Building smart connection technology together
Commissioned by Connectens, Fleur Plastics manufactures all plastic components for an innovative connection project in the grid management sector. This is a close collaboration between two parties that complement each other, each drawing on their own expertise and sharing common goals.
In this case study, we share the story behind the collaboration between Paul Rabou, director of Fleur Plastics, and Ted Bongers, project manager at Connectens: how the partnership came about, what challenges arose along the way, and how both parties are strengthening each other in an ambitious project with nationwide impact.
The client: Connectens
Connectens is a joint venture between Odink en Koenderink Nederland and C&S Benelux. The goal? To ensure uniformity in all utility connections in public spaces - the CAM project. This includes streetlights, bus shelters, and reducing the workload on technicians.
“The major innovation is primarily the connector,” explains Ted Bongers, project manager at Connectens. “Previously, technicians had to perform all sorts of tasks on the object itself. Now they simply click our connector into place, and they’re done. That makes a huge difference in both time and complexity.”
With the award of a second framework agreement, this time focused on indoor connections, the HAK project was born. For the plastic components within this HAK (House Connection Box), Connectens chose Fleur Plastics as a partner.
Why Fleur Plastics?
Although Fleur Plastics isn’t a multinational, Connectens’ decision to choose Fleur Plastics, and especially Paul, was quite clear. Paul had already proven himself in previous small projects: good communication, competitive prices, and above all, quality.
“Paul is direct, honest, and clear. You know exactly where you stand. And because he comes from a true injection molding family, you can see that in everything he does. He’s truly committed to quality,” explains Ted. “We also chose Fleur Plastics because we feel they have the best grasp of the process.”
This clear commitment to quality was the deciding factor for Connectens in entrusting this large-scale project to Fleur Plastics.
“Paul said: ‘Better to invest a little more and get it right the first time than deal with hassles and compromises later,’” Ted explains. “For example, his proposal stated: you don’t get a limited number of products or a few years of warranty, but simply everything you need, for as long as necessary. That inspired confidence.”
In addition, Fleur Plastics was a good fit for Connectens’ way of working. Although Connectens works for a large end client, they themselves are a compact organization where communication is informal and everyone tries to help each other out.
Advisory role and flexibility
During the project’s development phase, it became clear just how valuable it is to have a partner on board who can provide technical support.
“At times, due to optimizations, it was a challenge to finalize the drawings,” says Ted. “Paul really helped us with that. Drawing on his years of experience in plastics manufacturing, he actively contributed ideas and suggested a technical draftsman to support us.”
Flexibility is essential within the HAK project. The project has an ambitious eight-year timeline and is large in scale. With multiple parties involved, tight schedules at grid operators, and a market in constant flux, timely delivery is crucial. Ted discusses the advantage of working with Fleur Plastics, as a relatively small company.
“There have been times when we really needed extra samples, or when a certain part had to be delivered quickly so we could test it,” Ted explains.
“Paul’s team has occasionally stepped up the pace so we could continue our work with our end customer. We’d have a harder time achieving that level of flexibility with a larger company. Paul just makes sure it gets done, and that speaks volumes about them.”
The project, which is set to run for at least 5 and possibly even 8 years or longer, represented a major step forward for Fleur Plastics. Significant investments were made to meet the requirements of both Connectens and their end customer (the national grid operators).
Paul: “We’ve expanded our machinery, put a new production hall into use, and are now also pursuing ISO certification. Normally, you’re less likely to do this, but now we’re talking about 29 molds and a potential duration of 8 years. This is different; it really allows you to plan ahead.”
Practical matters were also organized more efficiently: for example, agreements were made for safe storage and maintaining a minimum stock level in Boxtel.
“The requirements that Connectens sets on behalf of their end customer help us make structural progress,” says Paul. This contributes to the professionalization of the organization.
Collaboration
“Paul is now one of our key suppliers on the HAK project,” says Ted. “We really have to work together on this. So far, it’s been going very well.”
The collaboration is close, informal, and built on trust.
“We call each other several times a week,” says Paul. “It’s a tender and very serious, but there’s still room for understanding, a joke, and we’re really tackling the project together.”
There is trust, short lines of communication, and a willingness to take steps together. That provides a solid foundation for successfully expanding the project in the coming years.
Fleur Plastics demonstrates that even smaller players can handle large projects, provided they are willing to invest in quality, growth, and partnership. For Paul and Fleur Plastics, this project represents not only a significant growth spurt for his company but also a validation of his vision and hard work.
Current status
By the end of the third quarter of 2025, the molds had arrived in the Netherlands, after which further optimizations were implemented. The necessary tests for the final product have since been successfully completed, and the project is now in the production phase to everyone’s satisfaction. A packaging method was jointly developed that minimizes air transport and uses reusable packaging.
The products are stacked directly onto pallets using a six-axis robot and, where possible, nested together.
