A Case of - VDE Plant
"If there's something, they're there"
ALWECO has been working with VDE Plant for decades. The nursery in Woubrugge is a family business, now led by the third generation. "My grandfather started with vegetables outside under flat glass," says Karin van der Eijk about the origins of VDE Plant. "In the 80s, my father and his brother took over and shifted the cultivation to potted plants. I joined the business myself in 1991." Now, Karin, her brother Edwin, and partner Hein Visser are responsible for the operations at VDE Plant.
Millennials embrace the vision
"It wasn't always smooth sailing," says Karin. "Around 2013, we had a few tough years. But we stuck to our vision about the importance of green plants and broad cultivation with thirty varieties. That has proven to be a successful formula, and we are proud of it. We built this ourselves by keeping the entire company working hard. Now, you see that consumers understand how healthy and important green plants are, thanks in part to millennials who have embraced our varieties en masse. It's really great to see."
"He doesn't sell nonsense"
"In 1991, we built a new greenhouse and needed roll-up screens," Karin says about the collaboration with ALWECO. "In the following years, we renewed various screen fabrics. In 2010, Jeroen [van Gaalen] suddenly walked into my office. I was impressed by his knowledge. He doesn't sell nonsense. I gave him the bid for the greenhouse that needed renovation. When Jeroen moved to ALWECO, we followed him. I can work very well with Jeroen. If there's something, he's there."
Knowledge and expertise
"That attitude and the personal touch make the collaboration so pleasant. At ALWECO, they have knowledge and expertise, Marcel manages everything well, and the guys who come to install are neat. The team thinks in solutions, which I like. We have a section where various widths of greenhouses are connected, and ALWECO gave good advice to avoid airflows between the different greenhouses. It works perfectly. I indicate what I want, and ALWECO translates that into a well-functioning screen."
"We are loyal to our suppliers," says Karin van der Eijk of VDE Plant. "ALWECO has the expertise to think along with us regarding screen installations, which makes it nice to work with them. And I also find it very enjoyable that Jeroen has joined the management team at ALWECO. I love seeing that entrepreneurial spirit, and it makes the collaboration even better."
In "A Case of Alweco," we speak each month with one of our customers or agents about their collaboration with ALWECO. This month, it's VDE Plant.