It was the first week of January 2022. After a few lovely family days and plenty of good resolutions, I found myself standing in wellington boots in the mud on a plot of land. The plot of land where construction of the new building would soon begin.
WHY DID I WANT THIS AGAIN, A NEW BUILD?
For entrepreneurs this is almost an existential question: why are we so eager to build our business? Building can take many forms. Sometimes it is the organisation, then again the market position and the vision. But every so many years you also simply build physically on the space, the greenhouse. That is remarkable not only because it happens only now and then, but above all because it is so nicely visible. You literally watch a project rise up out of the muddy ground, and within a few months a complete new greenhouse is standing there. Here our beautiful green and flowering houseplants can then grow for years to come. Our existing location on the Zwethlaan is being expanded by 6,000 m2 to just under 5 hectares. This means that, including Forever Plants by Post and by Divine, we reach a total of 10 hectares.
LEGACY
It also has something to do with your legacy; just like the Romans and the Egyptians, you want to leave something behind for future generations. But it is also about looking to the future; after all, a new greenhouse creates new space to let things grow, both literally and figuratively.
WORKING TOGETHER TOWARDS A FINE END RESULT
Then there is also the human component of organising everything together with a number of partners into a construction process in which everyone holds a piece of the puzzle. From the permit application, the construction of the greenhouse, the levelling, the installation of screen cloth, electrics, you name it. Since sustainability is high on our agenda, we opted for a Green Label Greenhouse (Groen Label Kas). This stands for the commercial cultivation of horticultural crops with a lower environmental impact. It contributes to making greenhouse horticulture more sustainable and meets strict environmental requirements, including on the themes of climate, energy, crop protection and water quality. The partners with whom we embarked on this construction process really surprised us this time with their commitment and professionalism, and that in turn gives us all a great deal of energy.
In short, I wish everyone a “new-build project” now and then!
