From kitchen table to the world – Vimexa celebrates 10th birthday

It’s now little over a decade since Rutger Veerman told us of his plan to establish himself as a ‘matchmaker’ for tyre, wheel and battery companies. The idea was to serve as an intermediary between supply and demand, matching stocks in and outside Europe with customers seeking these products. Vimexa Automotive BV figuratively opened its doors for business in January 2014.

Rutger Veerman had already been active within the tyre industry for around a decade by this time – we first met Veerman soon after he began working for Deldo in 2006, having joined the Antwerp-based wholesaler from Michelin. Leaving the security of one of Europe’s largest tyre distributors after eight years to set up as a one-man operation was arguably a risky step to take, but Veerman regrets nothing.

He shares that during this first decade in the business, Vimexa achieved revenues of around 75 million euros and has established offices and distribution facilities in both Veerman’s homeland of the Netherlands and in Finland, where his family now lives. Not bad for an operation that started on a kitchen table in the Dutch town of Breda. At the start of 2023, Veerman also took a further step into the sector with the acquisition of Helsinki-based tyre and wheel retailer Autotek and is introducing new services and products into this established business.

Global operations

Vimexa encompasses six companies these days, including Vimexa Automotive, which operates globally and has direct networks in more than 25 countries. Vimexa represents and/or distributes all major tyre brands as well as a number of well-known names in the wheel market. It also continues to provide confidential and dedicated support for companies wishing to adjust their stock levels and restructure inventories, acting as an intermediary for purchase management. As the business enters its second decade, Veerman is looking towards and investing in the future.

“The Vimexa journey has been very exciting with lots of positive learning,” reflects Rutger Veerman. “As a business owner you can decide and develop your partners and friends in the market, which has and will be the core of the concept and success. And with a long-term vision, more than 80 per cent of my suppliers and clients are on board since many years.

“For the next ten years, diversification is my main focus, as I am currently developing in both wholesale and retail, as well entering a niche category with retro tyres and wheels (in Finland). Serving solutions to a dedicated community with classic, muscle cars and hot rods and unique products. We have, for example, cross-ply, radial, whitewall and white letter tyres in the house for vehicles dating back to the 1900s.”