Jacobus de Boer - Adema (53) has been working at De Vries since March 2026 as a purchaser, three days a week. In addition, he is responsible for copywriting, photography, marketing, and sales support.
Jacobus lives with his wife, Nelleke, and their Golden Retriever, Beer, in a beautiful rural location between Lemmer and the Frisian village of Bantega. Their former holiday cottage is set on a spacious plot of land, making gardening one of his favourite hobbies. During the summer months, part of the garden is transformed into the tea garden 'Ergens Halverwege', where Nelleke welcomes the guests. Jacobus can also regularly be found on the golf courses of Sint Nicolaasga and Emmeloord.
How did you end up at De Vries? "Unfortunately, the company I worked for went bankrupt. I deliberately took a few months off before looking for a new job. When I eventually started exploring new opportunities, Isaak, De Vries' Lead Engineer, gave me a call. We had worked together before. De Vries had recently invested in a new ERP system, and Isaak felt that both the purchasing role and the implementation of the new software would suit me perfectly. He was absolutely right. After that phone call, everything moved very quickly, and I've now been with De Vries for about four months."
Implementing an ERP system combines well with purchasing? "Absolutely. In fact, they complement each other perfectly. We had to redesign the entire logistics process, and purchasing plays a major role in that. The implementation is still ongoing, but after the summer holidays we expect to go live with the new ERP system. From that moment on, everyone within the company will be working with it."
And marketing? That's quite a different field, isn't it? "It is, but I had a similar combination of responsibilities at my previous employer. I enjoy having a varied role much more than specialising in just one area. Although De Vries handles a tremendous amount of work, it is still a relatively small company in terms of the number of employees. A broad role like mine fits that environment very well."
After only a few months, it's fair to say you've found your place? "Definitely. It may have something to do with my down-to-earth Frisian roots, but one of my favourite sayings is: 'Say what you do, and do what you say.' As far as I'm concerned, that sentence could easily appear underneath the De Vries logo. Being straightforward, genuine, hardworking, open to innovation, and passionate about your profession—those are values I strongly identify with, and I'm proud to contribute to them every day."
