TeamworX Story
15 Apr 2024
In 2003, construction sector professional Joop Van Keulen found himself at crossroads when his previous company decided to exit Asia. He had two choices: returning to his home country of the Netherlands or creating his own company in Indonesia together with colleagues from his previous company in Indonesia.
Ultimately, Joop chose to stay in Indonesia. Having spent around 27 years by that time in countries like the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, United States, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, he saw an opportunity to create a new company in Indonesia given his international experience and industry knowledge.
“Let's see if I can be my own business entrepreneur, with the knowledge and organizational and financial skills I have learned over all the years,” he recalled.
He invited some of his friends to join as shareholders and raised the capital to establish the company.
The decision led to the founding of TeamworX on April 1, 2003, to be run together with his colleagues Marangkup Manik and Rahmat Mustafa, and a Construction Consultancy company offering Engineering, Tender and Construction Management services was born.
He said the idea was to create a company that would offer comprehensive solutions to their clients for their construction plans from concept to completion. The approach streamlined the construction process for clients, ensuring high standards of quality and efficiency throughout the project.
To implement this, TeamworX strategically assembled a diverse team of professionals and integrated a wide range of construction and consultancy services under one roof. By having a multidisciplinary team, TeamworX can offer a holistic service package to its clients while ensuring that all aspects of a project are managed cohesively.
“So, we are basically a one-stop shop, and that has been our success formula from the very beginning” Joop said.
Joop also explained that he came up with the name “TeamworX” because he believes people can only achieve success if they work as a team. He facilitates teamwork by implementing a flat organizational structure and paying close attention to the well-being and personal growth of each team member.
These approaches proved to be effective. Over the next 21 years, TeamworX grew from its original 12 members to about 200 dedicated professionals as of 2024.
During these 21 years TeamworX was very fortunate to work with many multinational and Indonesian companies, whereby most of them would come back to TeamworX for new projects and extensions. Joop mentioned: “you cannot get a better referral than Clients coming back for repeat orders”.
TeamworX also established Team Module in 2005, a joint venture with Panca Jasa aimed at expanding into fabrication of modular buildings. The venture allowed TeamworX to diversify its offerings and tap into new markets to innovate and adapt to changing industry trends.
In addition, Joop mentioned that in 2020 TeamworX established Emerald Hospital Design together with Dutch Health Architects and Deerns both from the Netherlands with as a mission to bring state of the art international hospital design experience to Indonesia to improve the health of Indonesians.
“You have to be creative in business. You can never stand still. you have to grow and every day you have to learn something,” Joop said.
Looking forward, Joop said TeamworX is keen to continue the improvement and innovation that has driven the company since its inception.
As TeamworX continues to build its legacy, the focus remains on turning clients' plans into reality while nurturing a work environment where everyone at the company feels empowered.
"Whatever plans you have in the future, we can turn your plan into a reality," Joop said.