Did you have to go slower, or couldn't you use it at all? What was the issue?

It was a bit slower, but a key element was reliability. The machine had problems with heating and other issues. The relationship with Twintec was not simple. We decided to stick with Somero, but we wanted some changes. We told them, "We are happy to work with you, but you need to improve and change some things." We had several strategic meetings with the Somero team, including top management, the CEO, marketing chairman, and financial staff. We helped them move in three directions. One was service improvement. They have improved service, especially in Europe, with a warehouse for spare parts in Belgium, making service faster, better, and cheaper.

What about Ligchine? They do a lot of machines. They're based in the U.S. You mentioned they reached out to you, but you have never used them. Why not? They are much bigger than Topp & Screed, and they sell a lot of machines. Why didn't you evaluate them, or have you?

First, I think we are faithful. We would need a serious reason to change. If we start to change for one machine, why buy one machine from a different supplier? We value the relationship with Somero. Their clients are often our competitors. It's like you have some families. You have a family like Bekaert, Somero, and you have other families. Or it's like sports teams, you have loyalties.