‘SMALL’ GESTURES, BIG IMPACT! page 08 SECOND EDITION BLOOMSHARE 2024 page 18
Bound by NATURE
FM Group’s Christmas Market: A Festive Debut page 23
From the Executive Team
08 From colleagues
‘Small’ gestures, big impact!
Behind the scenes
Rutger and Frank speaking
14 Births and anniversaries
16 From the company
The power of AI
Ben van Velzen bids farewell after 37 years with FM Group
Exciting news from FleuraMetz!
Second edition Bloomshare was once again a great success!
Staying ahead in the Florist Segment
Successful renovation of sorting lane on the BETULA
FM Group’s Christmas Market: A Festive First
On an adventure with Bart&Bastian’s merchandisers
Traditionally, we end the year festively with the month of December. Traditions provide a foothold and, especially after a difficult year, we appreciate them even more than usual. Further on in this Feelings we look back on 2024, but most of all we look ahead to the coming years. You will also find quite a few interesting articles and learn more about two of our colleagues in the double interview, which is becoming a nice tradition.
We were somewhat moderately staffed as a Feelings team and are pleased that starting in January, the editorial staff of the Feelings will be strengthened with Wendy Davila. Wendy, welcome! If you are also interested in contributing to the Feelings, please send an email to feelings@fmgroup.fm
It remains for me to wish you much reading pleasure, happy holidays and a fresh start to 2025!
Frank Koenen
Perspectives after the difficult year 2024
As FM Group, we are happy that we will be able to make a fresh start in 2025. In terms of sales, we were still doing well last year. We came out roughly at the 2023 level. However, we did not manage well enough to keep cost increases in check and/or pass them on to our customers via the margin. Fortunately, there are many group units that performed really well, but as a whole we are certainly not happy with the 2024 financial results. In such a difficult year you only realize again how important it is for us as a group to have solid financial buffers. However, it remains very annoying for everyone to be faced with difficult, yet necessary measures, such as freezing salaries, for example.
We hope and expect to be able to come up with more positive news about the results in the course of the new year and are certainly optimistic about the years beyond. In addition to the impact of cost-saving measures, we are going to see more and more positive effects of actions we collectively initiated in 2024. We mention about six of them here due to space constraints, but this list is certainly not complete.
1. We must and are going to become more efficient in the logistics departments. This December we are once again conducting a carousel. With this we are creating space at the Bonsai for further growth of the retail segment and we are making efficiency gains in both Naaldwijk and Aalsmeer. In addition, in Germany and Austria we will combine the transport of FleuraMetz and Verdel under the motto “more volume, fewer stops”.
2. In Stuttgart, we are well on the way to shaping the branch, or rather the hub, of the future. An innovative combination of unlocking central and local purchasing sources, price and assortment policy, smart software, marketing and new local working methods is the pilot for our decentralized organization of the second half of the 2020s.
You can read more about this on pages 20 & 21 in this Feelings.
Pieter Versteeg and Ivonne van Os are playing a pioneering role in this. We will hear a lot about this transformation in the coming year.
3. The florist segment in Europe has been under strong pressure for the past two years. We have responded to this strongly and creatively ourselves and will of course continue to fight on. We see that the pressure on sales in this segment is diminishing and we expect opportunities to grow again.
“Verdel’s full-service merchandising concept is continuously getting stronger.”
4. Both Hilverda De Boer and Anton Spaargaren expect a boost in sales in Norway and the United States respectively. The strategic cooperation with Interflora guarantees a leading market position in Norway for the next five years. With the main flower supplier to supermarkets in the U.S., the partnership is becoming closer and closer, giving Anton Spaargaren a great position in this segment.
5. Verdel’s full-service merchandising concept is continuously getting stronger. We are getting better and bigger at it and it also fits perfectly in the spirit of the times. We anticipate strong growth, and the challenge will be to keep it manageable. We are using the infrastructure built up for the florist divisions in Hanover and Nantes to support the rapid growth. Think of HR, finance, commerce, IT, facilities, etc.
6. There is great value in simplifying our three flower stock positions on VBA South(Betula, Cotoneaster and Prunus). We have devised a method to achieve this incrementally and are developing a new battle plan to implement it. In the coming year, we will start making progress and begin reaping the benefits right away.
In the new year, we will continue to report on these and other developments in the Feelings and ET monthly bulletins!
‘Small’ gestures, big impact!
Inspiring stories of colleagues doing something extra!
The Christmas season is the ideal time for reflection and a time when many people do go the extra mile for those around them. The time that is all about looking back on the year and doing something good for someone else. We asked a number of people about what they did for others in the past year.
Heartwarming stories came out of this, which we would like to share with you!
Flynn Kamp, Import Manager Pinnacle Down Under Bas Kamp , Managing Director FleuraMetz Australia
Pinnacle Down Under, Australia
From FM Group we also regularly do something for someone else. We contribute to various charities and of course we have Proyecto Indio, our own charity. Our colleagues Bas & Flynn Kamp contributed even more to this charity this year. From their label, Pinnacle Australia / Petal Peddlers, they made a big donation.
“We have been trading with Ecuador for years and would like to give something back this way” Bas and Flynn tell us. Every penny donated directly benefits this charity. The how and what, we leave to the people on the ground who are committed to Proyecto Indio. They know best what is needed most right now.
Flynn and Bas during their visit to Proyecto Indio this fall.
Her message is simple: there is always someone who could use our help, and with small gestures we can make a big difference. “The generous gestures of the people around me make me very happy. Every year the donations get better and that motivates me to continue with this noble mission.”
Erika Cabrera Alvarez, Administrative Assistant FM Group, Ecuador
Someone who has been committed to helping others for many years is Erika. For 10 years she has been volunteering at her church. Erika coordinates a group that organizes activities every Sunday for children and youth between the ages of 9 and 16 from families with limited financial resources.
“In addition to sharing knowledge about faith, we collect donations at Christmas to give these children and also the elderly a wonderful holiday season. I started by asking friends, acquaintances or classmates from my university to participate. The motto we used was “ give 10 candy cases, give 10 smiles”. After a while, I also involved colleagues in this mission and they were very excited to help out. I think if we all do our part, we will achieve great things.”
Piet Ravensbergen Quality Assurance Officer, FM Group, Netherlands
Piet Ravensbergen Quality assurance officer, FM Group, Netherlands
“Someone who has dedicated himself daily to helping others for many years is Piet Ravensbergen. He himself does not like to step into the limelight and prefers to do his volunteer work in silence, without getting any credit for it. Nevertheless, we would like to share Pete’s story with you. “Every Friday evening we organize a youth hangout by means of a caravan with awning with free soft drinks, snacks and candy for street youth and children from Rijsenhout. Sports and games are organized, there is a PlayStation to play FIFA etc. A place where dozens of young people and children come to every week. Furthermore, in our house there is always a room ready for people in need. For years we have had children from Belarus (Chernobyl) vacation with us and at the moment a 5-year-old foster child, whose parents cannot (yet) take care of him, sleeps in this room. You often hear that people think that a charity CEO does earn a lot and therefore there are hesitations to donate money. It doesn’t have to be that way, there are plenty of charities where only volunteers keep things running. We sometimes skip dinner in a restaurant or skip a vacation. The money you save that way can be used to donate to charity.”
In this photo, Piet’s volunteer work comes together with his role at FM Group. Red Naomi roses, donated by a grower partner, are being sold in the Care-Van for Africa.
Bogdan Androne, Business Intelligence Analyst FM Group, Netherlands
The last colleague featured in this edition is Bogdan. Bogdan combined his passion for sports with charity work this year. He participated in the 10 km Run For Life Cross in Bucharest, Romania. This annual event is organized to raise money for the construction of the Maternal Life Center, which will provide support to pregnant women in difficult circumstances. Bogdan’s motivation is deeply personal: “My mother raised me alone after my parents’ divorce and in doing so became an outsider within her family. She was forced to take me to daycare weekly from the age of 6 months to six years old. It is a blessing to now be in a position where I can contribute so that other children don’t have to go through what I went through.” His story reminds us that small contributions can have a big impact on the lives of others.
BEHIND THE SCENES :
Rutger and Frank speaking
From hedera cuttings to a central role in the flower world
Rutger, introduce yourself!
Rutger: “I am Rutger Overwater, 30 years old and born in a village around the corner. I took my first steps in horticulture as a teenager, cutting hederas in my uncle’s nursery. Later, I ended up at FM Group through an internship. My thesis brought me here and I never left. By now I have been working here with great pleasure for ten years.”
Ten years, that’s a long time! What pulled you over the edge to stay back then?
Rutger: “Stendert and Gerko. Stendert guided me during my internship and took good care of me. Gerko literally called me back upstairs from the bottom of the stairs on my last internship day just as I was about to step outside. I started by connecting account managers and local salespeople through a homemade CRM system.
That grew into today’s C-Target. It’s great to see how ideas become reality here.”
Family and life lessons
Frank, your turn! Who are you?
Frank: “I am Frank, 61 years old, born in Amsterdam but raised in the Rotterdam area. I have been married to Margriet for 34 years and father of three daughters. My career started with a student side job as a private driver for Gerard Metz. What started as a nice extra income grew into a lifelong career. In 1994 I was able to take over Gerard Metz’s company and a lot has changed since then.
What did you learn growing up?
Frank: “Hard work, but above all conscious enjoyment. My father always said, ‘Live in the moment.’ I try to do the same. Even through work you are mostly planning and thinking about the future, but real life happens now.” Rutger: “I can really relate to that. At our house it was also about balance: working, but definitely also making time for beautiful moments.”
What was your biggest learning moment?
Frank: That nothing is set in stone. You have to dare to tear down what you have built yourself if it no longer works. An example is when we switched to a new IT system. Out of impatience I pushed through that transition at an unfortunate moment. That cost a lot of stress as well as money. But eventually you learn to time your decisions better and to keep a cool head.
Rutger: That resonates with me. Patience is not my strong suit, and I admire how Frank always remains calm, even when it seems everything is on fire.
FM Group’s culture
What makes FM Group unique to you?
Frank: “The personal relationships and the hands-on mentality. We are always open to new ideas and challenges. We want to maintain that culture by finding new people who fit well with it.”
Rutger: “I feel the same way. Despite our growth, the company still feels the same as it did ten years ago. It’s special how that warm atmosphere is maintained. That’s what makes us strong.”
Enjoying both work and life
Rutger, how would your partner describe you?
Rutger: As enthusiastic, helpful and social, but also restless. I have difficulty sitting still and am always on the move.
Frank: I recognize that in you too, Rutger, but that energy also makes you successful.
And Frank, what does Margriet say about you?
Frank: She calls me a thinker as well as a doer. Oh, and she thinks I have a great sense of humor. That’s crucial in this business, by the way - being able to put yourself in perspective is good medicine for all the daily worries.
Humor is indeed important. What do you think makes FM Group unique?
Rutger: The atmosphere and the personal bond between colleagues is special. You have to fit in here, but if you do, you can develop and discover new things.
Frank: I concur with that. FM Group is all about personal relationships, progress, and a hands-on mentality. It’s exactly those core values that we need to guard.
You both emphasize how important balance is. How did you teach that?
Rutger: “Traveling a lot and especially my last trip made me realize that working is not everything. You also have to enjoy yourself.”
Frank: “I am always positive, even in difficult times. That is crucial to keep yourself and others motivated. Conversely, when everything seems to be going crescendo, I am more vigilant again”
What are you proud of? What are you most proud of?
Rutger: “That everything in my life is on track. I’m happy at home and at work. That’s worth its weight in gold.”
Frank: “Pride is a hard word for me. But I think it’s cool that we are active worldwide. It often started with spontaneous encounters, but has brought us where we are today.”
“I would have liked to excel in a sport. Anyway, due to lack of talent, I put my energy elsewhere.”
Future of the flower industry
How do we ensure that flowers remain accessible in the future?
Rutger: “We need to make consumers more aware of the value of our product. Flowers go through a huge process before they are in stores. That appreciation could be greater.”
Frank: “Agreed, but we also need to improve profitability in the chain. It is important that everyone who contributes to it can also make a good living from it.”
A
closing look ahead What trait that you do not have would you like to have?
Rutger: “More patience. I’m a doer, but sometimes it’s good to stop and think first.”
Frank: “I would have liked to excel in a sport. Anyway, due to lack of talent, I put my energy elsewhere.”
Finally, if you could meet a historical figure, who would it be?
Rutger: “Columbus. I would find it fascinating to see the world through his eyes, when everything was still undiscovered.”
Frank: “Johan Sebastian Bach.”
“Columbus. I would find it fascinating to see the world through his eyes, when everything was still undiscovered.”
BIRTH’S
JUBILEA
Hugo De Zorzi Ambrona
24-10-2024
Son of Giovanni De Zorzi and his partner Paloma Ambrona Cañas
Anniversaries and baby pictures are collected quarterly by HR. Missing an anniversary or want to share your baby’s birth? Send an e-mail to hr@fmgroup.fm. Comments and suggestions on other content can be shared at feelings@fmgroup.fm
Updated through Dec. 31, 2024.
10 years
Wolfgang Teufel Bamberg
Tour rider
Sander Noordermeer
Deutschland
Branch employee
Martin Petersen Taastrup
Plant salesman/buyer
Angela Prestin
Korntal-Münchingen
Customer Service
Employee
12,5 years
Christian Matthiesen Aalsmeer Salesperson
Cor Buis Aalsmeer Salesperson
Driss El Allati Aalsmeer Logistics process coordinator
Satar Alizai Aalsmeer Employee Internal Logistics
Bas Verdel Aalsmeer Director Retail Verdel
Emiel Boxman Honselersdijk
Helpdesk Employee / Functional Application Manager
20 years
Victor van Dijk Quito Office Manager Ecuador
Stefan Barth Dresden-Kaditz Tour rider
25 years
Joke Koerts Aalsmeer Employee Purchase Invoice Control
Kees van Rijn Aalsmeer Purchase HDB/SPA
30 years
Heiko Rose Rangsdorf Tour rider
Uwe Drechsler Dresden Deputy Branch Manager
FROM THE COMPANY
THE POWER OF AI: WORKING SMARTLY AND SAFELY WITH CHATGPT AND OTHER AUXILIARY SOFTWARE
Sophie, one of our colleagues, recently discovered ChatGPT and Co-Pilot and was immediately excited. “It feels like I have a personal assistant!”, she exclaimed over coffee. These advanced AI tools can help us with all kinds of tasks, such as coming up with ideas, writing reports and programming code.
But how do we use them safely and responsibly? Here are some tips:
1. Protect confidential information: Never share sensitive data with AI tools as it can be processed externally.
2. Check the output: AI is convenient, but not foolproof. Always carefully read what the tool generates.
3. Use as a complement, not a substitute: Your expertise remains essential to good work.
4. Keep learning and sharing: Experiment with the possibilities and share your experiences with colleagues.
Like Sophie, let’s take advantage of the opportunities AI offers while being intentional with these tools. Follow the Stack Aware training around safe AI use by scanning the QR code.
Have questions? If so, contact the Data & IT department.
BEN VAN VELZEN BIDS FAREWELL AFTER 37 YEARS WITH FM GROUP
After 37 years of loyal service with FM Group, Ben van Velzen said goodbye on Oct. 8, 2024. What began in 1978 as a side job in the Aalsmeer flower auction grew into a multifaceted career in the world of flowers and plants. His work took him from manual bouquet lines to the first digital innovations and international trade with customers from Britain to Egypt.
Ben experienced the transition from telex to fax and from paper price lists to sophisticated digital systems. He was behind projects such as tele-auctioning and the rise of the internet in the sector.
EXCITING NEWS FROM FLEURAMETZ!
We’re thrilled to announce the grand (re)opening of two new FleuraMetz Cash & Carry in Finland. With these new locations, we are committed to providing local florists with a perfect blend of a local and international assortment, inspiration, expertise, and above all, exceptional service.
A big congratulations and best wishes to our colleagues in Finland for a fantastic start in the coming weeks.
With his practical attitude and keen eye for technology, he managed to become an indispensable link, even in times of major mergers, such as those of Fleura and Metz.
Although his work was not without its challenges, Ben says he never knew a dull day. “I always enjoyed going to work.” After his official departure, he continues to be involved in small projects and supporting colleagues two days a week. With confidence, he transfers the future of the industry to the new generation: “Keep this wonderful industry alive!”
Second edition Bloomshare was once again a great success!
The second edition of Bloomshare is a fact. FM Group’s annual in house event where clients, colleagues and growers meet and what contributes to making us even more proud of our floriculture sector and our company. We look back on a week where there was a lot of positive energy in the air, from the educational performance of Hanneke Frankema to the visit of customers and colleagues from all over the world, not to mention the beautiful floral creations and decorations. Thank you to all colleagues who did their part to make it another successful event this year!
265 visitors in 2024!
Staying ahead in the Florist Segment
In recent years, as in other segments, we have seen a significant change in ordering patterns within the florist segment. More and more consumers and florists are choosing to order online. We have been capitalizing on this for a long time with our web shops and apps, but now that is no longer enough. We need to adapt our processes as well. Something that is changing the role of the Cash & Carry’s more and more.
To maintain our leading position in the segment, we are working on several projects. With these projects, we gain efficiency and can serve our customers even better with an even more extensive product range. This is how we continue to stand out from the competition.
PROJECT 1 Local Grower Trade in the Webshop
One of our unique advantages over Dutch competitors is our ability to offer local grower products through the webshop. In Stuttgart, we cooperate with a large number of German local growers, whose products were previously only available in the branch or by phone. However, we are increasingly trying to offer these goods 24/7 in the webshop.
By entering the products in KBT, we can ensure centralized administration. This means that products are displayed in a uniform way in the web shop, complete with the grower’s name and a product photo.
PROJECT 2:
Local B4C Model - Orders through the Branch
The second project focuses on processing central Web shop orders through the branches. We call this the ‘Local B4C’ model, where customers who place an order on day B (e.g. Wednesday) for delivery on day C (in this case Thursday) are preferably served via the branch. So where normally the order was automatically delivered from the Netherlands, the system now shows a combination of trade in the branch and trade in the Netherlands. Should a product be offered through both Prunus and the branch, it will be displayed in the webshop as one product line. If an item is in the branch, then it will also be distributed from the branch.
We are currently testing this project in Stuttgart, starting with the ‘Oft Gekauft’ items.
More innovation on the way These are just two projects, but there is more to come. For example, on the IT side, a new order picking app is currently being developed, which will make order picking much more efficient and we are taking a major modernization step.
More on that in the next Feelings.
SUCCESSFUL RENOVATION OF SORTING LANE ON THE BETULA
For the processing and distribution of our products, an automated sorting line, also called the ‘sorter’, has been used at the Betula in Aalsmeer for over 20 years. In addition to the order-picking process, this sorter is used to automatically distribute thousands of flower containers at the customer level each day.
To maintain confidence in the operation of the sorter, it was recently completely renovated. All moving parts were replaced and the control software was updated. Exciting weeks for logistics, as the sorter could not be used, but thanks to the help and commitment of many, it managed to process all the trade properly.
FM GROUP’S CHRISTMAS MARKET: A FESTIVE FIRST
Also this year, all colleagues got to enjoy a wonderful Christmas package, as a thank you for your dedication and positivity over the past year. But this year was extra special: the introduction of the Christmas market! During this festive market, colleagues could put together their own Christmas package and at the same time enjoy delicious snacks and drinks. It was great to see colleagues from the different offices in the Netherlands come together, exchange experiences and get to know each other better. We hope this successful first is a taste of what the future holds. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this fun and successful day!
On an adventure with Bart&Bastian’s
merchandisers
On an early September day, Esmee and I (Monica), got to spend a day with the merchandisers of Bart & Bastian of Verdel. The mission? To see how the new merchandise app works in practice and how our colleagues in the field experience it. We are both from the (Digital)Sales team and would like to pick up feedback to make improvements.
“The best time of day? When the shelf looks spotless again.”
At 4:30 a.m. we were fresh (well, sort of) in a former butcher shop in Nuremberg, where the flowers and plants had just been unloaded. We start the day by sorting the merchandise by customer. After filling the cars, we hit the road. My driver of the day is Josua (right), an enthusiastic colleague who has only been in the business for a few months. Regional manager Matthias also joins us today (left). Josua used to work at Edeka, but he has found his calling among flowers. His eyes begin to shine as he talks about his work.
“The best moment of the day? When the shelf looks spotless again.” He is the epitome of a career changer, with no in-depth knowledge of flowers and plants. Something we are increasingly taking into account when developing apps for colleagues as well as apps for florists. For example, the Merchandise app will soon be enriched with icons indicating the difference between indoor and outdoor plants.
“The guarantee given at Bart&Bastian’s is that the item will stand for at least a week after purchase, so we inspect for that!”
Our first stop is an Edeka supermarket, it is still dark and the supermarket is still closed, but behind the scenes you can already see several professionals at work. The baker is filling his shelves with deliciously fragrant bread (is it already time for breakfast?) and the supermarket shelves are filled as well. Upon entering, we immediately grab the merchandise app. Ordering? No need for that today, that was done earlier this week.
We start ‘deriving’ - a fancy word for: looking at what has become old, scanning, entering, and hop, into the garbage bag. The guarantee given at Bart & Bastian’s is that the item will stand for at least a week after purchase, so we inspect for that!
Then begins the fun part: rearranging the shelf. Everything has to look perfect, because the eye wants something too, right? We clean it up nicely, give the buckets a fancy Bart & Bastian sleeve and arrange the flowers so that the perfect picture is created.
After a few stores, I almost feel like a pro already; Josua even dares to let me handle entering the ‘derving’ for once. Then Josua calls out the bouquet names, and I now recognize the difference between Hannah warm and Nina cold and no longer indicate the wrong one over and over again. I have a taste for it and am even beginning to consider a career switch.
In the meantime, the supermarkets are open—perfect timing, as we can finally grab that well-deserved breakfast for the road. Bring on the next store!
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