Florigrow

Florigrow is a modern nursery with a wide range of bedding plants and herbs. The business grew out of a partnership between the Peters and Vangenck families, both of which have deep roots in horticulture. The collaboration between the families started ten years ago and was cemented in 2014 with the opening of an advanced new greenhouse complex. Florigrow is firmly based on quality and sustainability.

“We want to set an example for the sector in terms of environment, energy and land use. The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” Mathieu Vangenck, joint owner

“With this partnership, our aim is to create maximum advantage for the company”, explains Dave Vangenck, one of the four joint owners. In addition to Dave, Stefan Peters, Mathieu Vangenck and Sonja Vissers are also joint owners of Florigrow. They have ambitious plans: “We want to set an example for the sector in terms of environment, energy and land use.” This ambition is translated not only into the products, but also into the company’s motto: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Products
This upscaling enables the company to invest in technology and specialist staff, things that would not previously have been possible. “The quality of our bedding plants is partly due to this’, Dave Vangenck proudly explains. Take violets, carnations and ranunculi, for example. “Our range contains the best genetics from a number of different breeders.”

Florigrow specialises in geraniums, flowering perennials and chrysanthemums, with plants sold in 13-cm pots making up the bulk of its production. When asked about Florigrow’s innovations, Dave enthusiastically starts to list them. “We have ten key innovations,” he explains:

• Pelargonium Calliope in 13-cm pots. Large, robust flowers with good heat tolerance. Available in a range of colours.
• Dahlia Rebel is a decorative, sun-loving Dahlia with large, double flowers. If well cared for, it will continue to bloom until the first frost.
• Dianthus Flow® is a line of carnations that all have the same growth habits. It is thus possible to grow a range of colours using the same method. Flow is a dense plant with large, richly filled flowers and is suitable for gardens, patios and balconies.
• Anemone Animo, with its large flowers in various shades of pink, red, blue, pastel blue and white, is a trendy spring product that stands out from the traditional spring-flowering plants.
• Cyclamen SeeWhy is a new mini-cyclamen that flowers seven to ten days earlier than the market average. SeeWhy stays compact, even while flowering.
• Pelargonium Odorante (scented geraniums) have unusually intense and varied scents and provide a feast for the senses. They are robust flowers that require little attention.
• Calluna Beauty Ladies are summer-flowering heathers that bloom from late summer until the onset of winter. They are available in white, pink, purple and red.
• Gaultheria Big Berry has large, striking red berries and is a popular choice as an element in winter gardens, as a ground cover plant, or to add some winter interest to a patio or balcony.
• Leucothoe Zeblid is a flowering shrub with a compact growing habit whose leaves take on a strikingly beautiful hue in autumn and winter. It thrives both in borders and in containers on the patio. It is hardy and is around 60 cm tall.
• Coprosma is a small, bushy, evergreen shrub with glossy leaves that change colour according to the season. It’s perfect for a patio or balcony.

Export
“Around 40% of our turnover is derived from export. The lion’s share goes to the Veiling Rhein Maas (VRM) auction in Herongen, Germany. VRM accounts for 30% of our total turnover. In addition, 7% goes to the German wholesale market.” Thus the majority of the company’s exports are destined for the German market. Florigrow’s excellent location plays a significant role in this. Florigrow also has buyers in the Netherlands and Austria. “2% of the turnover comes from the Netherlands and 1% from the Austrian market. We access the latter markets through Belgian intermediaries. For Austria we grow the Uniflor chrysanthemum, a speciality for which we are renowned.”

Future
Florigrow currently has a surface area of 40,000 m², of which 20,000 m² comprises gas-heated greenhouses, 10,000 m² unheated greenhouses, and 10,000 m² open-air container fields. By the end of 2018, it will have added a further 10,000 m² of unheated greenhouses.

Florigrow is also permanently looking to the future in the export arena. “There is no doubt that expansion in the German and Austrian markets is one of our priorities. Thanks to our in-house experts and technology, we can certainly see potential there. We also want to secure a foothold in France, although we are realistic enough to understand that our location is not ideal for this. So for the time being, our key goal is to occupy a strong position in the regions in which we are already active today. We are focusing on markets where people are prepared to pay just that little bit extra for top quality”, Dave Vangenck convincingly concludes.

Florigrow in figures

• Employees:
  • 4 managers
  • 7 full-time employees
  • 15 seasonal workers
     
• Business surface area:
  • 2 ha gas-heated greenhouses
  • 1 ha unheated greenhouses
  • 1 ha container fields
     
• Export: 40% of turnover
  • 30% VRM auction
  • 7% German wholesale
  • 2% Dutch wholesale
  • 1% Austrian wholesale
     
• Future:
  • 1 ha extra unheated greenhouses by the end of 2018