Inclusive business in practice: HANOS speaking

In this series, we talk to entrepreneurs about inclusive entrepreneurship. We kick off with HANOS Delft, proud winner of the Golden Crown 2025. Marc Waslander and Vijay Manbodh share their vision on inclusive entrepreneurship and talk about their collaboration with Werkse!.

Can you briefly introduce yourself? And tell us something about HANOS Delft?
Marc: “I have been branch manager at HANOS Delft for ten years. Before that, I was a manager in the hospitality industry. I started at HANOS as a non-food department manager and then grew into my current position. In my spare time I deal with food and drink, family and friends. In addition, I exercise a lot, especially bootcamp and padel.”

Vijay: “I have been working as an HR consultant at HANOS Delft for almost three years now. Before that, like Marc, I was a manager in the hospitality industry. When I’m not working, I like to cook, read and I do martial arts.”

“HANOS was founded in 1975 as a wholesaler in Apeldoorn where hospitality entrepreneurs could buy their own stuff. Customers can contact HANOS for everything related to food. The company has now grown to twenty stores throughout the Netherlands, and even three fortresses in Belgium, where a total of more than 4,000 employees are employed. HANOS Delft is ten years old this year, and employs 400 people.”

What does inclusive entrepreneurship mean for HANOS Delft?
“With our previous employers, we both have already gained experience with inclusive entrepreneurship. What we have learned, we have continued within HANOS Delft.

“We don’t just talk about inclusion, we are”

Because HANOS has so many departments, there are many different activities. Think of preparing sandwiches, packaging products, or loading and unloading trucks. So it is always possible to arrange a suitable workplace for new employees.

For example, it may be that someone starts with a work experience position in the wine department, but is eventually offered a job in the non-food department, because this fits better.

So inclusion is not a project with us, but part of our normal personnel policy. We invest in employees, even if it takes a little more time or guidance, because we believe that this will pay for itself in the long run.”

Can you give a concrete example of an inclusive choice or approach within HANOS Delft?
“We have trained twelve employees to be a buddy through a training from Werkse!. In the training they learned how to guide their colleagues in the workplace.

We also worked with the ROC Mondriaan for a number of years. Through this collaboration, several interns have progressed to further training or a position at HANOS Delft. A good example is a colleague, who has obtained an MBO-1 diploma with us and now, after three years of loyal commitment, has received a permanent contract.

In addition, we offer language lessons to employees who want to improve their Dutch. A teacher comes to teach weekly. Employees are allowed to follow this during working hours. In the meantime, forty colleagues have already made use of this.”

What obstacles have you encountered in realising inclusion? And how did you overcome them?
“We have encountered few obstacles. This is partly due to our intensive collaboration with Werkse!, especially with account managers Jeroen van de Werken and Roy van Wijngaarden. We know each other well by now, so we can have a nice time together. Werkse also supports practical issues, such as subsidies, trial placement or the deployment of a safety net! Our company in a nice way.”

What would you like to give to other entrepreneurs who want to work more inclusively?
“We hope to inspire other entrepreneurs to break the stigma ‘distance to the labour market’. The DNA of HANOS is ‘a world of attention’. We look at people and their possibilities, not at their labels or limitations. No standard careers, but customisation. So we give managers the space to do what works.

Our most important advice; communicate openly and honestly, with, for example, the account managers of Werkse!. Show your company and functions honestly. That is the basis for good cooperation.

At the start of a new employee, it is important to simply introduce them as you would with any other colleague. Good guidance or a buddy is very important for a soft landing.”

To which entrepreneur do you want to pass the baton?
“We are happy to pass the baton to Ander Hout, the winner of the audience prize of the Golden Crown 2025. During an event of Werkwaardig we got an enthusiastic tour of the company, and the pitch of the founders at the summer event was amazing!”