My name is Leon Lagrand, married to Renske and proud father of two children. Besides my passion for the graphic industry I also am a passionate outdoor sportsman. In the winter I’d like to go skiing and in the summer you can find me on the water windsurfing or sailing.
What is your position at Mekes?
Officially my job description states ‘Sales Director’. Daily I am involved in the purchasing and sales of the bindery machines from A to Z. So not only the commercial activities but the complete organization surrounding the purchasing and sales proces of the bindery machines. Furthermore I am involved in marketing like the website, trade fairs, social media and other marketing-oriented activities.
When and why have you started working for Mekes?
After finishing my Graphic Management degree at the Hogeschool Midden Brabant I started working at EGS (Euro Graphic Services), at the time a major player in the used graphic machine world. I specialized in machines suitable for graphic finishing and developed good contacts all over the world. That is where I met Ronald Mekes and we had a good connection. When EGS ran into problems due to the financial crisis, Ronald proposed to come and work for him to further set up and expand the bindery department. In the meantime that has been 10 years ago and we have set up a very nice and close team.
What makes your job so much fun?
We have a close team who will move mountains to deliver our customers what we promised. No day is the same but we always make sure we deliver what we have promised.
What is the greatest success you have had at Mekes?
One of the highlights of my career at Mekes was the purchase of a complete machine line from a major bindery in Germany. The customer’s main motivation for doing business with us was the confidence that we would handle it financially and organizationally as we had agreed. Exactly according to our motto.