FEATURE
Cracker backer – Teesside site director Jos Visser at SABIC ’ s Wilton Centre HQ .
Talking Teesside with SABIC boss Jos
GREAT TO BE HERE
Tees Business co-editor Dave Allan chats with Dutchman Jos Visser , Teesside site director of SABIC UK Petrochemicals since June last year , and finds out how he ’ s settling in .
Tell us about your background in the Netherlands I was born in Twente , in the south of the Netherlands . Many Middlesbrough fans will know that former Middlesbrough and England manager Steve McClaren came to our club and won the Dutch league for the only time in its history .
Tell us about your career I studied for a chemical engineering masters degree in Twente before moving close to Maastricht to join a company called DSM which was later taken over by SABIC . I initially worked in research and development but then HR , design engineering , procurement and was also seconded to our sister company that dealt with utilities and energy . Finally , I worked in chemical operations in SABIC ’ s site in Geleen .
Along the way , I worked in the Netherlands but also Torino in Italy , Richmond , south of Washington in the US and also in SABIC ’ s affiliates in Saudi Arabia .
Following your Teesside appointment , I understand you initially had a delays in getting a Visa due to Brexit ? Yes , it took more than three months to get my Visa , so although I ’ d been formally assigned to my job I couldn ’ t come over here . It was frustrating but all you can do is patiently wait .
I think Brexit was a mistake . I understand that people voted for it for sentimental reasons but it ’ s only made things more complicated from a business perspective , while exports and imports are more difficult now .
What did you know about Teesside before moving here ? I ’ d visited Teesside quite often as part of my procurement department was located here , but I don ’ t think I sold the place well to my friends back in the Netherlands .
Staying in Gisborough Hall , I travelled back and forth between there and Wilton , which was a beautiful commute but it gave me the mistaken impression that Teesside
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