and hoses, excavators and bulldozers.
Co-Works Mechanics maintains and repairs all major brands: Hyster, SVE Truck, Terberg, Kalmar, Toyota, Mitsubishi, and serves every one that has machinery in the logistics world, the high & heavy, the infra world, everything on the quay and in the port.
For some major brands, Co-Works Mechanics sells or rents and maintains the machines, and for terminal tractors and multi trailer tractors, rail route vehicles, it does so for Belgian manufacturer MOL(www.molcy.com).
On site
Co-Works Mechanics does most repairs on site in the port of Antwerp, in the port of Zeebrugge or somewhere en route. And all over Belgium and the Netherlands. Co-Works Mechanics takes all necessary equipment with it: aerial platform, crane, power, measuring equipment, etc.
There is a perfectly equipped workshop in Verrebroek (Waaslandhaven). This serves for the more planned tasks, maintenance, welding and repairs.
Eric invites everyone: “Feel free to come and have a look at our workshop and equipment. I could have nice drone photos of it but I’d rather put money into something else of equipment. I can’t post it on LinkedIn or Facebook anyway. No time for social media.”
Cleaning machines
It happens before, for example, that there are pebbles hanging from an excavator that needs to be shipped. Those pebbles could damage the quay. Exporters who do not know what done because they are stuck with such dirty machines can count on Co-Work Mechanics. The company cleans equipment in Verrebroek.
Reachable and flexible
“Machines don’t just break down during business hours, although sometimes I wish they would.” laughs Eric. “If it is urgent, we do our utmost to repair the machine, even at night. Just call, we make a quick estimate and after a simple confirmation by e-mail we come off, it should usually move forward. Standing still is losing money in the logistics world. We also find clear communication extremely important. We always let customers know where we stand so that their planning is correct.”
Continuous development
New equipment, electronic measuring devices, new software: all much needed to keep up. Co-Works Mechanics actively invests in all new techniques. “The days when you could do your job for years with a hammer and an English spanner are long gone. If you are not up to speed with today’s electronics and software, you are really out of date”, Eric maintains.
Family business
Eric: “As a child, I played among my grandparents’ agricultural machinery. Those big machines and all their noise, it fascinated me. Still do. As a young guest, I started tinkering in the garage of a depot company. After training as a mechanic, I went straight to work there. In 1997, I ended up in the port of Antwerp. I got the chance to retrain as a dock driver at the port of Antwerp. I did that for fifteen years. But one day I found I could do better, solving those mechanical problems. I became self-employed in 2010. Meanwhile, there are already a few more of us. We have been a family business since 2013. The children work with us. We also have a permanent team of experienced mechanics and several partners and transporters we can call on for special interventions or for transporting large pieces by road.”
Sherlock Holmes
Co-Works Mechanics is a permanent internship for the mechanics at VTI Beveren. A good mechanic is worth their weight in gold, everyone knows that. Eric is enthusiastic: “People with a diploma or with a lot of experience and enthusiasm can always come to us. No two days are the same here, our work is never boring or routine. Our assignments are very diverse and come unexpectedly. That keeps us awake and alert. We sometimes have to be Sherlock Holmes to find the problem. Then think carefully, solve it correctly, sometimes be creative already. It remains challenging. It is rewarding work, you solve a problem that turned up unexpectedly, the customer is helped and content.”
At Co-Works Mechanics, they pride themselves on working among themselves as equals. Everyone helps each other with the difficult jobs and everyone brings their expertise. The atmosphere has to be good when working together. “Even as business manager, I help out at busy times or on difficult jobs. After all, I have 33 years of experience as a mechanic. My men know that, I am there for them,” says Eric.
(Editor’s note: The interview with Eric indeed had to be postponed a couple of times, first he had just come from a night intervention and another time he was unexpectedly on the quay assisting a co-worker, just urgently called).
Co-Works Mechanics: the expert mechanics of the logistics and maritime world. No job too difficult, no machine on the quay they do not know. Break down? Just give Co-Works Mechanics a call.
————————————————————————————-
The expert mechanics at Co-Works Mechanics are always available.
Your machine broken down?
Call 03 689 45 46 or 0475 96 77 41.
https://www.co-works-mechanics.be/
info@co-works-mechanics.be
Alexander Maes/Supervisor Eric Scrayen
