From Benoni to the Netherlands
Remco’s life story begins in Benoni, a suburb of Johannesburg. In the 1980s, his father was given the opportunity to work at an aircraft factory there; his mother already had family in the country. A sunny, carefree childhood followed until his parents separated. At the age of eight, Remco moved to the Netherlands with his mother, to Abcoude, where they moved in with family members. A new world, a new life and the place where he met his great love Chantal.
Childhood sweethearts
Chantal was the best friend of Remco’s youngest cousin. He eight years old, “a snot-nosed little boy running around the garden” and she, a girl who wanted nothing to do with him. That changed years later, when they kissed for the first time during the village festival week. What began as youthful sentiment grew into a relationship that has now lasted more than 32 years.
Remco still calls the birth of their son Kai the most beautiful moment of his life although he was so overwhelmed that, when registering the birth, he briefly forgot his own child’s name.
The military service that shaped him
At eighteen, Remco was working in hospitality. He owned a car and had an active social life when he was called up for military service, the very last wave of young men for which service was still compulsory. He had to give everything up. He was stationed at the Corporal Van Oudheusden Barracks (coincidentally the same surname), completed medical training, and later joined a Dutch unit in Seedorf, Germany. Two deployments to Yugoslavia followed. Very intense, but formative. “Military service shaped my entire life,” he says. “If you’ve been there, everything afterwards is easier to handle.”
After four years, he decided not to extend his service; an extension would almost certainly have led to deployment in Angola or Iraq. “So we decided not to do that,” he says with a smile. He briefly tried returning to South Africa, but his heart was in the Netherlands, with Chantal. After seven months, he returned for good.
From own business to WTC Schiphol Airport
After his service, Remco built his own carpentry business, which he ran for sixteen years. Some years were prosperous; others were a struggle. Eventually, honesty outweighed ambition. The pressure increased, and the enjoyment disappeared. Through a friend, he ended up at GSA, entering WTC Schiphol Airport as a self-employed contractor. From the very first moment, everything felt right. Since 2016, Remco has worked four days a week at WTC Schiphol Airport. No two days are the same. He performs preventive inspections, ensures that lighting, air conditioning, installations, and confidential waste streams function flawlessly, and prevents malfunctions before they are even reported. He also supports tenants directly, adjusting desks, hanging artwork, and assisting with full team relocations.
