At IPG, we believe that collaboration becomes stronger when people truly get to know each other. That’s why it was extra special to welcome our colleagues Suraj and Vijay — both Sales Engineers from our international office in India to the Netherlands last week for an intensive week filled with meetings, knowledge sharing and memorable moments.

Their visit was all about connection: between countries, between teams, between areas of expertise, and above all, between people.

COLLABORATION BECOMES STRONGER WHEN YOU MEET FACE-TO-FACE

IPG works seamlessly with the team in India on a daily basis. Suraj and Vijay support our customers with technical analysis, pump selection, preparing quotations, processing inquiries and setting up projects.
But no matter how well digital collaboration works, adding a personal layer can make all the difference.

During their visit, the focus was on:

getting to know each other better
exchanging stories and experiences
sharing our vision on customer focus
knowledge transfer and training
building even better processes together for our customers

A WEEK FULL OF KNOWLEDGE, CULTURE AND TEAMBUILDING

1. Sightseeing in Amsterdam
The visit began in Amsterdam, where we took a canal cruise together. A great opportunity to talk informally — without Teams messages, time zones or screens in between.

We also walked through the city and visited several highlights. For Vijay and Suraj, it was their first introduction to the Netherlands; for us, it was a chance to show them our culture and surroundings.

2. Beaches, snacks and stories
At the invitation of the team, they also visited the beach — a place that looks quite different in India than it does in IJmuiden.
We also exchanged local snacks. Bakawali and Indian treats were passed around, along with stroopwafels, licorice and even oliebollen. Not everything was universally appreciated… but that made it all the more fun.

These moments sparked valuable conversations, plenty of humour and brought us even closer together as a team.

3. Working at the office: from customer inquiries to innovation
Of course, there was also plenty of work to be done. Suraj and Vijay joined the Dutch team to:

review customer inquiries together
align on ongoing projects
optimise data and processes
streamline systems
discuss innovations in automation, AI and digitalisation

Working side by side provided new insights and confirmed how seamlessly our collaboration now runs — even though we are normally 7,000 kilometres apart.

4. Factory visit in Austria
One of the highlights was a joint visit to one of our partner factories in Austria.
Here, we explored production techniques, material choices, quality controls and new developments across various pump series.

For our colleagues from India, this offered valuable practical experience; for us at IPG, it was an opportunity to elevate our collective knowledge even further.

5. Training at Xylem Netherlands
As a partner of Xylem, we were also welcomed in Dordrecht, where Suraj and Vijay joined our colleague Jeroen for an extensive product training session.
They discussed case studies, compared applications and exchanged best practices. This training helps the team in India advise customers even more effectively and strengthens the alignment between engineering, sales and service.

The international collaboration between IPG Netherlands and IPG India is not just practical — it is a strategic strength. Thanks to colleagues like Suraj and Vijay, IPG can:

respond to customer inquiries faster
handle complex technical cases more quickly
deploy specialist knowledge on a larger scale
prepare projects more efficiently
accelerate innovation through joint development

This makes our service more flexible, reliable and future-proof — without compromising on quality or personal attention.

ONE TEAM — REGARDLESS OF DISTANCE
The visit from Suraj and Vijay once again shows that international collaboration at IPG goes far beyond time zones and workflows. It is built on trust, shared knowledge, mutual support and growing together.

Our colleagues in India are not an extension of the team — they are a full and equal part of it.
And by meeting in person, we continue to strengthen a partnership that our customers notice directly.

Today, tomorrow and in the future.