Family business - Father Ludovic and sons Maxime & Quentin

Ludovic Roussel has been working at TVH Equipment for 24 years and is currently a specialist (electro-) mechanic. His son Maxime is a PDI mechanic, and his son Quentin (on vacation during the interview) is a machine inspector.

Ludovic: "Both of my sons started here shortly after each other: Quentin at the end of 2021 and Maxime after the summer of 2022. Maxime and I live near each other in Northern France, but we don't commute together because our schedules don’t match enough."

Maxime: "One day, my dad mentioned that there was a vacancy here. I am trained as a bodyworker and worked 8 years in a garage. I chose TVH Equipment because the job offer was financially more attractive."

Ludovic: "I just pointed out the opportunity to my sons; they did everything else themselves. It’s up to them to prove themselves; I can’t do it for them. Fortunately, they are made of the right stuff: when Quentin started here, his colleagues quickly told me that they could see he was my son. And when Maxime had just started, everyone said it was obvious he was Quentin’s brother. That certainly flatters my paternal pride. But if they hadn’t had the right mentality, I would never have suggested they apply."

Maxime: "As a young Frenchman, it's quite special to work in Flanders. When I arrived here, I didn’t speak a word of Dutch. But there are no real language problems; we all do our best to understand each other. A little good will goes a long way."

Ludovic: "In the beginning, I showed my sons the ropes a bit, but now they manage quite well on their own. But if they ever have any issues, they can always come to me, as a father and as an experienced colleague. In practice, we don’t really have much contact at the moment. Maxime drops by every day, while I mainly see Quentin when he identifies a defect during an inspection. Then it happens that the machine ends up with me for repair."

Maxime: "As a PDI mechanic, I usually work on my own; I don’t necessarily need colleagues around me all the time. But I am very eager to learn and always ready to help someone. I’m happy to step in with another team if they are short of people. I do like a bit of variety in my job."

Ludovic: "From the start, I told my sons to be open and flexible, and that things would work out. So far, everything is going very well, but if it ever becomes necessary, I will be the first to remind them of their duties, just like I do with everyone. In this way, working with family is really no problem. However, I do advise everyone to keep work and private life as separate as possible."