His startup Smienk Stairlifts was born in 2013. The concept took off immediately: after revision and minor adjustments to the rail, a stairlift turns out to be as good as new and can be reinstalled at other people's homes. Consumers also see the enormous potential of a used stairlift and save up to half on the typically very high price of a brand new stairlift. In this way, consumers save thousands of euros, while Smienk Stairlifts grows from a single handy freelancer to one of the largest national players in the market for used stairlifts in the Netherlands within just a few years.

Enormous growth

The transformation from side hustle to national player is unprecedented. The number of employees rises to over 50 FTE in just a few years, earning Smienk an FD Gazelle Award in the last two years. Despite the rapid growth of the past five years, the growth of Smienk Stairlifts is far from over. The company has also taken its first steps across the border. Used stairlifts are now being installed in both Germany and Belgium, as well as picked up from people who wish to sell their stairlift.

This creates an interesting sustainable cycle of materials, to which value can be added repeatedly. The purchased stairlifts are completely refurbished in Nunspeet, Netherlands, and prepared for a new life with a customer. The company thus makes a positive contribution to the circular economy.

Impact on healthcare costs in the Netherlands

Not only the growth of Smienk Stairlifts is a success story. The use of used stairlifts also saves millions of euros in healthcare. Previously, a new stairlift would end up on the scrap heap after just a few years or even months of use. A stairlift is, after all, a custom product and cannot simply be reinstalled for someone else, or so it was thought. However, due to the large stock of Smienk Stairlifts, there are always one or more stairlifts that fit well with a particular stair situation.

'Thousands of stairlifts are sold annually. As much as 75 percent of all lifts ultimately end up on the scrap heap. By reusing a stairlift, several thousand euros can be saved per lift. So we're talking about millions in waste, while it can be done very differently,' says commercial director Clemens Kardol of Smienk Stairlifts.

By adapting used stairlifts and reinstalling them for another customer, municipalities also save thousands of euros per installed stairlift. Many Dutch municipalities have now switched to offering second-hand stairlifts under the Social Support Act (Wmo). The user of a stairlift does not notice that it is a used stairlift. Due to strict requirements and periodic maintenance, a second-hand stairlift functions and performs just as well as a new one.