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Urban Mobility Systems (UMS) in Oss is an engineering company that enables emission-free construction equipment and mobility solutions. In a few years, the company has grown enormously and in the coming years the company will grow much larger, it is expected. That is why many new people are being sought by the most pleasant employer in the Netherlands’ to make that growth possible.

UMS was founded in 2016 by Lars Kool, and rarely has a company owner been so enthusiastic about his company, his product, and his employees: “I just want to show that we have the coolest company in the Netherlands here, where the best people walk around. I am so proud of our team of 60 people who work here. I have people who were at a car dealership for thirty years, they now feel young again. I have mechanics here who worked for another boss for 17 years, and who now work with so much passion and enthusiasm. My employees come from half of the Netherlands to work here. Sometimes they even take their children with them, because they do their work with so much passion and are proud of it.”

Lars Kool is originally a car mechanic and electrical engineer himself and is actually a few years ahead of the rest of the world: “I have been doing this work for a long time, and previously was always hired by companies that had problems, to help them switch to electric. But in 2015, I said to my wife, I’m done with it. They don’t listen, and they don’t share my vision. Then I started for myself, with two mechanics on the Rijnstraat in Oss. However, that grew so fast that within a few months we moved to the Galliersweg. And now we are going to expand again, with a new factory in Arnhem. We would like to add 80 new employees, it is going so well, and this work is so important for the future.”

Energy transition

UMS contributes to the acceleration of the energy transition through qualitative, reliable, scalable and economically feasible solutions. “We build and develop fully electric powertrains for cranes, trucks, shovels and much more. But we don’t just build; We also train inspection bodies, schools and mechanics for the new economy. That is my vision. Because the sooner I can share my knowledge, the sooner the energy transition will go to electric. Look, we are really not going to achieve 2030 with the energy transition, but there will come a time when we will all drive electric.”

Sharing knowledge

The company on the Galliërsweg wants to share knowledge in the field of working safely with high voltage machines in Oss, and far beyond, and therefore also works closely with technical secondary education and higher education trainers such as ROCs and the HAN University of Applied Sciences. “We have 19 ROC schools attached to us. Do you know how cool I think it is to teach teachers, to share my knowledge with them and to have the students here? The are always looking forward to it!.”

Innovation Award

UMS works closely with companies such as Hyundai, DAF, Liebherr and Bobcat: “We are located in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Austria, Sweden, United Kingdom. But also in Utrecht; those City Hubs, they are ours, we have developed them. We have been chosen as one of the CES 2022 Innovation Award winners with the theme ‘tech solutions for a responsible future’. UMS is the most innovative company in Europe. We’re on the Wall of Fame in Las Vegas, at one of the biggest shows in the world, CES. We are an accessible organization and young and old are all mix up here and work here with great pleasure.”

Ed van Wel, workshop manager

Indeed, a tour of the company shows that the now 60 employees work on the product with great pleasure and passion. One of them is Ed van Wel (57), workshop manager. He has only been working at UMS in Oss since the beginning of this year, after having worked elsewhere for 30 years: “I was approached by colleagues who really liked it here and thought it was something for me. They were right. The motivation, commitment and drive that you find here is very contagious. You have everything in-house here, from mechanical to software. Everything is conceived and executed here. If you are looking for work, it is very important that you like the work and the place and the team. The fact that we are so innovative here, that is the best thing we do here. If technology is your thing, you have to be here.”