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Team player and leader Eric Leblanc derives energy from teamwork and training people
Our people form the basis of LY. In this issue of Linssen Magazine, we are therefore happy to reserve space for the stories of employees who carry out their specialist work, often behind the scenes. This time it’s an interview with Eric Leblanc. Eric joined Linssen Yachts in 1984. Working with his hands and guiding new colleagues, holiday staff and trainees is what he likes best about his job. Computers are not his thing. “I’m proud of everyone who came here from school and is now part of the very solid foundation of this great company.”
Team player and leader Eric Leblanc derives energy from teamwork and training people
Eric was born and raised in Wessem. He grew up in a family of twelve children. He is married and has two daughters. “Although Wessem is located on the water, I don’t have a special interest in boats. My hobbies are volleyball, walking, singing in a choir and organising children’s holiday work in Wessem.” And, in the meantime, he’s managing to find time to build a house.
Into the boat up a ladder
When Eric was 17, he came into contact with Linssen Yachts through his cousin Robert Deneer. He was taken on and given personnel number 18. Eric: “My first job was making steering wheels, a trade that Harrie Linssen taught me. Nice work! You didn’t learn anything like that at school.” Eric used many woodworking machines such as a jointer, thickness planer, circular saw, lathe and router. “In winter, it was freezing cold in the workshop. The water from the whetstone froze and sometimes there was even snow on the machines.”
After making the steering wheels, Eric was employed in more and more roles. This is how he came to work inside boats beside Jan Michels, at that time foreman joiner, where he learned the joinery trade. Eric: “In those days, we had to climb into the yacht up a staircase that was next to the boat, holding the boards. Everything you made had to fit together perfectly. But a boat consists of a lot of round and slanting shapes, so that wasn’t easy. Fortunately, the joinery work suited me. We used to work a lot of overtime and in the evening Jos Linssen would come by with coffee and biscuits for the hard workers. We had a lot of fun together.”
Wrong place
As more yachts were being sold, Linssen Yachts became increasingly busy. So a new hall with a raised work floor was built in Kokstraat. “That was real progress.” Sales continued to increase and work was outsourced to Westrom in Echt. Jan Michels became too busy to manage everything on his own. “Because I was a real leader on the shop floor, I was put in charge at Kokstraat. We still had to work overtime. On Saturdays, I would mainly work with holiday temps. I really enjoyed training young people. I also got along well with the trainees. Many of these guys are now a much-appreciated fixture within the company.”
Later Eric was also put in charge at Westrom, which made it impossible for him to continue working on the yachts. Eric continued to progress and eventually, together with Ruben Linssen, he became manager of all the production workers within the company. Eric: “Unfortunately, that meant I had to spend a lot of time on the computer, which wasn’t my thing. I didn’t feel at home in that job.”
Success and expansion
In 2004 Logicam 1 was started and Eric was put in charge - first with Frans Vrancken and later with Frits Geraeds. “That was quite a challenge but, having the right enthusiastic people in place, we got everything done.” Björn Michels (son of Jan Michels) was the biggest achiever on the line and became Eric’s right-hand man, just as Eric had been the right-hand man of Björn’s father Jan before. Logicam 1 was a success and Logicam 2 and 3 followed. In 2007, Linssen had a peak year and produced 110 yachts. In 2013, Eric suffered a burnout and stopped being a manager. “That burnout overwhelmed me,” Eric says. A tough, difficult period followed. Upon returning, Eric went back to joinery work in the boats. “Björn Michels took over my old job, and deservedly so.”
New challenge
Six years later, Eric was looking for a new challenge, but no other position was available immediately. In 2021, a vacancy came up for a working foreman in the module factory. Eric: “I wrote in and got the job. When I was introduced to the module factory as the new foreman, it felt like a warm bath. I was welcomed with open arms by my colleagues. Really great. Together we’re taking on a major challenge with the ultimate aim of optimising the process of manufacturing the modules even further. That’ll be quite a job, which will only succeed if everyone works together as one team.”
Eric has been working at Linssen Yachts for 37 years.
“In all these years, there’s never been a day when I didn’t want to come into work. I’m proud to have been able to play my part in many different roles in this wonderful company.”