{"id":15443,"date":"2019-04-19T14:14:00","date_gmt":"2019-04-19T14:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alternativ.be\/lenjeu-cest-la-communication\/"},"modified":"2020-03-12T10:34:51","modified_gmt":"2020-03-12T10:34:51","slug":"the-issue-is-communication","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alternativ.be\/en\/the-issue-is-communication\/","title":{"rendered":"The issue is communication"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Rodolphe Trenker and his brother are the managing directors of the Trenker<\/strong> Pharmaceutical Laboratories, founded in 1933 by Rodolphe Henri Trenker, their grandfather, who was succeeded by their father in 1972. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a family story<\/strong> in which the notion of taking on a challenge is far from a meaningless idea: \u201cIn the beginning, we focused 100% on medical drugs,\u201d relates Mr Trenker. \u201cBut fifteen years ago, we expanded our range by adding dietary supplements. These now represent 85% of our turnover. In a pharmaceuticals sector dominated by the multinationals, an SME like ours \u2013 our workforce is around a hundred \u2013 has to diversify. So that\u2019s what we did!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Proud to be at the helm of a niche sector \u2013 nutrients \u2013 that currently has the wind behind it, Rodolphe Trenker likes to underline his taste for exploration and demonstrate the ability of his group to adapt<\/strong>. \u201cWe were the first company to offer dietary supplements to doctors, emphasising their specific therapeutic effects,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo treat osteoarthritis, in 2001 we developed a supplement based on glucosamine hydrochloride. This is a very pure product that repairs cartilage and relieves pain, without the unwanted effects of analgesics. Also, there are no fewer than 200 products on the market to fight hair loss. Trenker offers the only nutrient that is clinically proven to be effective. These are just two examples that demonstrate the expertise that we have in dietary supplements. They may have been copied often, but rarely equalled!\u201d adds Rodolphe Trenker with a twinkle.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Being together to communicate better<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Until recently, the Trenker Pharmaceuticals Group consisted of three geographically separate companies. The laboratories were based in Uccle in buildings occupied by the company since 1948 \u2013 a place where the staff felt hemmed in and disliked the lack of parking. Then there was a facility producing food supplements, located in Braine-l\u2019Alleud. And finally, there was a third unit in Brussels, where the sales and marketing teams worked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, since October 2017, Trenker has been operating out of combined premises in Nivelles at a new factory that houses a new production unit, a new laboratory and more equipment that is more productive<\/strong> than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When they first arrived for work at this brand-new site \u2013 for which the internal fit-out was designed by Alternativ \u2013 company staff expressed their total satisfaction. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe shape of the building is like a tube, 70 metres long, arranged over two floors,\u201d says Rodolphe Trenker. \u201cIt was a real challenge to make this environment somewhere that was pleasant and friendly to work \u2013 a challenge handsomely met by the teams from Alternativ.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He continues, \u201cMireille Georges and Jennifer Botterdael work brilliantly together. Jennifer, as the interior designer, likes to pursue an architectural goal that works for the comfort and convenience of staff. She defends her ideas with power and conviction and works so proactively that she is almost always one step ahead of what we are going to ask her to do anyway. Mireille, on the other hand, manages the site with great care and respect for the client budget<\/strong>. Together, they are an unstoppable force.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Creating pleasant, user-friendly zones<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a fact: to improve the productivity <\/strong>of teams you have to make it easier for them to work together<\/strong>. That means you need good communication in a pleasant workspace.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was one of the aims pursued by Jennifer Botterdael, who has created 5 meeting rooms, one of which is modular<\/strong>, plus a multimedia room<\/strong> designed for staff and clients to share content through a Mediascape table<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also created Coffee Corners<\/strong>, which are great for informal meetings between staff and also promote their wellbeing<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rodolphe Trenker views the new location as a total success. \u201cThe way the premises have been designed and fitted out gives real life to the offices,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlternativ responded to all our requirements. Not only did they listen to what we wanted, but they were also able to guide us towards making well-considered choices in our interior fit-out, without ever losing sight of our initial budget or the deadlines set.\u201d Mr Trenker is already thinking about tomorrow \u2013 and the possibilities for developing new production activities\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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