Stronger together

TOGETHER! Stronger

Easter around the FM Group globe

page 08

A LIBRARY IN FUTURE GARDEN

page 12

Looking back at the IPM in Essen

page 16

Feelings

Lifelike Easter decoration

TABLE OF CONTENTS

04

From the Executive Team

06 From the colleagues

Tennis tournament 4-Attention

07

Connection between colleagues of the Betula

In memoriam - Elisabetta Troia

In memoriam - Henk de Gooijer

Easter around the FM Group globe

10 Babies and anniversaries

12 From the company

A library in Future Garden

08

New premises for Hilverda De Boer Oslo

Stronger together!

From the customer: Pesciaflor

Looking back on the IPM in Essen

In conversation with Jan Schrama and Casper de Groot

Towards a (more) sustainable floriculture sector

Plant protection products

Reporting on sustainability

Did you know...

16

As we wrote earlier in one of our monthly monthly Executive Team posts, we were still able to close out 2023 reasonably well. Then January got off to a very, very slow start, so we immediately fell behind on sales. Fortunately, sales picked up a bit at the end of January and we were then able to achieve nice Valentine’s Day sales. Important, because especially in the first two months of the year this is the only real highlight in flower country and then it really helps, also for the annual results, when this goes well.

We are perhaps more curious than ever about sales and results for the first half of the year. Last year, as a result of the energy crisis, this was a period with extremely high purchase prices and also sharply rising operating costs. To be honest, we did not always react very alertly to the high purchase price level. Certainly not in the European florist divisions. We are now much closer to that and are seeing recovery. Certainly in terms of sales. We should also be in better shape now in terms of operating costs. If we stay short on gross profit realization, a reasonable first half year should certainly be possible. That will give us more fat on the bones to realize our ambitious growth plans. See also the article “From the Executive Team”.

But of course, you never know what else is happening in the (flower) world. That, as often said, fortunately makes it never boring at FM Group!

Enjoy reading this first, all-digital Feelings! Hopefully you will like this format, but of course we will monitor that as well.

Frank Koenen

FROM THE ET

Last Valentine’s Day, together with FM Group’s Supervisory Board, we discussed and adopted the Strategy 2024-2026. The process of arriving at this strategy was fascinating and instructive. Moreover, it led to colleagues from different subsidiaries getting to know each other well, and as such, we have already created a lot of value with it.

We used to have a tendency to say “We have the strategy on paper and now let’s move on to the order of the day.” This time, we are very excited about our plans and want to prevent the strategy from becoming a paper tiger. That is why we want to properly guide and monitor the implementation of our strategy.

Nancy van Kleef, already known to

everyone as the person with final responsibility within the ET for marketing and sustainability, will take on this in her role as Director of Strategy. She will drive the implementation of overall strategy as well as the partial strategies for the eight focus markets and ten support departments.

Revenue targets for 2026 have now

This time, we are very excited about our plans and want to prevent the strategy from becoming a paper tiger.

also been defined for the eight focus markets. You may believe it or not, but coincidentally that means that we as FM Group are going to try to achieve a turnover of 1 billion euros in the last year of this strategic period(2026 that is) . It is our deep conviction that we need such scale to remain a leading player in the international floriculture world in the ten+ years after 2026. This will require substantial efforts. Not only in the area of strategy execution, but also in other areas, such as acquisition capacity, talent development/recruitment and attracting (new) financial sources in order to finance the ambitious growth.

The following visual gives a good idea of our ambitions per focus market:

Sales 2026 by focus area (targets)

FM BY FOCUS AREA

€1.000m Sales 2026 (€ millions and %)

FROM OUR COLLEAGUES

TENNIS TOURNAMENT 4-ATTENTION

After last year’s success, more than 30 colleagues from 4-Attention again participated in the tennis tournament at L.T.C. Naaldwijk. With more and less experienced tennis players it was a success in which participating is more important than winning, but of course they played fanatically. With a nice drink afterwards it has become a nice tradition, so on to the third edition. Thanks Ron for the organization!

SELF-DEFENSE COURSE

“Wednesday, Feb. 28, we had a selfdefense course from Koen Druijf, an experienced practitioner in martial arts and Dutch champion, as well as our own colleague.”

Want to read more about this course? Read the full story on Viva Engage!

IN MEMORIAM - ELISABETTA TROIA

Our highly valued, always cheerful and energetic colleague Elisabetta Troia passed away on 19 December. She was working at our purchasing company in Sanremo, Italy. We got to know her during all these years as a valuable, reliable and always dedicated colleague and friend. Her loss leaves a great void not only business-wise, but also human-wise. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and loved ones.

CONNECTION AMONG COLLEAGUES AT THE BETULA

In December, our finance colleagues moved into the Hilverda De Boer building.

Our HR colleagues made room on the 1st floor for our marketing colleagues and moved to the 2nd floor of the Betula.

So time to get to know each other better. And so on 9 January, a number of colleagues organized a number of activities and a New Year’s drink. The first challenge was to go in order of years of service at FM without talking. Through 3 speed dates and a thumbstick challenge, colleagues from different departments were able to get to know each other better.

In closing, we toasted together to a successful 2024!

IN MEMORIAM - HENK DE GOOIJER

On 10 December, founder of DGI, Henk de Gooijer, passed away at the age of 82. A flower man at heart, with an eye for quality and detail in his DNA. We are grateful to Henk for everything he has meant to DGI - De Gooijer International.

around the Easter FM GROUP GLOBE!

While Christmas is celebrated extensively in all FM countries, Easter is bigger in some countries than others. For many people it is still mainly a Christian holiday or a day when children in particular can have fun looking for Easter eggs. We spoke to four colleagues from different FM Group companies about Easter in their countries!

Annick Fortin, Sales Representative, FleuraMetz, Canada

“I usually celebrate Easter at home in Montreal, Canada. Easter is not a very popular holiday here anymore, but besides the various children’s activities, we often celebrate it mainly by getting together with the family and cooking and eating together.

or Easter bunnies is also often on the program in Canada.”

Monika Gleirscher, Sales Supporter, Bart & Bastian/ Verdel, Austria

“The majority of the Austrian population is Christian and here the various Christian days around Easter are celebrated, with each day having its own traditions. White Saturday, for example, is dedicated to the Easter fires.”

A fun Easter tradition is the “Easter hunt,” where, of course, the children get to look for Easter eggs. But decorating Easter eggs

Monika: “A beautiful Austrian Easter tradition is the “ratching” which is done from Maundy Thursday to Silent Saturday. In fact, according to tradition, church bells fall silent on these days. Instead, children parade through the villages with their “ rattles” (wooden rattle instruments). In return, they receive Easter eggs, candies and change.”

Arild: “At home we decorate the house for Easter mainly in the color yellow with candles and little chicks. For this fun Easter shoot, real little chicks even temporarily joined the Easter decorations at my house for a while. ”

Luciana Androne, Accountmanager, XL Flor, Romania

“Easter is probably the biggest Christian holiday in Romania next to Christmas and this includes the Easter Vigil service. At noon, the priest comes out with the holy light. Everyone lights their own candle and walks around the church three times. After a short service, some people head toward the cemetery with lit candles to bring light to the dead, an impressive sight. Many return home with lit candles where they keep the candle for the rest of the year.”

Arild Aleksandersen, Branch Manager

HDB Kristiansand, Hilverda De Boer, Norway

“Easter is actually almost synonymous with spring in Norway and everyone loves to be outside in the sun then. Therefore, many people go to their cabin in the mountains during Easter. Many Norwegians own such a cottage in the mountains or rent one to go to and go skiing. A tradition is to eat oranges and chocolate and drink hot chocolate during such an Easter (skiing) trip.”

“Of all the preparations for Easter in Romania, painting eggs is the most important custom: there is no household without painted eggs. Also on the program is cleaning, baking and cooking: Traditional pasca and cozonac (type of Easter bread/cake) and lamb dishes.”

Want to read more about Easter with our colleagues in Austria, Canada, Norway, Romania and the Netherlands? Read the full interviews on Viva Engage!

BABIES

Mia 26-01-2024 Daughter of Ksenia Cierpisz and her partner Łukasz Szczygieł.

12,5 years

Monica Dekker Honselersdijk Manager IT (Digital) Sales

Anniversaries and baby photos 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 to 13 March 2024.

ANNIVERSARIES

5 years

Gabriela Huwyler Littau Sales Assistant

10

years

Dennis Rasmussen Taastrup In- and Salesman

Robert Daniel Erfurt Deputy Branch Manager

Steffen Stelzner Dresden-Kaditz Auxiliary

Matthias Lemser Bamberg Deputy Branch Manager

Tanja Lichtenberg Berlin Customer Service Representative

Fritz Lang Nürnberg Delivery Driver

Juan Pablo López Quito Administrative assistant

Diana Carolina Rojas Quito Commercial Executive (Unit Leader Europe)

Barbara Derry-McClellan London Assistant-branch manager

12,5 years

Tineke Bakker Aalsmeer (location Bonsai)

Employee Internal Logistics

20 years

Mario Edmond Magdeburg Sales associate & representative

30 years

Holger Kuhfeldt Rangsdorf Sales associate & representative

40 years

Henk van Pelt Aalsmeer (Hilverda De Boer)

Team leader

FROM THE COMPANY

A LIBRARY IN FUTURE GARDEN

In cooperation with InfoFlowersPlants (Lucas Jansen), a real library just launched in Future Garden. The alternative to the flower booklet.

This information is available free of charge to loyal customers. We start with the most loyal customers of the FleuraMetz label, thanking them for their loyalty.

But not to worry, even without a login you can make customers happy. The Library in our digital Campus regularly shares interesting content under ‘Quick Learning’ and ‘Learn & Grow’.

What will you find in this library?

• Information on more than 15,000 flowers and plants

• Filter by color, scented products or product groups

• Care tips by product for you and your customers

• Free downloadable information sheets

• 24/7 available online

Scan the QR code and see for yourself!

If you have any questions or ideas about this new feature or its application, please contact marketing@fmgroup.fm

NEW PREMISES FOR HILVERDA DE BOER OSLO

As of 1 December HDB Oslo moved into their new premises just northeast of Oslo. Due to growth it was necessary to find a larger space and a beautiful new building came their way. A progressive building with many sustainability elements such as wood instead of steel, solar panels and a high insulation value.

With a cold store from Airclima and sufficient office space and square meters, the team is starting in good spirits in premises that can withstand expected growth. There is still a lot of potential in this region. With a great team and this beautiful new location, HDB Oslo has all the tools to make it a success.

STRONGER TOGETHER!

Employer Branding is critical. Because how do job applicants find you if they don’t know your company?

It’s a big challenge that recruiters in the Netherlands and Germany are working on together. In the Netherlands, we have started using social media to give a look behind our scenes. And we are connecting with schools. We organized a large-scale event on the attractiveness of our sector for new generations of employees.

Sharing experiences is inspiring. It’s not just our work, it’s an experience we as recruiters love to share and spread.

From the customer Pesciaflor, an Italian customer of Anton Spaargaren. Interview with Kees Breur

WHAT KIND OF CUSTOMER IS PESCIAFLOR?

Pesciaflor is an importing wholesaler of cut flowers, potted plants and dried flowers. Since September 2011 we supply Pesciaflor flowers. First through my own company Breur Bloemenexport Aalsmeer, from 2015 through Van Dijk Bloemen and from 2021 with Anton Spaargaren so actually we celebrate the 12.5 year anniversary this month.

WHERE IS PESCIAFLOR LOCATED AND EXACTLY WHICH CLIENTS DOES PESCIAFLOR SUPPLY?

Pesciaflor is located in the market of Pescia and supplies stores and wedding planners mainly in Tuscany, and very occasionally beyond. Some smaller wholesalers in the flower market also know how to find their way to Pesciaflor because he has a very wide assortment and can move quickly.

“The driving force and motivator of the company is Pierluigi, the owner with whom I have daily contact.”

WHAT MAKES PESCIAFLOR SUCH A SPECIAL CUSTOMER?

The driving force and motivator of the company is Pierluigi, the owner with whom I have daily contact. He is buyer, seller and above all advisor to his customers. Because more and more goes digital and the flower knowledge of the end users is not always great, the advisory role becomes increasingly important: in what season do you take which flowers and from which region.

“Pesciaflor has a young motivated team and is ready for the future”

WHAT MAKES WORKING WITH PESCIAFLOR SO ENJOYABLE?

It is pleasant to work with the customer because they are very progressive and are constantly improving themselves, in which our help is of course essential. In the end, we are the eyes of the customer in the Netherlands, and we have to think along how to stay ahead of the competition. Very nice are always his visits to the Netherlands where we try to visit as many growers as possible to improve the bond and cooperation. Pesciaflor has a young, motivated team and is ready for the future, as long as we continue to send beautiful products it should be fine.

Looking back at the IPM in Essen

Together with Nicolaus Peters, winner of the Interflora World Cup 2023, our German colleagues in Essen showed that FleuraMetz is the partner for the German florist.

Nice2know: With the help of our Preferred Suppliers we managed, to dress the entire stand with certified flowers and plants!

In conversation with Jan Schrama en Casper de Groot

Jan and Casper share not only their professional insights but also their personal side. Both were born in Leiden. Here you can read about their experiences, interests and what binds them.

Personal situation:

J: 43 years old, lives in Rotterdam, is married to Eva and father of Feline (10) and Rosalie (8).

C: 55 years old, lives in Beverwijk, is married to Jolanda (also works at FM Group) and has two children, Sascha (24) and Jens (22).

How long have you been working at FM Group?

J: 15 months

C: 24 years

What are your roles and responsibilities?

J: Since January 1, 2024 as CFO ultimately responsible for the entire financial organization.

C: Since January 1, no longer CFO, but Group Director M&A, responsible for

mergers and acquisitions, anyway his passion over the past few years with a key role in the many great additions to the group and of course the mergers between Fleura & Metz and FM & HDB. And projects involving optimization, restructuring or sale of a business unit.

Why did you choose FM Group?

J: Having worked at PwC for 16 years, the attraction of the “other side of the table” and the dynamics at companies like FM. He came into contact with Casper and Frank.

C: Was asked by Robert Kalter (shareholder of Fleura) from his position at Deloitte and saw FM as a diamond in the rough to grow.

Both were immediately charmed by the informal corporate culture.

“Keep up the good work, ‘be smart and keep it quiet’.”

What amazed you when you started here?

J: FM’s informal and accessible culture combined with international progressiveness. That makes it exciting every day.

C: Affirms the informal corporate culture, where substance is more important than form and where people are quick to make decisions without suits and ties.

What will have changed in 5 years?

J: Then Data/IT will play an even more important role. And sustainability (CSRD) will be even more prominent on the agenda. That is why it is important to attract and retain the ‘next generation’.

C: Expect FM to be considerably larger and strive to maintain the current corporate culture. We are now a real multinational company, so we may have to become more businesslike in terms of management. But in such a way that the same no-nonsense feeling remains with everyone.

What skills do you still want to develop or would have liked to have had?

Both are satisfied with their skills set.

J: Important to know yourself well and stay close to yourself. Very nice to be able to draw on Casper’s 24 years of experience.

C: Want to use all his knowledge and experience especially to build on, coach and transfer knowledge.

What do you fold your laptop right away?

J: When he is needed at home, he is there. Other than that, he doesn’t see many situations to have to leave with squealing tires.

C: A walk on the beach with his family. But also the daily round of walks with his colleagues. This is fixed in his agenda.

How do you relax?

J: Especially enjoys mountain sports with his family such as hiking and skiing. But also running and biking.

C: Also relaxes by being outside, hiking with an exciting audiobook on and swimming for an hour daily.

What to take to a desert island?

J: Swim trunks (totally unnecessary according to C) and his three ladies.

C: Family, phone & earphones for his audiobooks and a bottle of wine.

What is your Top 2000 favorite?

J: Very diverse. Dire Straits and Coldplay and nowadays his daughters’ playlist with Dutch rappers.

C: Mentions right away Shallow (Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper) or the song festival song Voilà by Barbara Pravi. Or a house beat in the final chord of a busy work day.

Nice anecdotes:

J: No real anecdotes yet, but highlights valuable moments of being out and about with colleagues.

C: Reflects on the transfer of his role to J, appreciating J’s own style and pleased with the good continuity in the CFO role.

Advice to each other:

J: Keep doing what you love, with the ‘just do it, you’ll be crazy enough’ mentality.

C: Keep going, ‘be smart and keep it quiet’.

“Keep doing what you love, with the ‘just do it, you’ll be crazy enough’ mentality.”

On the way to a more sustainable ornamental horticulture sector

From now on, in every Feelings edition, we get an inside look at Dionne and Koen, FM Group’s CSR team. The floriculture sector is taking great strides towards a sustainable sector and this positive sound should be spread more. In this edition, Dionne and Koen tell us more about plant protection products and reporting on sustainability.

Read on quickly!

PLANT PROTECTION PRODUCTS

Growers use plant protection products to protect their products from harmful fungi and insects. Plant protection products can have a negative impact on the environment, and therefore generate negative publicity.

Growers who are already certified must adhere to requirements regarding plant protection products; they are monitored for this. They can lose their certificate if, for example, banned substances are found.

This year FM Group started a residue sampling program. We are checking the flowers we purchase from our growers to learn what and how much of these agents our growers are using and if these agents are not prohibited.

We share the findings with our colleagues in purchasing and sales and discuss them with our suppliers. Our goal in this way is to create cooperation and ultimately create policy on the use of crop protection products so that we thereby make the sector more sustainable.

REPORTING ON SUSTAINABILITY

Starting in 2026, FM Group must start reporting on sustainability. This is due to the European CSRD legislation. Although 2026 still seems quite far away, preparations for this are already in full swing. Last year, for example, a steering committee and working group were set up, with representatives from various departments.

Sustainability is quite a broad topic, so we had to focus on what we were actually going to report on. There are a number of topics for which we need to collect a lot of information. These topics include plant protection products, CO2 emissions, working conditions and employee training.

This means that information will be collected from different departments, and we will publish the results in 2026. This will show us what we already do well, and what we will improve in the coming years.

In the meantime, of course, we continue to work on our own strategy to make FM Group a wonderful sustainable company.

Did you know that...

at W.F. Leenen they grow almost all their varieties of daffodils on North Sea shells? This is a cleaner way of growing, because no soil stays on the stems. In addition, it is also better for nature. Moreover, the product is already inspected, and no inspection is needed before the product is exported.

“You buy a clean product from us and the product is already inspected!”

Colophon

Feelings is a publication for employees of FM Group and its business units. The information in this issue is updated until 20-02-2024. Feelings is published in four languages. Do you have any questions, comments or suggestions for the next issue?

If so, please send an e-mail before 25-04-2024 to feelings@fmgroup.fm

Editor: Katinka Schouten-van Liemt, Monica Dekker, Marlies Koenen, Anne-marie Blokland-Krebbers

Design: Ciska de Lijster

The information in Feelings is intended for internal use only and may not be reproduced without prior permission from FM Group. No rights may be derived in any way from what is stated in this publication. We request your understanding for any inaccuracies in this publication.

COMING MONTHS

RETROSPECTIVE

Valentine’s Day, Easter and Mother’s Day

FM GROUP WORLDWIDE

How do our colleagues in other countries celebrate Mother’s Day?

EVENTS

FlorEvent, Myplant & Garden, Floral Distribution Conference

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