Greater capabilities for customers thanks to Zeppelin Group

After the merger between Pon Power in 2025 and the Zeppelin Group, our name changed: Pon Power became Zeppelin Power. But behind the new name, more happened. Our connection to one of the largest authorized Caterpillar dealers in the world means that knowledge, innovative capacity and technical expertise can now come together on a larger scale. What does that mean in practice for customers, employees and the future of Zeppelin Power in the Netherlands?

The best of both worlds

According to Patrick van Alem, CEO Power Systems Zeppelin Group, and Olaf Lokhorst, Managing Director at Zeppelin Power Netherlands, this is not about the disappearance of a local company within an international organization. Quite the opposite is, in fact, the goal, according to them: to maintain local involvement while, behind the scenes, the organization’s capability grows.

Two strong Cat dealers
to strengthen each other

With 12,000 employees across 29 countries, Zeppelin Group operates worldwide in construction, energy and industry. However, Patrick and Olaf see many similarities between the former Pon Power and Zeppelin. “Zeppelin is a company with a long tradition and extensive technical expertise,” Patrick says. “In addition, we are a foundation based company. We are not publicly listed and we focus strongly on the long term. That ties in well with the way Pon used to look to the future.”

According to Olaf, this agreement from the start gave a sense of trust. “You could immediately tell that both organizations share the same values. Quality, craftsmanship, and investing in long-term relationships and development were central to both companies. That is why this step felt completely logical.”

The acquisition, as Patrick also explained, was not just about scaling up, but above all about strengthening. “Pon Power and Zeppelin Power were both strong authorized Caterpillar dealers. By bringing our knowledge, experience, and expertise together, we create more opportunities to continue growing and to further develop.”

More knowledge sharing between countries and markets

For Zeppelin Power Netherlands, the collaboration opens up new possibilities. Especially because different countries within Zeppelin have built up their own specialisms.

Olaf: “In the Netherlands, for example, we are particularly strong in shipping and energy solutions, while other countries have extensive experience in industry or other applications. That means you can now make use of each other’s knowledge much more easily. Sometimes a single phone call to a colleague in another country can make all the difference, because they have already carried out a similar project before.”

This international cooperation also plays a role in innovation. According to Patrick, in different countries, similar solutions were sometimes being developed at the same time, without them knowing about each other.

“Now we can share knowledge between countries much more effectively. That means innovations that have already been developed in Sweden, Germany, or Norway can be applied faster in other markets. Especially when it comes to sustainability, energy management, and alternative fuels, this creates many opportunities.”

"Innovations that have already been developed in Sweden, Germany, or Norway can therefore be applied in other markets more quickly."

The same people, more possibilities

Despite the international scale, Olaf emphasized that customers in the Netherlands will primarily continue to recognize the same organization.

“From the start, we say it: a different name, but the same team. Customers keep the same contact persons, the same service, and the same involvement. That does not change. What does change is what is possible behind the scenes.”

According to Olaf, the larger scale helps, for example, with further professionalization of service, support, and knowledge development. “The technology surrounding power supply is becoming increasingly complex. Think of electrification, alternative fuels, aftertreatment, and smart software systems. Precisely because we can now pool knowledge and investments, we can guide customers better through these developments.”

At the same time, service is moving increasingly toward data and predictive maintenance. “Thanks to AI and connectivity, we can support customers more proactively. Maintenance becomes more condition based, so we can predict faults better and limit downtime. In addition, we can provide targeted advice, reports, and quotes more quickly.”

"By bundling our knowledge and investments now, we can guide customers more effectively through these developments."

Grow without losing the local
character

The growth of Zeppelin Power means, according to Patrick, that the company is not becoming more distant. On the contrary, local presence remains important.

“We want to be the company with which customers find it easiest to do business. That requires ongoing investment in service, craftsmanship, and accessibility. Growth must never mean that you lose that personal attention.”

Olaf also emphasizes that point. “Customers often rely on our people for decades already. We want to preserve that local aspect. We may grow bigger, but we still want to stay close to customers, with short lines and fast support.”

Olaf sees the balance between international scale and local involvement as one of the most important challenges for the coming years. “On the front end, everything must continue to feel familiar to customers, while behind the scenes an enormous amount is changing.”

One team within an international organization

Not only customers, but also employees play an important role in the future of Zeppelin Power, according to Patrick and Olaf.

Patrick: “Culture is essential if you want to build one international team. People need to trust the company and the direction you follow. In return, we also rely heavily on our people and assign responsibilities low in the organization.”

Safety, teamwork, and pride in the trade are key themes here. Olaf: “For us, everything starts with safety, both physical and social. In addition, you see a strong mindset within the company to achieve the best result together. And of course there is also the ‘yellow blood’: the pride in Cat and the work we do together.”

Ready for tomorrow's energy challenges

According to Patrick and Olaf, the future is about staying relevant in a market that is constantly changing. The energy transition, digitalisation and increasing complexity of energy systems require ongoing development. To stay ahead, investing in knowledge, innovation and service is essential.

Patrick emphasizes that the scale of Zeppelin offers important opportunities for this. “Thanks to Zeppelin’s scale, we can keep investing in innovation, knowledge, and service. At the same time, we must continue to work efficiently and ensure that our customers benefit from this development.” This creates a strong foundation for sustainable growth.

According to Olaf, customers increasingly expect a partner that thinks along with them when it comes to complete energy requirements. With its knowledge, international cooperation, and years of experience, Zeppelin Power is able to fulfil that role more and more effectively. In particular, the combination of local involvement and international strength is, according to both of them, the biggest strength of the merger.

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