Van Berkel Distributors: A family legacy in the horticulture industry

By James Nicklen

In the ever-evolving world of horticulture, Van Berkel Distributors stands as a testament to perseverance, adaptability, and family values. Founded in the 1950s, the company has grown from a small mail order business to an industry-leading distributor of bulbs, plants, and perennials, with Trenton Cottage serving as their wholesale division and Garden Express their thriving retail arm. As the company celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, we met with Jos, David and Chloe Van Berkel to delve into its rich history, evolution, and the key factors that have contributed to its success.

Van Berkel Distributors has a rich history rooted in the migration of the family from Holland in the early 1950s. Starting as a small mail order business, the company gradually expanded and evolved, and over time, the baton was passed from one generation to the next.

“I got involved when I was about 15, 16,” says Jos, whose father, Henk, established the business with his brother. “And when I was about 35, my father passed. I was left holding the baby, but I had David [Jos’s son and long-time Managing Director] coming on. So gradually it went from one succession to the next. I would have run the business for a good 15, 20 years, but involved in the business for 40 odd years. And then David took over and told me to get out,” he laughs.

“I finished high school with some really good grades,” says David. “I went to join the bank and they gave me an international finance gig. I did the trip to the city a few times and thought, ‘No I’m a country boy and I want to want to run the business.’”

“I just loved the operational activities of the business, going through a process of receiving and packaging and then invoicing out and being a part of all of that. It probably wasn’t until later in life that I realised how much I learned about growing. Then we took over Bulb Express in the 2000s and I started to do some talks with people, and my growing experience just came out so naturally.”

Having held the position of Managing Director for the last few decades, David has now taken a step back. He now serves as a mentor of sorts to his daughter, Chloe, who continues to thrive in her role as General Manager.

“It’s an amazing achievement to be moving into fourth generation,” says Chloe. “The fact that we’ve stayed around through all this time, and we've adapted and stayed current in a niche part of the market – bulbs and perennials – not many companies achieve that. To be able to follow in your family’s footsteps and take pride in that and carry that name through time – it’s a great feeling.”

“It’s really interesting to think back at my transition with my dad,” says David. “I’d be pestering him to let me run the books and start accounts and get new business and grow the business. I was pushing him to let me do more and now to have Chloe doing the same thing, asking to look after the staff, to bring in new business. There are so many similarities there.”

Remarkably, Van Berkel Distributors still occupies the original site in Monbulk, which Jos and David visit often. The humble beginnings in a small shed and a house at the back of the property have transformed into a thriving business with dedicated offices and modern packing facilities. Notably, David’s brother, Greg, runs a growing operation just next door, which was also started by Jos, and is a major supplier to Van Berkel’s Distributors, specialising in Dahlias, Bearded Iris, Peonies, and other perennial stock. Van Berkel Distributors has continued to grow since the early days, when the business primarily focused on mail order and wholesale operations, supplying bulbs to Coles.

Jos remembers how through the 60s and 70s, Van Berkel Distributors refined its processes and ventured into new avenues. The company expanded its wholesale line, eventually discontinuing the mail order business in the 1970s to concentrate solely on supplying Coles and Kmart stores.

However, Van Berkel’s acquisition of local business Bulb Express marked a turning point, reigniting the mail order retail sector under the new name, Garden Express, and paving the way for the online platform it is today. Finding themselves on the verge of this new venture, Jos says they “grabbed the tiger by tail”

Garden Express has today served over one million customers across Australia, while Van Berkel Distributors remain one of Kmart’s longest serving suppliers, having worked with them for over 50 years.

In addition to the Van Berkel family members who play key roles within the company – Chloe and her parents, Jenni and David, and her aunt and uncle, along with Chloe’s great-aunt Maryanne, who still has an active role in the accounts department – Van Berkel Distributors values its dedicated team. The business has fostered a family-like environment, currently employing 65 permanent staff members, with their workforce growing to around 80 during peak seasons.

“We have four people who have worked with us for over 20 years,” says Chloe. “That’s another great achievement for us. Most of the people here have been here over five years. A lot of our employees have watched us kids grow up and my own son grow up. So, it’s a real family feel here.”

“You can’t have a good business without a good team and it’s something that you’ve got to work to establish,” says David. “It’s something that Chloe’s very good at too. We all really appreciate everybody that's been a part of this company.”

The business continues to excel in the digital space and over the past seven years, Rowan, marketing manager and Chloe’s Uncle, has been at the forefront of driving Garden Express through innovative marketing and a robust online presence. Recognising the evolving marketing landscape, Rowan and his team have shifted from the catalogues of the past to a digital-first approach, leveraging social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, as well as e-newsletters, to reach their audience.

“I think our active customer base is around 250,000 people,” says Rowan. “We send emails out to about 120,000 of those three times a week, and we’re able to sell things almost instantly. It’s quite crazy, especially if it’s something a little bit new or something that they might not be able to get from a local garden centre or a larger retailer. As an example, a blue kangaroo paw that came out recently – we were able to get some stock and within an hour we’d sold 500 of them.”

The COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges to businesses worldwide. However, Van Berkel Distributors had a distinct advantage due to their extensive experience in online sales and mail order operations. As the demand for gardening products skyrocketed during lockdowns, the company found itself well-prepared to meet the surge in orders.

“We were 100% ready for it,” says Rowan. “We’ve done it for more than 15 years prior to COVID and mail order before that, which is basically the same thing. There were some challenges, but we came out the other side, and we've been able to retain the COVID audience.”

The nursery division is another important aspect of the business.

With 65-acres of land in Healesville and the nursery in Monbulk spanning 10 acres, the company specialises in the propagation and cultivation of various plant species. Noteworthy is the Wollemi pine, a rare and ancient Australian native tree, which was believed to be extinct until a small population was discovered in the Blue Mountains. Van Berkel Distributors was the first associate company to distribute the pines 25 years ago, and almost 20 years ago, they became the pine’s sole propagator and distributor.

They are also one of the largest growers and suppliers of Hostas, Hippeastrum Amaryllis bulbs, and Peony roses.

Furthermore, their dedication to preserving old-world favourites is evident in the specialty lines they offer, catering to customers seeking unique and rare plant varieties.

While Van Berkel Distributors has embraced online retail, they recognise the importance of maintaining personal connections with their customers. A key opportunity for this is found at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (MIFGS). For over 20 years, Garden Express has been an active participant in MIFGS, using it as a chance to engage directly with customers and help them put names to faces. At this year’s MIFGS, they showcased their long history with an array of black and white photos documenting their journey of the last 70 years.

Not wanting to let the milestone go unnoticed, as they mark their 70th year in the industry, they recently held a grand celebration – a Christmas in July European-themed birthday party. This event brought together employees, retired staff members, and family to commemorate the significant achievement of 70 years in business.

“We don’t underestimate how great it is that a business has survived this long and through so many challenges,” says David And recognising the importance of collaboration and networking, Van Berkel Distributors recently partnered with the NGIV. By joining the NGIV as an industry partner, Van Berkel Distributors hopes to foster relationships, gain wider industry recognition, and contribute their expertise to the wider horticulture community.

“We’ve been here for 70 years, and we want to be part of that network,” says Chloe. “We’ve got a lot of expertise to share and a lot to contribute.”