GROW - Floraholland

GROW
nr. 2
April 2016
Royal FloraHolland's magazine
for members and buyers
“Convenience,
that's a trend”
Steef van Adrichem
Orchid farm
Anco pure Vanda
Theme: The
marketplace
that is Royal
FloraHolland
Visit the
Greenhouse
event attracts
205,000 people
Column
GROW
1
What’s driving
Exquisite
Tulip
Mania in
Holland
The tulip (Latin: tulipa) is genus of bulbous plants in
the lily family, so-called monocots. The ambassador
to emperor Ferdinand I in Turkey introduced tulips
to the western world. In letters, he described the
flowers he had seen in Edirne in Turkey in the year
1551. The cultivation of tulips in Europe started when
a shipload of tulip bulbs arrived in Antwerp in 1562.
In the seventeenth century tulips became excessively
popular. It became a craze, a ’Tulip Mania’ that
affected a lot of Dutch citizens and reached its peak
in 1636/1637. From about 1630 onward tulips became
suspect to speculation and the trade in tulips and
tulip bulbs took off in a big way. Many traders
wanted to get in on the action and sometimes paid
all they owned for one single bulb.
Lucas Vos
Ambition
Marco van Zijverden,
CEO of the Dutch
Flower Group
“I want to bring out the best in people”
p4
p 12
Points of view
Rose grower
Tom Meewisse
“Veiling Rhein-Maas is pretty
unique”
p 25
Editorial
Illustration from
’Tulpenboek’
(Book of Tulips),
circa 1648,
belonging to
the Frans Hals
Museum in
Haarlem, the
Netherlands.
Acquired with
the aid of the
Rembrandt
Foundation.
The central theme of this edition of GROW is the
marketplace. Your flowers and your plants are
traded worldwide via the marketplace of Royal
FloraHolland. We are a dynamic and a physical as
well as a virtual marketplace where trade, knowledge
and innovation converge. Here, our buyers and
members meet and conduct business. This edition
contains several articles that have a direct link to
our marketplace. Our CEO Lucas Vos explains, for
instance, why he regards the marketplace as a nerve
centre. And you can read how we can further improve
the marketplace by means of reliable product
information and representative product photos.
Let GROW inspire you!
Cross-fertilisation
At the Florist Event, there were
some inspiring demos by floral
stylist Geertje Stienstra. “You
really do need each other in the
floriculture sector.”
p 26
The road to 2020
News
Big data
Insights
Globetrotter
Trends
Service
Calendar
Colophon
6
10
16
18
20
28
30
31
31
What’s driving
Lucas Vos
The central theme of this edition of GROW is the
marketplace. According to Lucas Vos, CEO of Royal
FloraHolland, the marketplace has become something of
a hot item. “Everybody wants a piece of the virtual world.
The good thing is that only one party can rule this world
as far as flowers and plants are concerned. That party is
Royal FloraHolland, together with all its members and
buyers. Why? Because we can supply all these products. So
many companies try to launch their own digital platforms.
We should use established marketplaces and export our
products using the look and feel of Royal FloraHolland.
Let them come by here for a beauty contest. We must act
swiftly in this matter.
We should also carefully consider how to get our buyers
on board, for they all have online stores of their own. Will
there be rivalry? The underlying problem: the chain of
trade is being shortened. No one knows what tomorrow’s
world will bring. What I do know, is that it’s to the benefit
of our buyers if we concentrate all the supply that’s out
there in one spot. As it is, a lot of buyers have direct
links with individual growers. That’s a lot of hassle. As a
marketplace, Royal FloraHolland can be the liaison in these
matters."
Balancing between pull and push
Lucas touches on the physical marketplace, the most visible
tool of our cooperative. “The New Auctioning will produce
a blueprint in the first quarter of this year. I am most
pleased with the way communication with our members
4
GROW
what’s driving lucas vos
Lucas Vos sees
opportunities for the
marketplace: “Royal
FloraHolland can
be a nerve centre.
Buyers benefit if we
concentrate all the
supply that’s out there
in one spot.”
and buyers is going. Everybody seems to see the necessity
for change by now. The solution will lie in cutting the
connection between logistics and the moment of the actual
sale. So, it will either boil down to auctioning off-nursery
or a system of day trading. Or, maybe, some intermediate
solution. However, it is paramount we protect the smaller
growers. When we opt solely for the pull, we’ll lose them.
We should find a balanced solution, a balance between
push and pull. And then wait and see how that pans out in
the coming years. It would be great if we could streamline
the logistics, if only because of the cost reduction."
According to Lucas buyers could further consolidate their
positions. “At the moment we have 1,500 buyers that are
scarcely able to differentiate. Buyers certainly ponder the
question what constitutes added value. They cannot claim
the assortment; Royal FloraHolland has that. Therefore
the question is: how can buyers create added value for
consumers? I am convinced this will lead to consumers
making choices. That is something I would like to talk over
with our clients."
“Royal
FloraHolland,
as a
marketplace,
can be the
nerve centre"
what’s driving lucas vos
GROW
5
The road to 2020
Designing
the future
together:
the New
Auctioning
What will the future hold for the
auction process? That’s what we
want to discuss at the regional
meetings. An excellent opportunity
for our members to once again share
their thoughts on the future of the
marketplace. Our buyers will get
the change to do the same at the
gatherings in May.
“The previous meetings with members and buyers
provided us with a lot of input.“ This is Ronald Teerds
speaking, programme director of the New Auctioning.
“For a large part, that is due to the high turnout.
At some point there were over a hundred people
present at the meeting in Rijnsburg. There’s a high
level of interest - with good reason. And what’s more,
everyone is on the ball and constantly contributing.
With lots of insights and information as a result.”
Contribute!
Disconnecting commerce and logistics
“We provided our members and buyers with four
thought-lines: Emotion, Central mechanisation, Focus
on direct and Off-nursery. There’s general agreement
we should sever the connection between commerce
and logistics. That way, we can improve the logistics
of the marketplace. Direct sales are undoubtedly here
to stay, as 75 per cent of growers plan to sell less via
clock auctions and more via direct sales. This implies
we should turn our attention to Focus on direct and
Off-nursery.
But how? These past three months we worked out
how by processing all the input members and buyers
6
GROW
The road to 2020
provided us with. And by substantiating our findings
with data, to the very best of our abilities. We even
brought in external expertise. By doing so, we’re
sure to be as thorough and objective as we possibly
can be. Eventually, this will result in a blueprint: a
broad outline of what the future could look like. The
three central themes are the system of transactions,
logistics and the clock auction.”
“These next weeks we’ll be asking members and
buyers to once again share their thoughts“, Ronald
continues. “It’s vital and valuable to have this kind of
direct dialogue. Time and time again, this proves to
be the case. We need each other badly if we wish to
build a future for the marketplace. Therefore I hope
everyone will join in. So, if you want to know what we
did with your earlier input, and if you’d like to voice
your opinion again, this is the time to do it. Attend one
of the meetings and share your thoughts. I cannot
stress this enough.“ ←
Designing the future
These past months, the team behind the project
’the New Auctioning’ has been in contact
with about 1,200 people at eighteen regional
meetings for members and eight meetings for
buyers, in the Netherlands as well as abroad.
Will you be joining the discussion this spring?
You’ll find the latest on this topic on our website,
www.royalfloraholland.com/hetnieuweveilen.
When will there be a regional meeting in your
area?
Below, you’ll find a small number of scheduled
meetings, and on page 31 of this edition of
GROW you’ll find a larger selection. A full list is
available on our website royalfloraholland.com.
All meetings start at 4.00 p.m.
Tuesday, April 26: Royal FloraHolland Rijnsburg,
reception room
Monday, May 2: Café Bleeker Heerhugowaard
Tuesday, May 3: Royal FloraHolland Naaldwijk
Fleurcenter, presentation room 6.16
The road to 2020
GROW
7
The road to 2020
Learning
by doing:
trials in China
“The gift box is essential,
for Chinese customers
want to see the wrapping
at every stage.”
Guido de Wit
WFE programme director
The 2020 programme World Flower
Exchange is making progress
on the Chinese market. By now
WFE is running a number of
trials in Chinese supermarkets
and an online groceries service.
These activities provide valuable
information about Chinese
consumers, conducting business in
China and the logistics involved.
’Learning by doing’, that’s our motto as we try to feel
our way into the Chinese market. “We’re trying to
open up the Chinese market for flowers from Holland.
If a step we take seems to work, we’ll take the next
step in that direction. That goes for the trials we’re
running too”, says Guido de Wit, programme director
of the WFE. In the first two quarters of the year there’ll
be trials in several supermarkets and on a number
of e-commerce platforms. WFE will be looking for
answers to many questions. Will a Chinese consumer
buy Dutch flowers, for instance? And if he does, via
what sales channel? What impediments are there
to doing business in China? How does a Chinese
consumer prefer to present flowers to someone? “The
essential point is that this country has huge potential,
because of its size and the number of its inhabitants.
For now, we’re focussing on Shanghai, where people
on average have enormous purchasing power. It has
great potential.”
Day, an important celebratory day in March, which
lead to the sale of large quantities of flowers, partly
due to special marketing campaigns. WFE teamed
up with another campaign promoting cosmetics and
offered female consumers discount on a bouquet
of flowers. The commercial extensively showed an
exclusive gift box together with a bouquet. We set
up a production line especially for this trial, with ten
Chinese workers arranging the flowers. These workers
received training from our colleagues in Shanghai.
“The gift box is essential, for Chinese customers want
to see the wrapping at every stage.
Because of these results WFE will continue the trials
with e-commerce in China. In May, there are two
more opportunities: Mother’s Day and I Love You
Day - a new special day that invites Chinese couples,
married and unmarried, to (re)declare their love for
each other.”
how far in the flowering process should the flowers
be? “As it is, the Chinese like to get their flowers
when they are at their prettiest - in full bloom, and
therefore nearly done blooming. And they set great
store by the colours and the deeper meaning of the
flower. They’re starting to develop an interest in the
flowering process now, so that’s something we try to
stimulate. Chinese consumers know next to nothing
about flowers, and we’d like to show them the beauty
of a flower coming into bloom. Another thing is the
Chinese sensitivity to environmental matters, so we
should point out flowers are a great natural product.”
Royal Flora Holland will evaluate the WFE programme
in the third quarter of 2016. ←
Interested in flowering
Women’s day
Guido states WFE is running trials in supermarkets
such as Metro and Lianhua, and on e-commerce
platforms such as YiHaoDian, a subsidiary of
Walmart. This spring the trials focused on Women’s
8
GROW
The road to 2020
One of the things we discovered during the trials
is that the Chinese like to know where the flowers
they’re buying came from. “Therefore it should
say clearly on the wrapping that these are flowers
from Holland.” Timing is also very important, for
The road to 2020
GROW
9
News
History
Visit the
Greenhouse
The largest public event in
Dutch horticulture is ’Visit the
Greenhouse’, which on the 2nd
and 3rd of April 2016 was held for
the 39th time. This year’s theme
was ’Horticulture is fascinating’.
The international horticultural
event Floriade, held in Rotterdam
in 1960, got the general population
interested in horticulture. It gave
rise to the idea to give people
access to actual greenhouses.
This led to the opening up of
greenhouses, for a few days, in
the mid-sixties in the Westland, a
newly developed region with a lot of
greenhouse horticulture. The idea
was picked up by other regions and
continued to spread. As of 1977, the
event is called Visit the Greenhouse
(in Dutch: Kom in de Kas).
Growers’ enthusiasm
Growth
205,000 visitors
It’s an event that welcomes one
and all, but mainly attracts
young families and pensioners.
In 2002, the 25th anniversary of
Visit the Greenhouse, it ranked
eighth on the list of national
events, receiving a recordbreaking 228,000 visitors. Ever
since that year, the number of
visitors varies between this peak
and 201,000. This year the event
attracted 205,000 people - the
lovely spring weather probably
helped to raise the numbers.
10
GROW
News
“In the early years we had to make do
with a very low budget”, recalls the
former chairman of Visit the Greenhouse,
Wim van Delft. “After 1990, when I
became chairman, we managed to get
some sponsors and we could afford to
advertise and pay someone to design
a logo for us. It’s a great way to show
everybody what you have to offer. I for
one will certainly visit this event again.”
Why is Visit the Greenhouse so successful an event? The secret lies
in the enthusiasm of the growers themselves, surely, all those in
sixteen different regions who open up their company buildings to the
general public. The start of this year’s nationwide event took place
at the 31th of March at Bunnik Vriesea’s in Kudelstaart. Some 125
primary school students got a grand tour and learned how to grow
the best possible bromeliad. After the tour they participated in an
adventure game and finally were asked to solve a giant jigsaw puzzle
to symbolically kick off Visit the Greenhouse 2016.
Finances
Today’s sponsors are:
Royal FloraHolland,
pressure group GroentenFruit
Huis, Interpolis, Rabobank en
Bayer CropScience.
News
GROW
11
Ambition
“I wasn’t
supposed
to go into the
flower trade”
•Marco van Zijverden
celebrates his 54th birthday
on the 29th of April. He was
born in Kudelstaart and
now resides in Aalsmeer
•Motto: Making Life
Colourful. Do things that
bring colour to your life and
the lives of others.
•Treasured values: Respect
voor elkaar. Bring out the
best in people.
•In 2015 he was awarded the
prestigious title EY Master
Entrepreneur of the Year.
12
GROW
Ambition
Marco van Zijverden is the CEO
of the Dutch Flower Group (DFG),
an incomparable family business
consisting of thirty specialised
trading companies that deal in
cut flowers, bouquets, plants and
decorative greenery. His father
told him not to get into the flower
business, but ’to learn a proper
trade’. Now, many years later,
Marco is in charge of an international
trading company that has a turnover
of 1.4 billion euros selling flowers
and plants. →
Ambition
What is the Dutch Flower Group?
The Dutch Flower Group is a
merger between two exporting
companies: OZ Group, founded in
1959 by the Zijverden family from
Aalsmeer, and the Van Duijn Groep,
founded in 1969 by the Van Duijn
family from Honselersdijk. The two
companies merged because both
managements felt that joining
forces would improve the chance
to fulfil their ambitions.
Blood is very often thicker than water. It’s the same with
Marco and his link to horticulture. “My grandfather was
a rose breeder. My father wasn’t too keen on growing
and went into the flower trade instead. He started
off with just one client in Germany, but that proved
to be the foundation for the OZ Group. I myself was
never meant to work in this sector. My father always
said, ’Learn a proper trade, like lawyer of surgeon.’
I went to college and studied at Nyenrode Business
University. It may be fate, it may be coincidence, but
I still ended up in the flower trade. I think a flower is a
wonderful product, and I like to deal with growers. And
in my career I managed to get a taste of all aspects
of the job, including buying at the clock auction and
wrapping flowers.” Just as Marco graduated in 1986,
the American dollar plummeted. OZ Export suffered,
for the company depended on trade with the United
States. “Therefore my father asked me to devise a
plan to get the company back on track financially,
14
GROW
Ambition
and to subsequently execute that plan. In 1993, me
and my brother Jaco took over OZ Export, and in 1999
we merged with the Van Duijn Groep, run by Art and
Jaap van Duijn, to become the Dutch Flower Group.”
Bringing out the best in people
What’s Marco’s ambition? “We want to be the finest
company in the international field of horticulture, and
indefinitely remain the finest company. A company
where people like to work, where they can blossom
and grow.” What’s driving Marco personally is the
wish to bring out the best in his employees. “I like to
help others to shine. After all, you can’t do everything
yourself. If employees truly have potential, I want
to bring out the best in them. People adhering to
this philosophy helped build this company to what
it is today. You have to rely for 90 per cent on your
gut feeling to find the right people. No matter how
impressive a CV is, there has to be a click.”
“Everyone in this
company must be
willing to share his
knowledge and
wisdom”
The time for action is now
Royal FloraHolland sees the Dutch Flower Group
as an important partner in establishing the 2020
strategy. Are there more reasons why the Dutch
Flower Group is so important to Royal FloraHolland?
“We buy quite a lot. Also, we are members of the
customer panel.”
Is there anything Royal FloraHolland should give a
higher priority to, according to Marco? “The time
for action is now. Without any changes, RFH will
significantly lose revenue from 2017 onwards, and
maybe even lose members. I told Lucas Vos as
much. The New Auctioning must be implemented.
The current system of auctioning is too expensive.
I’m okay with the principle of the clock auction,
but you cannot reduce your costs by 15 per cent
in 2020 if you keep using the clocks and systems
you’re using now. Please pull the plug on the physical
clocks. Or switch to auctioning off-nursery, that
should save a lot of money. The RFH management
will have to take that step together with the
supervisory board. It’s impossible to get all members
on board when it comes to this kind of radical
decision. Yes, you need popular support, but at some
point someone has to force the issue. If you don’t,
you’ll fall behind.” ←
Ambition
GROW
15
Export to
Germany
on the wane →
–3,8 %
Export total
Top 10 Garden plants exported to Germany
Pe
tu 2 %
nia
To get a complete overview of the
diminishing export to Germany, GROW
interviewed RFH market specialist
Bettina Denker. Check it out on our
website www.royalfloraholland.com
Hy
dr
an 2 %
ge
a
Ca
rn 2 %
at
ion
Os
te
os
s
2 % gete
Ta
er
2 % vend
La
ry
ne
ree
eg
tiv
3 % cora
De
pe
rm 5 %
um
12 %her
Ot
Pe
–12,6 %
Top 3 Most popular presents
lar
g
2
ge oniu 1 %
ra
niu m/
m
13 % la
Vio
Plants
Plants
2015
€580,848,000
2014
€664,598,000
14%
11%
9%
Top 10 Cut flowers exported to Germany
3 %
Sunflower
5 %
Gerbera
2 %
Chrysanthemum
2 %
3 %
Carnation
Lily
2 %
Daffodil
3 %
Amaryllis
Am
Ch
3
me %
n
an
th
em 5 %
um
il
2 % ffod
Da
Ph
ra
3 % rbe
Ge
5
Ro %
se
2015
€976,357,000
2014
€976,332,000
Consumption value
flowers
ar 2 %
yll
is
Cy
cla
rys
Cut flowers
19 %
Other
15 %
Tulip
Top 10 Houseplants exported to Germany
th
4 % acin
Hy
5 % her
Ot
e
ho
ala
16
op %
sis
en
7 % lanc
Ka
Consumption value plants
46 %
Rose
€5,019,000,000 €4,851,000,000
2015
2014
16
GROW
big data
€2,168,000,000
2014
Data: Floridata, consumer panel Royal FloraHolland, Flower Council of Holland
€2,009,000,000
2015
big data
GROW
17
Insights
Reliable growers’
information is essential
The reliability of the product information our
members supply is often not up to scratch. It became
the responsibility of the growers themselves after
Royal FloraHolland halted its inspections in 2015.
Clients meanwhile demand accurate information
and call for significant improvements.
GROW talks it over with Royal
FloraHolland’s manager
commercial operations Aad van
den Enden and quality manager
Petra Schrikkema. Aad: “At this
point, the year after, we find things
do not work as we would like
them to. This is starting to affect
all of the chain. Clients notice
they sometimes get second-rate
products, while they paid for A1
quality. And often they’ll leave
it be, since they’re strapped for
time. Complaining about it means
having to send back the goods,
which takes up time and labour.
On top of that, they’ll have nothing
to ship out. All and all, the quality
system is creaking. In direct sales,
things are not that bad. In this case
the growers themselves can be held
responsible for the reliability of
their information.”
Devaluation of classification
Because of these developments,
the classification of products loses
its worth, Aad points out. “A1 isn’t
necessarily A1 anymore (the highest
quality label, followed by A2 and
B1). No one forces people to stick
to the quality system. This leads
to some growers trying to get all
18
GROW
insights
of their products labelled as A1.
The suggestion it’s a good product
can be made because there’s no
adequate control anymore.”
Lower prices
At the moment, Royal FloraHolland
can only keep track of complaints
that do get made. In 2016, this
concerns 1.4 per cent of all lots
brought to auction. In 2015, it was
1.5 per cent. This could be a small
improvement instigated by more
strict intervention measures per
January 1, 2016. Petra: “But it’s just
the tip of the iceberg. We’re in a
downward spiral. Some buyers
know full well it’s not really A1.
They’ll end up paying a lower price
because they have to incorporate
the costs. A large group of buyers
that aren’t in the know about the
quality of the growers’ products at
present pay too much.”
Structural improvements
How to solve this quality problem,
according to Aad and Petra? “We
need a structural improvement
to stop the downward spiral.”
The team for quality intervention
was launched in the summer
of 2015 and is starting to show
results, but it’s sadly not enough
to improve overall quality. And we
can’t go back to the old system of
inspections by RFH, Petra states,
because the costs are too high.
Targeted inspections
“The project ’100 per cent reliable
product information’ has started
by now and we expect it will lead
to some firm measures”, Petra
Schrikkema explains. “In the short
term, we’ll expand the intervention
team, for we plan to introduce
extra inspections of the seasonal
products. We’ll pick out a specific
group of seasonal products, and
have targeted inspections at the
beginning and the end of the
season. The team will help growers
not to slip up. And the team will
take steps if a grower intentionally
supplies incorrect information. That
could include the refusal to auction
the products.” ←
“Royal FloraHolland
should take stronger
measures. If this leads
to your product being
degraded from A1 to
B1, maybe that will
help bring home the
message.”
Marcel van der Voort
Van Schie Potlelies Honselersdijk
“It’s too bad Royal FloraHolland
has been cutting back on
quality inspections these past
years. The overall quality is
degrading. As the owner of a
trading company, I have firsthand experience. Growers are
messing with the system of
classification, trying to find
some wiggle room. Worse still,
it’s the consumer that gets the
wrong end of the stick, as the
flowers and plants he buys will
be lower in quality.”
Cees Heemskerk
Heemskerk Rijnsburg
“It’s the buyer that suffers when growers get
careless or sloppy. It’s important buyers should
be in a position to rate growers. And that rating
should have some consequences.”
Ronald Brand
Groep Flore, trade division
“At the moment a lot of the products
on offer have invalid growers’
information attached. This is bad
for the purchasing process of the
buyers and bad for average pricing.”
Peter van Gijlswijk
Quattro Plant
insights
GROW
19
Globetrotter
This returning section features objects from all
over the world, providing they have a direct link to
international horticulture and Royal FloraHolland.
Drive Monceau Fleurs: choosing flowers
from the comfort of your car seat
At the Drive Monceau Fleurs you can order flowers while sitting
in your car. It’s the latest brainchild of Monceau Fleurs, a large
chain of French florists, based on self-service. The Drive uses
the same principle as a fast-food drive-in. A customer drives
up to an electronic order point, chooses what he likes - what
kind of bouquet, composition, colour, flowers - and can proceed
directly to the counter, where he can collect his order and
pay. The Drive was opened only recently for a trial run at a
Monceau store in La Garde, in the south of France.
Iranian New Year and the hyacinth
The Iranian feast Noruz (or Nauruz) celebrates
both spring and New Year at approximately the
21th of March and lasts no less than thirteen days.
During this celebration, people practice Haft-Seen,
a custom that requires you to put seven symbolic
items on your table. According to tradition every
item has to start with the letter ’s’ in Farsi, and one
of the standard items is the hyacinth. This flower,
to Iranians, symbolizes spring and the sky. Other
standard items on the table are a mirror, coins and
a goldfish. The celebration starts on the first day of
spring, when the sun is directly above the equator.
Noruz is the most important feast of the year in Iran.
During Noruz people clean their houses thoroughly
and decorate them with flowers, garlands and all
kinds of beautiful things.
Floriculture in Vietnam is blooming
Vietnam is very much an exporting country.
Most crops can be grown year-round, thanks to
the climate. Furthermore, this Asian country has
infrastructural benefits, with airways, highways and
fairly fast seaways connecting it to neighbouring
countries. This is why Vietnam has a lot of potential.
The majority of nurseries are situated in Lam Dong,
Dong Thap, Sapa, Moc Chau, Hanoi and Ho Chi
Minh City. The flowers that they produce are mainly
chrysanthemums, roses, gladioli, and carnations.
Dong Thap province is an important flower
producing area and sells a lot of its produce to Ho
Chi Minh City. Both regions plan to radically improve
their floriculture when it comes to (sustainable)
production, the sales channels, extending the
20
GROW
globetrotter
Plant Bag clears the air
assortment and trying to establish one of the cities
as the ’City of Flowers’. From 2014 onward investors
from Japan and Taiwan started setting up nurseries
in Vietnam. Part of what they produce there is
exported (mainly) to Japan. In 2014, export sales to
Japan already amounted to about 20 million euros
worth.
From a Belgian horticultural magazine - The Plant
Bag is a backpack containing plants. A fanning
system leads the air through a root-filled growth
medium. The purified air arrives at the mouth via
a collar or a scarf. The Plant Bag got first prize at
a design competition that called for solutions to
air pollution. Marnix de Kroon, student of strategic
product design at the Delft University of Technology,
is one of the designers. So, why the Plant Bag? “Air
quality is often poor, not only in countries such as
China, but here in Holland as well. This could be a
solution.”
Points of view
The marketplace of Royal FloraHolland in all its
aspects. A story about the extra marketplace
Veiling Rhein-Maas; more and more Royal
FloraHolland growers sell their products there.
Rose grower Tom Meewisse tells us why. Also
there’s a story from the perspective of one
of our buyers, Heemskerk Flowers, about the
importance of reliable product photos.
Auctioneer Jeroen van Sprang has been part of Royal
FloraHolland for the last fifteen years. His workplace
is usually the clock auction for plants in Naaldwijk.
His roots lie in Boskoop, an area with many tree
nurseries, so he knows all about horticulture. He tells
about the changes happening in our marketplace.
There’s the introduction of presale clock auctioning,
for instance.
According to Jeroen, it’s a success. The grower has
to do little. One third of the supplied goods can be
offered via FloraMondo. So now the possibility of
buying 24/7 has become a reality. The advantage
is that small quantities can be bought at a price
determined by the supplier. At the moment we see
on average a 10 per cent price increase for lots sold
via presale clock auctioning.
“The biggest change in
the marketplace is the
platform FloraMondo,
that started the process
of digitalization.”
Jeroen van Sprang
Auctioneer plant clock
Naaldwijk
22
GROW
Column
“Presale clock
auctioning is a
success”
Changes in the clock auction for plants
The last couple of years, sales via the clock auction
have gone down. That’s a fact. According to Jeroen,
the plant clock is not affected as much as the flower
clock. The significant decline in clock volumes
happens primarily in the flower trade because of the
increase in direct sales. This trend isn’t as strong in
the plant trade. The auctioneer does notice growers
often use the plant clock to get rid of residual
quantities. “That means a surplus can be disruptive.
When this occurs, we try to reach an arrangement
with growers that supply an excessive amount. It
happens every now and then, for some product
groups suffer from overproduction. I sometimes
wonder if growers know who they produce their goods
for.”
The Russian market
JJeroen illustrates this with a development on the
Russian market. “A few years ago the upper range
of plants could be sold there, giving sales a boost.
The price was no consideration at all. That time has
passed. Dutch traders now buy a cheaper range of
products, because of the developments in Russia.
An alternative market isn’t easily found.” This is
why Jeroen thinks that opening up new markets, an
ambitious goal of Royal FloraHolland’s strategy 2020,
is a very good idea. Also, there’s the New Auctioning,
a programme that’s extremely important in regard to
preparing for the future, according to Jeroen.
Responsibilities for growers
What are the biggest changes within Royal
FloraHolland to our marketplace? Jeroen points
to the process of digitalization that was set in
motion by the launch of the platform FloraMondo.
The auctioneer cannot help but notice some
growers haven’t embraced the digital era yet. Royal
FloraHolland has a part to play in this, Jeroen
states. “We have to tell it like it is. We have always
been used to helping everybody out. Now we must
give the suppliers more responsibilities. We can’t
do everything anymore. An entrepreneur should be
able to profit from the opportunities our cooperative
offers.” Jeroen realises that some growers are
traditionalists. “They often don’t know how to move
with the times.” ←
“A representative product photo
should be mandatory”
Showing good product photos in the dealing rooms is
vital. Many growers, in practice, don’t deliver reliable
or representative product photos. This is the view of
René Egberts, purchasing manager of the trading
company Heemskerk Flowers.
For a number of years now, René has been working
from the dealing room in Rijnsburg. He notices many
growers don’t supply reliable or representative
photos. It’s a serious situation indeed. “Growers
should realise the importance. They want the
highest price for their products, but apparently are
not prepared to do everything it takes to earn that
money.”
What is the importance of a good product photo?
“It shows the maturity of the product. That matters,
especially with the summer season approaching. The
flowering of the hydrangea for instance differs from
day to day. Therefore, a new photo of the product
should be supplied every day. Royal FloraHolland now
leaves the responsibility for this to the growers, and
consequently nothing happens.”
Mandatory
The purchasing manager thinks that Royal
FloraHolland has been too lax for too long. He
recommends taking stronger measures against
those growers that don’t abide by the rules. “I even
think a representative photo of the product should
be mandatory.” The Heemskerk Flowers employee
indicates that the trading company itself takes
care to provide decent pictures of all the products it
exports. “That’s how it should be in the dealing room
too. I don’t think growers can use ’lack of time’ as a
valid excuse.” According to René, product photos are
especially bad as far as plants are concerned. “70
to 80 per cent of the photos leave to be desired. The
growth stage is often depicted incorrectly. And mixed
plants frequently don’t look like the photograph at
all.”
The trust of the buyer
Any more messages René wishes to give to Royal
FloraHolland? “Well, representative product photos
should have been made mandatory prior to the
introduction of image auctioning. If RFH wants us
to switch to Remote Buying (KOA), reliable product
photos are simply essential.”
René does feel that if growers start providing up-to-
“At the moment,
product photos of
plants often show
the wrong growth
stage.”
René Egberts
Purchase manager
Heemskerk Flowers
date product photos, buyers will start trusting the
information. Which will possibly lead to more Remote
Buying.
Buying everything at the auction
Finally, what does René see as the big advantage of
buying in a dealing room as opposed to buying at
the clock auction? “Buyers can purchase all of their
products at all auctions, that’s the big advantage.
Also, in the dealing room the lines of communication
within the company are very short. Communicating
is a breeze. Our buyers could never run around every
morning in three different auction halls to assess the
flowers. That’s why the availability of representative
product photos is so important.”
The response of Eric Velthuijzen, manager
operational auctioning: “Royal FloraHolland thinks
signals from buyers should be taken seriously. That is
why we already started a project that should ensure
every product has a product photo supplied with it.”
See also the article on page 18 of this magazine. ←
Points of view
GROW
23
Perspectieven
“Our auction
provides growers
with access to a
huge market.”
Ruud Knorr
CEO Veiling Rhein-Maas
Gateway to Germany:
Veiling Rhein-Maas
Veiling Rhein-Maas in Herongen (Germany) is part of
the marketplace of Royal FloraHolland. What are the
advantages of this German auction for our growers?
“We are the gateway to Germany”, CEO Ruud Knorr
explains.
breeders in Germany is different. “Here, for instance,
Avalanche+ can be auctioned when the ’quota’ for
the Netherlands is reached. Germany has a different
policy and therefore more product differentiation.
For example, in Germany they breed shorter roses in
terms of the length of the stems.”
In 2011 the activities of cooperative Landgard (two
branches in Germany) and Royal FloraHolland Venlo
have been combined in Veiling Rhein-Maas. An
important reason for merging the three locations was
that both buyers and growers from the region were
in favour of concentrating all available supply in one
location. This would lead in all likelihood to a better
balance between supply and demand. Consequently
prices should stabilize and costs should be lower.
For members of Royal FloraHolland, Veiling RheinMaas is an interesting option because it’s an extra
marketplace in Germany, according to Ruud. “You
can reach your market in no time at all. The logistics
are excellent, so the products get transported to
the Ruhr region in a flash, where there are a lot
of consumers. This ensures better sales for our
members. Our auction provides growers with access
to a huge market.”
Autonomous price development
Because the three auctions have merged, so has the
price development. Therefore Veiling Rhein-Maas is an
international marketplace with an autonomous price
development. To make a comparison with Holland,
Knorr draws our attention to what happens to the
prices around Valentine’s Day. “Aalsmeer peaks eight
days before the 14th of February, but we peak just four
days before Valentine.”
A large number of growers that supply the Veiling
Rhein-Maas come from Brabant and Limburg, but
the auction has many suppliers from other parts of
the Netherlands as well. “This means our auction
contributes to the turnover of both cooperatives: Royal
FloraHolland and Landgard.” What would the world
of ornamental horticulture look like without Veiling
Rhein-Maas? “It would be a bit more dull”, Ruud laughs.
“We are the vanilla sauce on the apple strudel.” ←
Enormous consumer market
Knorr points out that 17 million people live in
Nordrhein-Westfalen alone, as much as in the whole
of the Netherlands. German consumers spend
over 8,5 billion euros a year on flowers and plants.
“The consumer market is enormous.” An additional
advantage of selling via Veiling Rhein-Maas for
a grower is the fact that the issuance policy of
Total turnover Veiling Rhein-Maas and percentage of
RFH growers.
24
GROW
Points of view
2011: €278,944,000
RFH growers supplied 47.2%
2015: €321,780,846
RFH growers supplied 57.2%
Contented
rose grower
happy with Veiling
Rhein-Maas
Tom Meewisse and his father Aad Meewisse, rose
growers from Bergschenhoek, started two years ago
with supplying Grand Prix to Veiling Rhein-Maas.
A major supplier quit the business, so they could
fill that empty slot. Later on Tom stopped growing
Grand Prix and switched to Red Naomi.
So now he not only sends his roses to Royal
FloraHolland Aalsmeer, but also to Veiling RheinMaas. Why? “The price development is handled well
here. You have to pay a little extra for the transport
though. It’s a totally different market.”
As a comparison Tom indicates that exporters in
Aalsmeer, as special ’flower days’ draw near, usually
buy their products two weeks in advance at the
clock auction. This means rose prices reach their
peak in Aalsmeer a week before they peak at Veiling
Rhein-Maas. This is due to the fact that the auctions
differ greatly: Aalsmeer is aimed at exporting goods,
whereas Herongen is an auction where a lot of
retailers buy their products. “Only when the price
in Aalsmeer begins to drop, we start sending a little
more to Veiling Rhein-Maas. Both auctions have a
set group of buyers.”
Unique place
What is, according to the rose grower, the main
advantage of having an extra marketplace at hand?
“Veiling Rhein-Maas is close to a lot of florists, that’s
pretty unique. The other thing that makes it unique is
the fact that there are no middlemen - no exporting
or wholesale businesses. Less logistics required
and cheaper for the florists. Another advantage,
in Herongen you are very close to the Ruhr region.
And Venlo and Cologne are just around the corner,
that means even more potential customers.” Tom is
contented with Veiling Rhein-Maas and will continue
to send his roses there in years to come. ←
“In Herongen,
you are very close
to the Ruhr region.”
Tom Meewisse
Rose grower
Cross-fertilisation
Inspiration at the
Florist Event
Seasonal Trade Fair
Several plant growers went to the Seasonal Trade
Fair to show off their products. Growers see the event
as a relations fair where they can meet buyers and
colleagues. The day-to-day business often leaves little
time for this kind of interaction. The young grower Arie
van der Harg of VDH Plant from the Dutch town of Made
displays a lot of Petunia Nightsky in his stand. “A new
product that I want to bring to everyone’s attention.”
Another prominent feature of his stand is the map of
Brabant. On the map is written ’Made in Made’ - a great
marketing idea. “We are proud to have our roots in
Brabant.”
26
GROW
Cross-fertilisation
Great kick-off to
the new season
Van Winden-Erica BV, a nursery
of potted plants from Drenthe,
sees the Seasonal Trade Fair as
an important event to start off the
season. Sales manager Barry van
der Zwet: “Many products are now
in bloom, so we can show them
off and get the new season going.
We brought a lot of viola , bellis and
Senetti that we produce for various
garden centres. Especially for
Mothers’ Day we have a patio rose
with extraordinary large flowers,
’a real bestseller’. We are ready
to go.” Van Winden also sells a lot
of houseplants to supermarket
Albert Heijn.
Inspiration on the
Florist Event
Geertje Stienstra provides demos of flower arranging,
both in Holland and abroad. The subtle flower
arrangements created by the Frisian sometimes appear
simple on first sight, but surprise you when you look
again. “It’s so much fun to do this demo. I managed to fit
everything in, but only just. On Wednesday I got lots of
feedback from the crowd. I’ve posted the clip I made of
the demo on my Facebook page and got several likes.”
Geertje is pleased the Florist Event brings her into direct
contact with growers. “They can see that I am actually
working with their products, which is of course very
nice. They are really passionate about their products.”
Networking is an important aspect of this fair. “You
really do need each other in the floriculture sector.”
Cross-fertilisation
GROW
27
Trends
Steef van Adrichem,
co-owner of the orchid
farm Anco Pure Vanda,
turns to Paris for
inspiration. What trends
does he see? And what
trends fit in with his
products?
Learning from French pastry Packaging plays an essential
role in sales. At the famous French patisserie LADURÉE,
consumers are waiting in line for nicely packaged macarons.
These are small, light cakes that come in jolly colours.
At LADURÉE you buy a luxury package for €17.50. A huge
difference with the Lidl, where you can buy a box for just a
few euros. It’s the personal touch that does it. Steef finds
this inspiring. “LADURÉE manages to give their macarons a
personal touch and a feel of luxury. With luxurious packaging
and a personalised wrapper I want to give Vanda that same
LADURÉE feeling.”
Convenience as a trend
Consumers and business
relations alike opt ever more
for convenience. Steef: “I see
convenience as a trend.
I developed a personalised gift
for the luxurious hotel chain
Four Season George V. Hotel
guests could now take the
flowery feel of George V home
with them. Unfortunately
customs won’t always let you
take flowers with you. That’s
why the hotel has put the idea
on ice for now.” Meanwhile,
the hotel maids of the George
V have an easier job thanks to
a handy box with ready-made
Vanda’s. “They place our
products in the hotel rooms
just like that, and don’t have
to worry about them for three
weeks. The simple ideas often
prove to be the best ideas.”
Jeff Leatham, artistic director
of the Four Seasons Hotel
Group, loves letting the Anco
pure Vanda shine in the Four
Seasons Hotel George V in
Paris.
28
GROW
Trends
Service
On these service columns we share relevant publications
from the floriculture sector with you. Also, there’s a
horticultural calendar with upcoming important events.
Do you have questions? Or do you want to contribute
something inspiring from the ornamental horticulture
sector?
Calendar
Publishing
details
A selection of regional meetings held
by Royal FloraHolland
GROW publishing details
GROW is the magazine for members
and buyers of Royal FloraHolland. It is
published six times a year and is also
available to read on
www.royalfloraholland.com.
Email the editorial staff: GROW@royalfloraholland.com
← Winners Formidable Florists
These are the fortunate winners of the readers’
competition in the GROW edition of February 13th:
Tjeerd Arendse, bulb farmer from Slootdorp, and
Bianca Vreugdenhil, flower stylist from Naaldwijk.
They received the book ’Formidable Florists’. The
picture shows Tjeerd and Nel Arendse amid their
tulips.
New brochure Environment and Safety
The new brochure Environment and Safety by Royal
FloraHolland states what requirements you have to
meet on our marketplaces. In it, you can find the most
important regulations concerning Health and Safety,
including the latest changes in rules and legislation.
Read the new brochure to make sure that you are up
to speed. Because of changes in rules and legislation
made by the government, Royal FloraHolland must
also periodically change the brochure Environment
and Safety. The new brochure can be found our
website: www.royalfloraholland.com
Mosav Givat Chen (Israël)
Thursday 19 may and
friday 20 may
Editorial office
GROW, Postbus 220
2670 AE Naaldwijk
Members' meeting at 2nd
of June
Thursday 2 june
More information about our new
magazine can be found at
www.royalfloraholland.com/grow.
Royal FloraHolland Aalsmeer
Buffet starts at 6.00 p.m.,
the members’ meeting starts
at 7.30 p.m.
The Iftex Expo Kenya
8th till 10th of June
Fair for growers and international
customers. The fair will take place
in the Oshwal Centre in Nairobi
(Parklands).
Wednesday 8th
till friday 10th of
june 2016
30
GROW
Service
This second edition of GROW has been
made by:
Katja Bouwmeester (editor-in-chief)
Rianne Nieuwenhuize (senior editor)
Nancy Bierman (editor)
Willem Goedendorp (proofreader)
Printing office Van Deventer bv
Total Identity: Sümeyra Günaydin
(graphic design)
Sieds de Boer (senior advisor )
Marco de Haan (project manager)
Nils van Houts (photographer)
Erik van der Burgt (photographer)
Cok van den Berg (photographer)
Elske Koopman (freelancer)
Rijger Webredactie: Thomas Gerkrath
(translation)
Photography
Hotel George V Parijs, Jeff Leatham en
iStock (pp 28-29)
Mark Rinaldi en Serious Eats (Iranian
New Year p 21)
Mieke Haaksma, (photo Vietnam p20)
← Sponsor the RopaRun
The RopaRun (14-18th of May) is a running event from
Paris (520 km) and Hamburg (560 km) to Rotterdam.
All winnings go to people with cancer. For eighteen
years now RopaRunTeam Royal FloraHolland,
consisting of twenty-five employees, has been
participating. The team is sponsored by members,
buyers, co-workers and business relations. Will you
help sponsor this year’s event? The team would love
to once again donate a fair bit of money. With the
money raised by all of the teams, the life of people
with cancer and their families will, where possible,
be improved! If you’d like to support the team,
please look for more information on the website
www.roparunteam97.nl.
GROW@royalfloraholland.com
No advertising
Since January 1, 2016 it is no longer
possible to advertise in this publication.
Questions?
For information about or alterations to
the receiving of this publication, send
an email to ledenadministratie@
royalfloraholland.com
You’ll find more information on all events on the website
www.royalfloraholland.com
Printing process
The printing process of this publication
is met by strict demands concerning
environment and health. The magazine
is printed on FSC certified paper. The foil
used for packaging GROW consists of
polyethylene and polypropylene.
Calendar & Publishing details
GROW
31
A well-oiled
logistic
machine
A global marketplace,
all about trading
flowers and plants.
Royal FloraHolland is the cooperative where you earn
your money. A fast, global supply chain with over a
100,000 transactions a day, sending the most beautiful
products in all directions to all continents within hours.
Millions of plants and flowers in no less than 400,000
varieties