Welcome, Guest
Last weekend, December 14, I stood on the cliffs of Nazaré, in Portugal, watching surfers take on the biggest waves in the world.
I remember feeling small.
The ocean was powerful… unpredictable… and honestly, a little frightening.
These waves don’t forgive mistakes.
And yet — people choose to face them.
What moved me most wasn’t just the bravery of the surfers.
It was the trust.
No one paddles into those waves alone.
Behind every surfer is a team — watching the sea, reading the conditions, measuring every detail, communicating constantly… ready to act in a split second if something goes wrong.
Standing there, I realized something:
This is exactly how great things are built
Because April 3rd became one of the most important days in the history of STA Aluminium Components.
Opening our new factory was not just a business milestone.
For me… it was deeply personal.
It represented years of belief, effort, doubt, learning — and above all, people.
When more than 150 customers walked through our doors that day, they didn’t just see a factory.
They felt something.
They were flabbergasted by how we work —
by our team spirit,
by our discipline,
by our pride.
They saw how carefully we measure everything we do — not because we love numbers… but because we care about doing things right.
They saw how we take decisions with courage — even when conditions aren’t perfect.
They saw our flexibility, our ability to adapt and move forward together.
And they saw the result:
A stronger… more productive… more confident STA.
But none of this belongs to machines.
Or buildings.
It belongs to people.
To those who believed when it wasn’t easy.
To those who worked long hours.
To those who solved problems quietly, supported colleagues, and kept going even when the waves felt big.
You are the team on the water.
You are the ones on the jet skis.
You are the ones on the cliffs — watching, protecting, making sure no one is left behind.
Like in Nazaré…
We didn’t conquer the wave alone.
We rode it together.
And now, as the year comes to an end, Christmas gives us something precious.
A moment to stop.
To breathe.
To remember why we do what we do.
Christmas is about warmth in the middle of winter.
Light when the days are shortest.
People standing together — especially when the world feels uncertain.
That… is what I see in STA.
From the bottom of my heart — thank you.
Thank you for your trust.
Thank you for your courage.
Thank you for standing together, wave after wave.
May this Christmas bring peace to your homes,
joy to your families,
and the quiet confidence that — whatever waves come next…
We will face them.
Together.
Merry Christmas. 🎄
Eric Van den Bruel
