Every month we use Trade Talk to highlight one of the trading parties that sell varieties of Dekker Chrysanten. We learn more about the company, the relationship with us as a breeder, and their experiences with one of the many chrysanthemum varieties Dekker has launched on the market.

This month we visited Sjaak van der Vijver.

Located on the auction site of FloraHolland Naaldwijk, we find Sjaak van der Vijver: a Dutch family business that has been active in selling flowers and plants since 1975. With a large clientele, Sjaak van der Vijver supplies countless florists daily, mainly located in the United Kingdom, Russia, and Eastern and Southern Europe. And with core values such as quality, customer focus, and integrity, this customer base continues to expand daily.  

A flourishing company

Sjaak van der Vijver started selling flowers to florists in 1975. At the time located in Groningen, but soon the move towards the Westland took place. Besides moving to another location, an addition to the service area also took place. Guided by love, the English market was added to the clientele. From Cornwall to Scotland, Northern Ireland, and even the most remote parts of the British Isles: the flowers of Sjaak van der Vijver were soon available everywhere. And today, the same English market is still supplied by the Westland family business. Around the 90s, the company continued to grow and started supplying wholesalers and florists in Poland, Russia, Romania, and distant destinations up to the Japanese border. In recent years, even more countries have been added, including countries such as France and Spain.

A dedicated buyer

Sjaak van der Vijver now employs more than 200 people, of which Dennis van der Meij is one of them. Dennis himself has been working for Sjaak van der Vijver for more than 30 years, of which he has been active as the buyer of chrysanthemums for the last ten years. At the time, he learned the tricks of the trade from his highly esteemed colleague Paul, who introduced Dennis to the world of chrysanthemums like a true teacher. Dennis still enjoys going to work every day, something he says he owes to the pleasant working atmosphere within the company and the dynamics that characterize the floral world. No day is the same, and it is surprising what the price and offer do every time. In addition, contact with the grower and breeder is also of great added value for Dennis. For example, he is a regular visitor of the Chrysanthemum Valley editions of Dekker Chrysanten, and he can regularly be found at the Dutch growers.

A wide range of chrysanthemums

Dennis takes care of the purchase of a wide range of chrysanthemums daily. Santinis, spray chrysanthemums, disbudded chrysanthemums, and Madibas: it can all be found in Sjaak van der Vijver's cold store. Depending on the market, the chrysanthemums go to a greater or lesser extent to the customers, who can purchase the flowers themselves using a digital link. Dennis obviously sees many chrysanthemums moving away to Eastern Europe, but England and Southern Europe are also major buyers of the flower. The difference mainly lies in the type of chrysanthemum, whereby Eastern European customers mainly buy the spray chrysanthemums, and the santini mainly finds its way to Southern European customers.

A real all-rounder

One of the varieties Dennis buys daily in large numbers is Code Green, a green pompon-shaped spray chrysanthemum from Dekker Chrysanten. According to Dennis, the most significant advantage of Code green lies in the reliability of the variety and the rich flowering of the flower once it is put on water. In addition, the variety is very transportable, which makes it suitable for distant destinations. Code Green is, therefore, a real "all-rounder," according to Dennis.

Dekker-fan

In addition to Code Green, there are many other varieties of Dekker Chrysanten at Sjaak van der Vijver. Altaj, Kennedy, Antonov, Pyotr, Bolte, Kalimba, and a wide variety of Madibas: Dennis is a real Dekker fan. The relationship between Sjaak van der Vijver and Dekker Chrysanten can therefore be called "super", according to Dennis himself. Dekker brings strong varieties to the market that are of good quality, and Dekker Chrysanten also knows how to market the varieties well. Qualities that Dennis can appreciate about Dekker Chrysanten!