Two growers of the future

Rob and Marc each have their own company just a few kilometres apart. They grow summer flowers and shrubs. When necessary, they help each other out but they never bother each other with little things. What they share most is family – their mothers are sisters – as well as their love for floriculture and being outside.

Wait-and-see
Rob and Marc have been members of Plantion’s Future Council since last summer. Guus van Logtestijn came to ask them personally. Rob: ‘I did find that surprising, but I’m glad they want to hear our opinion. It is great that we are being included.’ Marc: ‘We heeded Plantion’s future plans. At first, we took a bit of a wait-and-see approach, but now we share our views and talk about things we can improve together.’ The council meets about once every two months: eight growers and four Plantion employees. ‘Thinking about the future is super important’, says Rob, ‘but this position also allows us to discuss day-to-day things at Plantion.

The delivery of flowers, the communication, the handling: it all has to run smoothly. If there are any problems along the way, we experience setbacks. And those are a waste of time. We are busy enough running our own companies.’

Love for the trade
The family businesses from Brabant have a special and personal connection with Plantion. Marc: ‘Guus knows our grandparents.’ Rob runs the company with his mother, Marc with both his parents. In time, they will both take over completely. This was not entirely in line with expectations as Rob is actually an interior designer and Marc studied to be a mechanic. Rob: ‘After my father passed away unexpectedly, I decided to take over the company together with my mother. From then on, my love for the trade began to grow. I discovered the beauty of it. In retrospect, that love was always there somewhere. When I was working as an interior designer, I was constantly checking the time: how much longer? As soon as I got home, I went straight to work.’ Marc recognises that as well: ‘Being at school all week and sitting inside all day was not for me. When I switched to Cultivation Technology, I truly found my passion. Botany, fertilising, the climate – I learned a lot of incredible things.’

Weed management
When asked about key themes for the future, Rob mentions sustainability: ‘My goal is to farm completely organic, which is better for nature and people. We are constantly figuring out the best weed management options. Sometimes this involves a bit of creative tinkering, which gives me a lot of energy. Not everything always works. Last year, I built a system that allowed me to blow air between the rows of plants. It wasn’t a success. It actually broke the plants.’

Marc: ‘As a grower, you have to be realistic. We are working on the future but we also take things day-by-day. A hailstorm or a couple of hot days in a row can have a huge impact on our business. That’s why we can’t look too far ahead. Making a plan can be difficult.’