Craftsmanship as a foundation
One of the most striking aspects of Schoneveld Breeding is the long tenure of its employees. This continuity ensures that knowledge and craftsmanship are preserved – a clear benefit to customers. Hassan Hadid, responsible for growing support in North and South America and the Netherlands, and Regional Manager Huub van Oorspronk, covering Asia, the Middle East and Oceania, each boast long careers at Schoneveld Breeding. Today, they share their expertise with growers across the globe. “Everyone at Schoneveld Breeding thinks from the grower’s perspective – and that’s something people truly value.”
Both Huub and Hassan are in regular contact with their growers – even if they’re on the other side of the world. Hassan explains, “For example, I have an online meeting every three to four weeks with growers in North America. I can virtually walk through their greenhouses with them and discuss the latest developments. It allows me to offer tailored support, even from a distance.”
Always close at hand
This digital way of working means Schoneveld Breeding’s expertise is always within reach – anytime, anywhere. It’s a huge advantage for successful partnerships. Huub adds, “I spend a lot of time on WhatsApp. Growers often contact me for advice – how to handle a disease, how many weeks to flowering, or how to increase their returns. Most of the time, I can offer support that very same day.”
That advice always focuses on the most effective cultivation methods, with the goal of making crops as resilient as possible – and using less chemical input as a result. The less chemistry needed, the better. “Our genetics are naturally resilient and our products grow compactly,” Hassan says. “That means growers don’t need as many growth regulators, making the cultivation process smoother overall.”
Breeding never stands still
Easy cultivation is at the heart of what Schoneveld Breeding offers its growers – and there’s always room for improvement. “Take the Super Serie Verano Cyclamen,” says Huub. “It’s been around for decades and is the leading mini-series in terms of volume. Yet today’s Verano is completely different from the one we had ten years ago.” Schoneveld Breeding’s breeders are constantly innovating – introducing new colours, stronger flower stems, improved resilience and greater uniformity.
“Listening closely to growers helps us develop the best genetics to suit their needs,” says Hassan. Huub agrees: “A series is never truly finished. We keep developing based on what growers are asking for.” Hassan gives the example of the Primula Paradiso: “It’s far more environmentally friendly to grow, requiring little to no growth regulators. For years, our breeding has focused on cultivating crops in a natural way. We breed for disease tolerance, compact growth and uniform build.”
“Our new Gerbera jamesonii, Joybera, is another great example of our grower-focused approach,” he adds. “Joybera is very uniform in growth and flowering. It’s a compact plant, and growers can harvest 90% of the crop in one go – saving them both time and money.”
Knowledge sharing and collaboration
Alongside its innovative product development, Schoneveld Breeding is heavily invested in sharing knowledge. Huub and Hassan regularly visit growers, meet them online, and provide webinars and seminars. “We don’t keep knowledge to ourselves,” says Hassan. “We conduct many trials – both at our own facilities and on location with growers. The insights we gain are shared directly with our network.”
Openness is key for both Huub and Hassan. “We’re always easy to reach. And just look at our facility in Wilp – it’s literally open. You can see every part of our operations, and we’re always happy to offer tours.” This transparency and constant drive for improvement are appreciated not only by customers, but by employees as well. Long careers are the norm, which means deep expertise builds up within the company – and growers benefit from that, too. Huub concludes, “No matter what we’re talking about – it always comes back to the grower.”