When people talk about Kees, one thing quickly becomes clear: he’s someone the team wouldn’t want to do without — a strong colleague with a calm and steady approach. During his internship, he worked on a rather unusual chair. But what exactly does that chair do? We sat down with Kees to find out.

Kees’ story actually began quite differently from where he is today. His journey at VB-Airsuspension was not his first choice at all, but he has since become a valued and permanent member of the team.

“I started at VB-Airsuspension because I was looking for an internship for my Smart Industry course.
At first, I mainly looked at companies that really matched my studies, so VBA wasn’t initially on my list. In the end, all of those options fell through, so I had to keep searching. That’s when I started looking more broadly at companies that simply seemed interesting to me, and that’s how I came across VBA. I definitely haven’t regretted that decision. I’ve always been interested in cars and, before starting Smart Industry, I also studied Automotive Engineering for six months. That’s why doing an internship at an automotive company like VBA really appealed to me.”

And it turned out to be exactly the right choice. His passion for automotive technology fitted perfectly. Perhaps not entirely in line with the standard Smart Industry path, but definitely something he could truly relate to.

After his internship, the next step seemed obvious: finding a job. Fortunately, Kees did not have to look very far.

“I had graduated and needed to find work. Luckily, I was given the opportunity to stay at VB-Airsuspension. There wasn’t actually a position available at the time, but my colleagues recognised that it would be useful to have someone remain in the workshop while others were out on the test track. I grabbed that opportunity with both hands. Eventually, a role was created for me and I was able to stay.”

During his internship and the period afterwards, Kees immersed himself more and more deeply in the technical side of the work.

“Working with air suspension was completely new to me. I already knew a little about mechanics, but here I really learned how all the components underneath a vehicle work and how air suspension systems are put together.”

But in the end, there is more to work than just technology — without a good team, there is very little resilience.

“If the team and the atmosphere hadn’t been good, I might not have stayed here. I find the technology interesting, but you also need to enjoy coming to work. Luckily, that’s exactly how it is here. It’s a close-knit team and I quickly felt part of it, even during my internship.”

For Kees, what makes working at VBA unique is mainly the variety and freedom he experiences in his role.

“No two days are the same, and that’s exactly what I was looking for. The atmosphere is genuinely great and you’re given a lot of freedom in your work. That’s what makes me come here with enjoyment every single day.”

It was precisely that freedom and variety that gave him the opportunity to start working on a project of his own. Kees developed an interactive exhibition model that not only demonstrates air suspension, but actually allows people to experience it for themselves.

“I designed and built a setup that people can sit on — initially intended for children — so they can feel the difference between steel springs and air suspension themselves. Starting from a small sketch made by a colleague, I developed the entire concept independently.

The idea is simple, but effective: underneath the seat, you can place either a steel spring or an air bellows. A motorised system moves the chair up and down, and when using the air bellows, you can also adjust the air pressure. That way, the difference becomes immediately noticeable.

The exhibition models we currently use mainly show how air suspension works. My setup is designed to let people actually feel it. That’s the real added value. Eventually, VB-Airsuspension can use this at trade fairs to better convince customers and to introduce children to air suspension technology.”

However, making that difference clearly noticeable also turned out to be the biggest challenge.

“Making the difference truly easy to feel. That’s actually something I’m still working on. With small adjustments, I keep trying to improve it.”

And what is Kees most proud of?

“Everything I built for the setup myself. It’s truly my project.”

What started as an internship that was not even his first choice eventually grew into a permanent role and a project entirely of his own making. It’s great to see how everything came together.

And that chair? Perhaps one day you’ll be able to experience it for yourself at a trade fair.