Since Esdec was founded 20 years ago, the company has undergone tremendous development. In this anniversary year, we look back on this from different perspectives in a unique interview series. Perhaps the most essential perspective is that of our customers, the distribution partners of our products. Robert Paul Evers, CEO of 4blue, has been selling our products exclusively since 2015. “We appreciate quality, which is 100% guaranteed with you,” he says.
If you compare the two companies’ characters alongside each other, there are remarkable similarities. Creating value does stand out. The ink at the Chamber of Commerce had barely dried when Robert Paul called in his associates Tim de Kaper, Renée Henckens and Dennis Gieselaar to shape the company 4blue together. “We soon had our vision clear; we aimed to make it as simple as possible for the installer. We continue to do so now. What does that mean in practice? Narrow product range, making sharp choices and saying no occasionally.”
An example of that sharp choice is, for instance, consciously keeping the number of suppliers limited. “We see this as a requirement to keep a good grip on what we do. Our customers get our full commitment, but at the same time, we see it as a true collaboration. 4blue places enormous value on good relationships with both our suppliers and customers. The bond of trust that develops from that sometimes yields spicy conversations that ultimately improve things.”
That improvement regularly leads to new insights and concrete changes in daily operations. “For example, we thought we would do our installers a favour by sending them a newsletter periodically. Indeed, every week it’s widely read. However, some installers prefer to receive updates by phone on the app. So, we respond to that by deploying new channels of communication. It makes sense because the recipient – our customer in this case – decides how to absorb the message.”
It fits totally into 4blue’s corporate culture: customer-oriented thinking and action. Just like Esdec, the company, therefore, places a high priority on unburdening the installer. “We also want to make the installer’s work as easy as possible. The configurator is a great example, enabling you to calculate a complete system in six steps. We can offer it in this form because of the limited number of suppliers we work with. And for ourselves, we also keep it simple because it saves a lot of hassle with orders.”
The defining factor of 4blue in the market is their decision to focus entirely on e-commerce. “There again, that simplistic approach comes back. Why do consumers choose Coolblue? Because it’s easy; no need to go to the shop, no fuss with parking or having to return if your product is faulty. Then, as an owner, you also must think about how to display your items… All inconveniences you don’t have if you focus entirely on an online shop. Wanting to be innovative is a must for us and, from the start, we have made explicit choices on this.”
Since its founding in 2015, 4blue has grown into a reliable wholesaler and partner for solar panel installers. “Mainly because we have never deviated from our basic vision, that simplicity. Yet, there are always outside forces that partly determine your course. The solar market experienced a huge peak since the corona period and later the war between Russia and Ukraine. Then solar took off in a big way. We didn’t let ourselves lose our heads. We still don’t, even though the market now seems to move back to the old normal.”
That said, Robert Paul certainly still has grand ambitions with 4blue. “I am convinced that solar will become part of a much bigger system. The whole infrastructure will change, and that will allow us to grow. Not at the expense of our core values, which remain unchanged and have proven successful. Think more about expanding our products and start crossing national borders. Entrepreneurship is just doing it, and we are doing it well as we continue growing faster than the market.”
