Growing in pace with the market, in-house improvement to match supply to changing demand and a high level of specialisation in Azalea Indica and Rhododendron. That sums up Bloemisterij Leybaert. And with its almost entirely export-oriented approach, their products can also be found all over Europe.
‘It’s no coincidence that our slogan is ‘Your Plants – our passion.’ Because our company works entirely for its customers. We anticipate their needs, keep a finger on the pulse of market developments and aim for the best quality products. Due to our vast scale and automation we can also guarantee uniformity & continuity.’
From father to son
Mr. Leybaert senior started out 45 years ago with a production company for outdoor plants. Tom, the youngest son, inherited his father’s green fingers and decided to commit himself fully to the sector. At the age of 19, after completing a horticultural course, he invested in the future of the company. ‘At that time we were faced with the choice of stopping or making some serious investments. We decided to go for the second option and since then we have invested almost every two years. This was a sensible way to grow and follow the market’, says Tom on reflection. ‘And a growing business is not just about more ground area. Finding the right people is also a major challenge’, Tom stresses. ‘We currently employ 18 to 20 staff, eight of whom work full-time.’
19 ha of outdoor plants
‘Our activities cover a total surface area of 19 ha, 5 of which are under glass. The vast majority of our business – 15 ha – is in Moerbeke-Waas, and on top of that we rent another 4 ha in Oostakker. This gives us a little more flexibility to capitalise on market developments. We only purchase extra land if we see that the growth is structural and permanent’, explains Tom. Bloemisterij Leybaert is highly specialised in Azalea Indica and Rhododendrons. ‘We also offer Vaccinium Corymbosum, in response to the trend towards tasting gardens. Chamaecyparis Ellwoodii is also in our range, mainly at the request of several customers’, says Tom, while giving an overview. ‘The azaleas are grown from cuttings to final product. We then deliver them to companies that force the plants into flowering. We buy our rhododendrons as 1-year old plants from a young plant company and then we continue their cultivation.’
Exports to the rest of Europe
‘Almost 100% of our products are grown for export; half of them are exported directly and half are handled by exporters. In fact, we’re active right across Europe’, laughs Tom. And that's no exaggeration, if we listen to the list of markets. ‘Poland, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Czech Republic, the United Kingdom... The last one is the market for which we operate the most through exporters’, says Tom in summary.
Ready for the future
‘We want our business as well as our products to be able to respond to the changing demands of the market. That’s why we set up our own cultivation project two years ago, thanks to good collaboration with our neighbour’s young plant business,’ says Tom. ‘We’re looking not only for new colours, but also for improvements in cultivation technology. For example, plants that are more disease-resistant or that flower quicker’, says Tom. When it comes to researching new varieties, Bloemisterij Leybaert relies on the Institute for Agriculture and Fisheries Research (ILVO). ‘In addition to that, we also built a new forcing house in the summer. Before committing to any new investments, we want to focus on the structure of our business and ensure that we maintain control of the whole process. The trick is to make sure we always have enough good personnel on board’, says Tom.
