From sole traders to global OEMs, 247TailorSteel serves customers across Europe with bespoke technologies
Tailor-made metal products on demand and on time; this is what customers can expect from custom metalworking company, 247TailorSteel – whether its laser cutting, tubing, bending or edge finishing. Operating six sites across Europe, 247TailorSteel has two facilities in the Netherlands, three in Germany and one in Belgium, as it aims to strengthen its position as one of Europe’s largest sheet metal fabricators. In 2025, the company processed over 2000 orders daily from 11,000 active customers, with a client base ranging from single-person artists to huge multinational brands such as John Deere. It was at the end of last year when Ruud Vullers joined 247TailorSteel as Chief Operations Officer, returning to the Netherlands after 35 years spanning Xerox, contract manufacturers in China, and medical device companies across the US.
“We cover almost all industries – we’re not dependent on one particular sector, and that is a huge strength of ours,” begins Ruud, as he sits down with Manufacturing Today. “I’ve had a long career in which I’ve mainly been responsible for manufacturing, supply chain, quality, engineering and purchasing. However, 247TailorSteel has a very different kind of atmosphere to other sheet metal manufacturing operations. For example, our factories are incredibly light and open. We even have trees growing in the factory next to the machines!”
Aside from greenery in the facilities, innovation is demonstrated through its digital-first model, centering on Sophia® – the group’s online software designed for companies to order custom-made metal parts. The cloud-based portal allows customers to upload CAD files and instantly receive manufacturability feedback, quotes and lead times from a fully automated RFQ process. Once customers place orders, the system automatically triggers supply chain processes, programs CNC machines, and nests parts to minimize waste. “Every few hours, we check the orders coming in and try to match the parts in the plate,” elaborates Ruud. “That nesting is carried out with our own software to reduce waste, which is beneficial for both the environment and for costs.”
The company migrated Sophia® to the cloud to handle increasing capacity demand from customers. Recent improvements include additional operations, special packaging options and enhanced design feedback. “We have an expert IT team continuously working on developing Sophia®, providing better feedback about possible manufacturability issues with the design,” Ruud continues. Automation extends beyond software – the company has also implemented vehicles for transporting raw materials to machines. “We have fully automated guided vehicles (AGVs) moving around in the factory. The operator simply pushes the button and an AGV brings the material to the stations. We are investing in more robotics,” he reveals.
Further technological advancements include the recent launch of two critical tools: an in-house developed shopfloor scheduler and a supply chain capacity planning solution. Ruud explains that the scheduler, amongst other things, minimizes changeover times between jobs: “You need time to change the machine set-up for the next job, but if you pick a logical sequence, you can minimize the amount of changeover time needed, leading to far higher efficiency.” The company’s new capacity planning tool addresses former challenges. “In the past, we’d sometimes run out of capacity and consequently struggle to deliver products on time,” Ruud notes. “This solution instantly recognizes every order that comes in, asks whether we have capacity and, if not, how much delay can we expect. Therefore, the customer can instantly check lead-time based on the capacity we have available.” Additional developments include a material selection tool and a chatbot, created to make the material choosing process easier for customers, and streamline customer service options.
247TailorSteel Academy
Alongside utilizing automation, the company invests significantly in workforce training through the 247TailorSteel Academy, where employees are educated across three main processes: plate laser cutting, plate bending, and laser cutting profiles and tubes. “For each process, there are three levels for people to graduate. We have three trainers who travel to various sites and some people also attend our headquarters for training. Even though we are highly automated, our people still have a tremendous impact on quality,” Ruud states, before adding the company doesn’t require years of metal industry experience. “We don’t necessarily hire people with that level of experience. We also hire people who have been working in retail or hospitality, for example, but who want to learn and build a new career for themselves. With the Academy, we are able to train them quickly to a certain level.”
Strong relationships with equipment suppliers – including Trumpf for laser cutting, LVD for bending, and BLM for tube cutting – also provide the business with a competitive edge. “Whenever our suppliers develop a new machine, we are typically the one testing their solutions,” explains Ruud. “We ask them to help us fix a problem, or we fix a problem with one of their machines, and they copy our solution. Weekly meetings with all these suppliers are extremely valuable and this collaboration gives us an advantage against competitors.” Following rapid growth, Ruud launched 30 operational excellence initiatives focused on timely delivery. “We have been growing extremely quickly, but we now have more time to work on operational excellence and focus on continuous improvement, applying lean technology and minimizing waste in all our processes. Many of our initiatives are developed to make our supply chain more reliable and improve on-time delivery.”
Approaching its 20th anniversary, the company’s relatively new factories in Belgium and southern Germa-ny target further European markets. “From our factory in Hooglede, Belgium, we’re aiming to enter the market in the north of France. We have a facility located near Ulm in Germany, from where we also deliver to our customers in Austria,” shares Ruud.
With geographic expansion on the horizon for 247TailorSteel, the firm continues investing in Sophia® development, in-house academy training and supplier partnerships, while advocating environmental sustainability.
