ARNO, CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT HOW YOU WORK TOGETHER?
L&M buys all their tulips from us and supplies them to their customers. Their demand exceeds what we can grow, so L&M also purchases additional tulips elsewhere. The packaging is done at our facility, allowing for direct delivery to customers. This eliminates unnecessary logistics. An extra benefit is that we have a clear overview of the demand, our stock, and how much we can supply.
THIS SOUNDS LIKE A VERY EFFICIENT COLLABORATION. HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN CONTACT, SJON?
We used to call each other a lot, but since 2022 we’ve also started communicating digitally. We use Panthera, a shared software system. This gives us instant access to a wealth of information. We know what will be harvested that day, so there’s no need to bring in stock for the next day. It also makes it easy to plan ahead, we can see what Mopabloem will produce and what we’ve already sold. This helps us determine the right color mixes. There’s also a counter in the system, showing us immediately if we have enough flowers. It’s really convenient!
I HEARD YOU'RE ALSO BROTHERS, IS THAT RIGHT?
Sjon: That’s right. It really helps us understand each other quickly. Back in the day, we already worked together in our father’s greenhouse. We’ve also worked together at tulpen.nl.
Arno: Apparently, we keep finding our way back to each other. And since we’re brothers, it’s easier to reach out outside working hours. During the season, we spend evenings figuring things out to get everything in place. Even outside of work, we always get together for a coffee or a beer. We have another brother, but we always joke that he doesn’t even know that a tulip grows from a bulb!
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU’RE BOTH REAL GO-GETTERS.
Sjon: The first year we worked together as Mopabloem and L&M was the best. We started on a big order for International Women’s Day. We had to store hundreds of pallets elsewhere and rent extra cooling space in Hillegom.
Arno: Oh yeah, I remember that well. We started two weeks in advance. It was amazing and gave us a real adrenaline rush because we pulled it off, but we’re never doing that again! It was about half of Mopabloem’s total production, and we worked late into the night to get it all done.
Sjon: It’s really special how our companies have grown so close. Together, we are rock-solid in the tulip segment, and we’re both very proud of that.
