There’s almost nothing as fascinating as the vibrant world of international flower trade. Every day, countless companies work to facilitate this global flow of flowers and plants. In our monthly column "Trade Talk," we highlight one of these companies. We discuss the history of the company, their relationship with us as chrysanthemum breeders, and, of course, their experiences with the many chrysanthemum varieties that Dekker has brought to market over the years.

This time, we’d like to introduce you to Heemskerk Flora.

In a sector where "getting up early" and "working until it’s done" are the norms, passion is the essential force behind the Dutch flower trade. Thanks to this passion, our country is home to countless family businesses that have set the standard for the global floriculture sector for generations. Many of these companies have a rich history, with techniques evolving over time, but the norms, values, and ideals have always remained the same. One of these leading family businesses is located at the FloraHolland Rijnsburg auction site: Heemskerk Flora.

A Solid Foundation

It was in 1988 when Koos and Jan-Kees Heemskerk founded Heemskerk Flora. With a focus on Germany, they aimed for one thing: buying and selling the highest quality. From the very beginning, their customer base consisted of high-end florists, and only the best flowers from the most renowned growers were good enough. To ensure quality, the company committed early on to direct deliveries from the nursery, bypassing the auction clock. This way, florists could not only count on the best flowers but also on optimal freshness. From the field today, in the shop tomorrow: that’s what Koos and Jan-Kees strived for. And it paid off. Where they once started with a single line to Germany, this quickly expanded to multiple lines to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Today, Switzerland is the largest market for the family business, and the flowers also find their way to florists via a well-running webshop.

Quality is Deep-Rooted

With a spacious location at the auction site, well-running lines, a busy webshop, and a modern fleet of vehicles, Heemskerk Flora is a company to be proud of. Yet, it is mainly the calmness and modesty that stand out when you step inside the building. Founders and owners Koos and Jan-Kees have simply built a solid company where the pursuit of quality is the driving force behind everything. Quality of the product, the material, and the service to the customer. It just has to be good, from the moment the flowers are purchased to the processing by the florist. The customer is king, and personal contact is an absolute must. By never deviating from these ideals, Heemskerk Flora can now rightfully be called a leading company within (and beyond) our sector!

Knowing Your Customer

Someone who knows all about the importance of personal contact with the customer is Leon de Mooij, account manager at Heemskerk Flora. Leon himself has a rich history in the (inter)national flower trade and knows how to effectively use his knowledge in his current role. For Leon, direct and personal contact with the customer plays a very important role. He regularly visits customers in Switzerland, where he continuously identifies areas for improvement, which he immediately implements upon returning to the Netherlands. “You need to know what your customer is concerned with and where you can add value. Only then can you make a difference,” says Leon.

Line Driving 2.0

Although the company's standards, values, and ideals have remained unchanged, their working methods have always kept up with the times. Leon mentions the launch of a modern webshop, among other things. With this, the customer is no longer dependent on the weekly delivery via the line but can place orders daily. But characteristic of Heemskerk Flora is that quality also plays a very important role in this. Leon describes how a company vehicle visits the growers in the morning, after which the online orders leave for the customer the same day. An indirect result of launching the webshop is an increase in the number of customers. “Precisely because of the ability to place orders daily, we see the webshop as a welcome addition and are increasingly seeing florists from outside our weekly flower lines placing orders with us.”

The Next Generation

Another development is the entry of the younger generation, both at Heemskerk Flora and among its customers. Within the family business, this is reflected in active use of social media, where Heemskerk Flora has now gained great popularity among florists throughout Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. But the next generation also brings new opportunities with them among customers. It is mainly the new generation of florists who see the added value of a webshop, while the older florist still greatly values visiting a wholesale market. “Convenience serves the people,” explains Leon. “And our customers find that convenience in being able to order through the webshop and receive personal delivery via our own line.”

A Basic Product

While quality is at the core of Heemskerk Flora, the chrysanthemum is the cornerstone of every order. “There is always a chrysanthemum included,” says Leon. According to him, this is due to the great variety of available types, shapes, and colors. However, the santini forms the largest part of the chrysanthemums traded by Heemskerk Flora, followed by special disbuds chrysanthemums like the dahlia-shaped Kalimba or the pompom-shaped Playtime. Spray chrysanthemums are mainly ordered by customers for wreaths, with white being the primary color.

Shared Ideals

A large part of the chrysanthemums traded by Heemskerk Flora consists of varieties that Dekker once brought to market. With santinis as the main group, we see well-known varieties like AAA Peptalk, AAA Purpetta, and AAA Aurinko frequently. But the exclusive forms like AAA Bluff and small-flowered Madibas are also often ordered by customers. Leon sees a nice resemblance between Heemskerk Flora and Dekker: both strive for the highest achievable quality, with Leon calling Dekker the leading breeder of chrysanthemums. And with such a great compliment, we are happy to continue our collaboration with a leading exporter like Heemskerk Flora!