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Carrosserie Vannerum

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A Visit to Carrosserie Vannerum

Carrosserie Vannerum is located in Zellik, a central location in Belgium. This company is known for its long experience and high-quality finishing. These qualities contribute to its increasing growth year after year. What began as a small business has quickly grown into a successful family company. Today, this body shop is a trusted name for many insurance companies, leasing companies, and government institutions. Sima visited this body shop, where father and son work side by side.

Carrosserie Vannerum unites three generations under one roof. Grandfather Vannerum opened the first body shop at the Renault Trucks importer. He was soon joined by his son, Marc. From there, things progressed quickly, and after just one year, the company already had four employees. “We started in 1982 as a small company in a 300 m² garage in Sint-Agatha-Berchem,” says Marc Vannerum, founder and owner. "Six years later, the old buildings of the Neuhaus chocolate factory in Zellik were put up for sale. It was an ideal location, with spacious buildings and a large parking area. But with 1 hectare, it was much too large for our activities. Initially, we planned to use only half. Despite the immense risk of such a purchase, we decided to take the leap. And we don’t regret that choice,” Marc proudly explains. The old buildings were completely renovated and converted into offices and a workshop, totaling 5,000 m².

During the expansion works, almost everything was demolished, and an entirely new roof was installed. Comfort and practical layout were also considered for the workshop. There needed to be smooth circulation and clear divisions, essentially creating a circuit. Marc explains: “We divided the space as follows: disassembly and assembly (twelve zones), bodywork and straightening (fifteen zones), preparation (fourteen zones), painting (four paint booths), and finally, a car wash and finishing zone. Since we handle 60 to 70 jobs per week and our replacement cars must also stay in top condition, this car wash is no luxury!”

A separate hall for the truck center is specially adapted to the needs and dimensions of trucks and buses. It features an extra-high paint booth, 18 meters long. Marc adds: “Our location on the outskirts of Brussels is really an advantage. We are easily accessible, which brings us customers from Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels.”

Today, reliable equipment is essential to deliver quality work. At Vannerum, we work with various regular partners. “We’ve developed a close relationship with Festool, so we don’t use any other equipment for sanding,” says Marc. “We used to work with other sanders, but since renovating the workshop, we switched to Festool. We often had issues with broken equipment and almost constant repairs. For us, the personal service of the company is key. If we have questions or need urgent help, we call them, and they’re at our door within one to two hours.”

“We also work closely with Standox for our painting materials. When I used to race, they sponsored us and supported us greatly,” Marc recalls. “Not only do things go well commercially, but we also have good personal contact.” The paint booths were installed by Sima. “We’re satisfied with the quality of the booths and the support when problems arise,” Marc confides. “This service is essential because we also want to respect our delivery time to the customer. At the moment, we have four paint booths for cars.”

Johan: “If you want to survive, you must constantly innovate. Standing still is moving backward. So, it’s a priority to invest in the latest techniques. We developed our specialization in paintless dent removal by investing in training. Since repair costs must always be as low as possible, both for insurance companies and individuals, this technique is ideal for countering the crisis. At this point, we can’t say that the crisis has affected us. We believe this is due to word-of-mouth marketing.”