Unknown stories

With the Christmas and New Year celebrations behind us, we’ve had the time to look back on what the past year gave us. It’s good to reflect and be grateful for what we’ve achieved.  At this time of year, it is good to contemplate, to make time for this. In our current society we are often in such a hurry to live life to the full, we’re afraid of missing something. So the secret is not to lose sight of the essence, but to make time for old and new stories.

Our mission statement says that our breeding should lead to an improved return throughout the chain, that is for our growers and retailers, and it also states that our breeding should contribute to an inspiring living environment and a source of pleasure for consumers. Meanwhile, the Dutch hashtag #kwekeringoedemarktpositiebrengen (#puttinggrowersinagoodmarketposition) is being used more and more often. And that’s not just an hollow slogan, that’s what we stand for.

Looking back, we see that we are increasingly in the picture with growers, nationally and internationally, and not just because of our strong genetics.

More important is the fact that we think along with ‘our’ growers, that we actively support them in the cultivation as well as sales and marketing, that we enter into partnerships. Locally and regionally – in the Netherlands and elsewhere. And that we do this with conviction. A conviction that has its roots in the history of our company and a conviction that is vitally important for growth in the future.

The interaction with other partners in the chain has become increasingly strategic and this joint exploration is far from over. In the past year we have learned a great deal about garden centres and the wonderful world of the florists. We have such a wealth of quality in the Netherlands in the ornamental plant sector. And together we can glow with pride that we are making a name for ourselves internationally. Haute couture, the Nobel Prize award ceremony, the Pope’s annual Easter address, the many sports events, everywhere and always, Dutch people are working on the floral decorations, or are closely involved.

We’re talking about people, people who do all this with passion and conviction, because they believe in it, because they see the beauty of plants and flowers. This passion goes from seed or cutting to plant and from there further, further down the chain to the final destination, to the unique consumer who has the ultimate prize. The gold medal, the sum of all that passion added together, all those skilled hands, all that patience, hours, weeks, months or years in which the product has been able to grow into that special creation on the table, in the windowsill or on the patio.

And who is at the middle of all this, the grower of course! Without growers, a breeder or grower of young plants would not have a living. Without growers there would be no auction. Without growers, the florists, top arrangers, garden centres or supermarkets would not have flowers and plants to arrange or sell. Without growers there would be no flowers to decorate the table, no houseplants. Telling and depicting this story, many people don’t know it at all, and it certainly deserves to be told.

And that is what we will be doing much more of this coming year.

The story of…

I wish you all a prosperous and happy 2016

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