June 2022
SPECIAL
2
Text: Nursery Stock Trade Fair GrootGroenPlus
SCALING UP REQUIRES CAREFUL CONSIDERATION Scaling up has been an item in our industry for years. Companies take over each other, or grow. It has turned into more
ensure a good framework at every level,
disadvantages that it entails. What are the pitfalls? We asked both the consultant and the grower.
Dekkers.
than just adding some land and buildings. Things have become much more complicated, with all the advantages and
and good communication”, says René
Scaling up should not be an end in itself
use of drones. Specialisation can also be
itself”, says Dekkers. “There is a lot to
Dare to make choices
ted,” says René Dekkers, senior account
have to remember that specialisation
also has the disadvantage of becoming
emphasise the staff component. First of
horticulture) of Accountants- en
“Increasing scale is not cultivation-relamanager for Food and Agri at Rabobank. “You can see it in all types of cultivation in the nursery stock industry. For some
types of cultivation, mechanisation plays
an important part and specialisation can also lead to expansion. Or what about less intensive cultivation and allow for more fallow land with the use of soil
fertilisers. That would mean that you will
need more land to meet your production requirements. With a healthier soil, you
get better growth and therefore a better price. The soil is also capital and you
have to deal with it in a sustainable way.” Dekkers mentions the aspect of efficient working through mechanisation and
digitisation as an advantage of scaling
a reason for scaling up.” Dekkers: “You
more dependent. Distribution
among customers is important.
Another disadvantage of increasing specialisation is that it limits the
assortment. Specialisation has highs and lows; you can see it with the Buxus. Many growers have stopped growing these,
because of the Buxus moth. Now you can see that because of resistant species, interest is increasing again.”
“Scaling up should not be an end in
think about. And here, I would also like to all, you need ‘enough hands’. Scaling up,
mechanisation, and digitisation make the work more challenging. And that makes it easier to get staff.”
“Quite a lot is happening in the industry. New developments, interesting
knowledge initiatives, which also make
the profession more interesting for young people. Finding staff abroad? Then make
sure you’ve taken care of everything. I see that that isn’t always the case. In terms of staff policy, it is important that you
On behalf of trade fair GrootGroenPlus: Erik Bastiaensen, member of the board.
up. “Beside mechanisation, digitisation
“According to the Van Dale, ‘scaling up’ means ‘an expansion of size’. However, the
growth are increasingly more often being
Dekkers that scaling up isn’t a goal in itself, but that it often helps entrepreneurs
is also increasing. Soil situation and
digitally driven. You get data-driven
cultivation. And what about the emerging
responses in this article show that it is much more than that. And I agree with René reach their goals.
View of Rijsbergen near garden center. PHOTO FRESON
Mike Aldewereld (relation manager Advieskantoor ABAB, mentions the lack of a successor, market circumstances, and cost efficiency as the most important
reasons to scale up. “You have to make sure you don’t loose sight of the bigger picture. If you want to scale up, for
whatever reason, it is important to find
out if it fits you and the organisation you want to have. When scaling up, matters such as staff policy, organisational
structure and business development are explicitly addressed. It’s not what it used to be.”
“Especially for the companies that are
dealing with economies of scale for the
first time, it is important to seek external advice,” says Aldewereld, “if you’ve got any experience, you know a bit more about it, but still, external advice can always add another dimension. The
consultant can be the sounding board of the entrepreneur and if necessary, hold
