BLOM Opleidingen has opened three new training locations. The forklift training provider is finding itself forced to expand rapidly as the demand for certified forklift drivers is growing rapidly.
With three new branches in Amersfoort, Deventer and Doetinchem, BLOM Opleidingen's tally stands at eighteen branches. In October, a nineteenth branch will follow in Wijchen, but it will not stop there, says BLOM Opleidingen commercial manager Maarten Dullaert. The forklift training specialist is aiming for a nationwide network: "In the short term, we want to grow to 22 branches. Especially in the centre and west of the country, our network still has a number of 'white spots'," says Dullaert.
With the growing economy, the demand for certified forklift drivers is on the rise. "The pond of experienced forklift drivers has now been emptied. As a result, large numbers of new employees now need to be trained as forklift operators." BLOM's training courses were therefore quite often fully booked in the first half of this year. "If the trend continues, we will reach a record of over 20,000 trainees by the end of this year," Dullaert estimates.
Energy-neutral forklift training
Over time, BLOM Opleidingen aims to further professionalise and make its training offer more sustainable. The four new branches are all existing rental properties, which BLOM is converting into training locations. "If the number of trainees is large enough, we want to eventually overal own premises. To this end, we are now working on a standard design for a building that is fully dedicated to forklift training and that we can put up anywhere. These standard premises will be fully sustainable, including solar panels for charging trucks," explains Dullaert. "Our ambition is to grow into the first fully energy-neutral forklift training provider."
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