A large square table in the middle of the ‘Max Verstappen’ meeting room in Moerdijk; two seasoned professionals take their seats, bringing a combined quarter-century of experience at STAR Specialists. Product Owner Anne-Marie Huijsmans, who has been with the company for over 17 years, was working as a Payroll Manager at a large accounting firm when she first heard about STAR. She hesitated. The company was small, the field was new. But year after year, she received calls from STAR founder François Claeijs, until she thought: okay, I’ll do it. “After just a few months, I realized I should take this step more often, because this move gave me so much energy.” She laughs. “And now it’s been seventeen years.” Sil Hoeve, CEO for 8.5 years now, nods proudly. “That says something about STAR, doesn’t it?” But what exactly?
It all started in 2001 with a handful of enthusiastic people in a small office. Now, 25 years later, STAR employs more than 2,500 people across the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, and France. But the growth in numbers doesn’t tell the whole story. What makes this anniversary special lies in something that, according to STAR, is quite ordinary: human connection, hard work, and doing what you say.
Sil looks back proudly in this silver anniversary year. Two moments stand out for him. The first: a home of their own. After years in shared buildings, STAR found its current location in Moerdijk, Plaza 2. A large office that belongs entirely to STAR, where the culture is tangible and the lines of communication are short. “It checks all the boxes,” says Sil. “Our own space, our own culture, and it fits who we are one hundred percent.” The second moment: the annual parties to thank all partners, clients, and specialists. “I hardly know any other organizations that tackle this kind of event on such a grand scale it’s really amazing.” If Sil had to sum up a quarter-century of growth in one word, he’d find it quickly: proud. Not just in the numbers and results, but especially in how it all unfolded. It’s precisely that growth process that has made STAR not just bigger, but above all stronger: as an organization and as a partner for clients and specialists.
“We always ask ourselves: how can we do this smarter?” – Anne-Marie Huijsmans
Movement with a direction
Anne-Marie describes STAR as “never repetitive.” Acquisitions, new markets, systems that keep evolving. “Never a dull moment. And we do it together, because everyone is heading in the same direction.” Sil recognizes that. “STAR is a moving train. If someone is away for two months, the company has changed again.” That DNA of continuous improvement—every barrier can be removed, every system can be improved—has made STAR great over the past 25 years. Continuous improvement also means that things don’t always go right the first time. But STAR keeps evolving, with a focus on customers and specialists. Looking ahead and anticipating. “You have to fix the roof while the sun is shining,” says Sil. “That’s what we’re doing again right now.”
Yet all these continuous movements together do follow a steady course. Sil knows the corporate world from the inside out; he’s worked in it for years and knows exactly what he wants and doesn’t want. “As soon as things get complicated and politics takes precedence over results, you lose your power.” As far as he’s concerned, STAR isn’t a slow-moving oil tanker: “We’re a fleet of boats, each with its own responsibilities, but together we form one team.” Working in the office is not a rule, but a guiding principle. Sil: “We’re a bunch of social animals. In our field, it’s all about knowledge transfer and human connection, and that happens fastest when people sit side by side. A junior doesn’t just learn from a screen, but also from the senior sitting two meters away. Anyone who comes here after a job with a lot of remote work says after a month: this gives so much more energy.” That’s no coincidence.
That’s culture.
“That DNA of continuous improvement—every barrier can be removed, every system can be improved—is what has made STAR great over the past 25 years.” – Sil Hoeve
The power of STAR for 25 years
When Anne-Marie is asked what she would say to someone considering joining STAR, her answer is clear: “Always do it, if it’s a good fit for you. Can you work well in a fast-paced company and do you have a flexible mindset? Then you’ll be right at home here.” Sil adds: “That’s true, but if you don’t like change, it can also be quite challenging.’ That’s when he says something that captures the essence. “The core has actually been the same for everyone for 25 years: bringing doers together, keeping the lines of communication short, and building a great company together. That is and remains STAR’s strength.” Anne-Marie: 17 years. Sil: 8.5 years. These aren’t random numbers, but years of loyal service. And that really says something about STAR: people don’t stay despite all the changes, but because of them.