Sing, build, repeat: Marcel owns the floor at KOP

Meet Marcel van Zanten

Clients, colleagues, suppliers… at KOP, everyone knows him. 33 years in the game, nearly 20 of them with KOP, and from day one, he’s been building more than just stands. 

And anyone who’s ever worked with Marcel van Zanten won’t forget him anytime soon. Towering at 1.96 meters, with a laugh that carries for hundreds of meters, he turns every project into a party. Trade show stand? Check. Experience center? Double check. Music, singing, contagious energy… Marcel brings the fun wherever he goes. People fall for him fast. Not just us, but clients too.

A rare serious picture

Love on the Workfloor

Take his recent adventure at  Van den Bossche’s new experience center in Belgium. A family-run garden machinery business, with Stijn vd Bossche at the helm. And yes, grandma and grandpa vd Bossche are still very much hands-on too.

Marcel felt at home from the first moment: “Walking in, it felt like I’d been there for years. ‘Hello! How are you? So glad you’re back!’”

Grandpa popped out of his office to greet the team, grandma had the first coffee ready. And a tray of cookies soon followed. And just when we polished those off? Sandwiches and drinks appeared. “We felt so valued, it made working there an absolute joy.”

Every morning, Marcel kicked things off with music: “Good morning, good morning!” a routine so contagious, grandpa even filmed it.

And Marcel’s gestures go beyond the floor: “One day I ran an errand and spontaneously brought grandma some flowers just to show appreciation. Two-and-a-half weeks later, when the project wrapped, Stijn caught up to me: ‘Do you know what you’ve caused? My mom is all emotional.’”

Marcel laughed: “I went back for a proper hug… and then finally said goodbye.”

Worki.. eh.. drinking coffee at vd Bossche

His secret?

For Marcel, stand building is never just wood, screws, and planning. Whether it’s a €20k or €500k project, it’s about people first. It’s the relationships, the laughs, the personal touches.

“How do I do it?” Marcel smiles. “A little teasing, a lot of laughing, and just keeping it personal. I stay myself. And suddenly, everyone’s comfortable.”

Because when the connection clicks, clients don’t just return for quality, they come back for the vibe our team brings.

The KOP way

What makes working at KOP so damn fun? Marcel: “During the day we crush meters with music in the background. At night, beers with the boys.”

No one does it like us. We sing, we laugh, and somehow we move mountains of work. That’s the KOP magic.

Maybe that’s why Marcel, after 33 years, still hits the floor with the same joy. Not just to build, but to build projects people remember with a smile.

How much longer will you keep doing this?

Marcel grins: “I’m 55, but I still have that childlike pleasure for my work. Stop? Not a chance. You’re not rid of me anytime soon!”.

With painter Jan Kraak at a company party