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February 18, 2022
At the General Meeting of Members, the day before yesterday, the Plantion management presented its policy plan for 2022-2025, entitled ‘Renew, connect, inspire’. In the plan, Plantion outlines how it intends to translate the general trend towards digitisation into a customer-oriented service for retailers, garden centres and wholesalers. Plantion is aiming to achieve annual growth in revenue of 10 per cent.
General director André van Kruijssen explained the policy plan. Plantion wishes to move towards 24/7 operations, which will allow customers to choose from a comprehensive selection of rapid, modern services whenever they need them. In addition to online services, physical purchases will continue – particularly in the ‘most innovative bidding hall in the Netherlands’. Plantion is also eager to develop more innovative concepts, such as ‘De Kas’, where physical experience is combined with online ordering using QR codes.
Clock Presale, Distance Selling (with livestream) and the Plantion webshop for digital purchases will undergo further optimisation and be combined with complementary services, such as labelling, storage and delivery.
Investments
To make all of this possible, Plantion will invest in new systems and facilities over the coming years. This will include a phased upgrade of ICT systems as a catalyst for future service provision. The auction software will be replaced and apps will be provided to enable the exchange of information between suppliers and customers on the real-time status of products and transactions.
As part of its 24/7 ambitions, Plantion also intends to mechanise distribution and to streamline logistics processes. The additional space that will be required is covered by a site plan, which includes part new-build.
Bolstering cooperation
Bolstering cooperation is also part of the policy plan – boosting mutual involvement and the urgency for everyone to ‘put their shoulders to the wheel’. Plantion began regional meetings in 2021. Meetings are organised in eight different regions spread throughout the Netherlands on an annual basis, each with different growers. To remain attractive to future generations of suppliers and customers, Plantion has also recently established a Council of the Future, comprising a group of 22 young and promising suppliers, customers, transporters and employees. The Council will act in an advisory capacity to Plantion over the next few years, supplying new ideas.
Supervisory Board
Marc Cleophas has been elected to the Supervisory Board for another term of office. Ruud Knorr, Commercial Director at Royal FloraHolland, proposed himself as a new member of the Supervisory Board. Plantion is delighted to have him on board and hopes that his expertise will help turn plans and ambitions into reality.
Current state of affairs in 2022
Following record turnover of 114.5 million Euros in 2021 (an increase of nine per cent on the preceding year), Plantion has made a great start to 2022. The aim is to increase turnover by a further ten per cent this year, partly through the acquisition of new customers and through robust growth in digital transactions. However, with cost increases in mind, potential geopolitical developments and the after-effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, Plantion is estimating growth of seven per cent.
