Society is in a state of flux. Housing needs are changing rapidly. The customer is more central than ever and social and cultural institutions are under pressure. Torenstad, the Zutphen-based real estate investor, is contributing to the answers to the issues that arise from this. Torenstad is a foundation with a mission to create and preserve sustainably pleasant living environments for the future in good cooperation with partners, municipalities and other stakeholders.
Dennis Borninkhof is team leader for administration at Torenstad and has worked at the foundation for over 16 years. “Since joining Torenstad, I have been working in real estate. I am mainly responsible for the administrative and financial part. But we are a small organization, so other things come to me as well.”
Socially engaged participation
There are a number of characteristics that distinguish Torenstad. Collaborations with other parties is one of them. “We regularly make real estate investments in cooperation with a number of other parties. In addition to these financial participations, we are also involved in taking care of the property management Torenstad further distinguishes itself through social involvement. “A good example is Het Volkshuis in Zutphen. This is a catering establishment where people with a disability or distance to the labor market can find work. Everyone in Zutphen and the surrounding area knows this place. Torenstad supports this initiative by providing a substantial annual rent reduction,” says Borninkhof. All of this makes Torenstad unique.
Eye for monuments
Besides social projects, Torenstad also gives attention to monumental buildings in Zutphen. “With these buildings, with monumental status, it is very important to have respect for the past. We think it is important that these buildings are preserved for posterity. A good example of this is the Luxor theater in Zutphen,” Borninkhof explains.
Looking to the future
Torenstad has several ambitions for the future. One is meeting energy and therefore climate requirements. “By 2023, we want to comply with this with all our buildings. Because of the diversity of our real estate portfolios, however, this requires a different approach for each property. Rebuilding, transforming and even redeveloping are among the possibilities,” says Borninkhof.
Digitizing
Om het property management efficiënter te laten verlopen heeft Torenstad in 2016 een switch gemaakt qua ERP-software en werkt sinds die tijd met Bloxs. “We’ve made a significant digitization effort in recent years and have now been able to actually automate a lot of our work. For my department, that saves an enormous amount of time. The property managers have 24/7 access to all current information via the standard, but also via the reports specific to Torenstad within Bloxs. Torenstad is pleased to have partnered with Bloxs and looks forward to the future with confidence,” says Borninkhof enthusiastically.
About Torenstad
Torenstad operates as an investment company, focusing on real estate. It owns a substantial real estate portfolio and participations in operating companies that are active throughout the Netherlands in the fields of property development, investment, property management and property leasing. In addition, various social and cultural initiatives are supported.
About Bloxs
Within Bloxs Software B.V., innovative software is developed for Real Estate Investment and Property Management Organizations. The products, including a complete SaaS (Software as a Service) based ERP solution, automate real estate processes, generate insight and are easy to use.
This article originally appeared on Vastgoedjournaal.nl
