A COLLABORATION OF TULIP GROWERS AND PACKERS—HOW DID THIS COME ABOUT?
“We believe in the power of together. Together you matter. Previously, as an individual grower, you knew very little about the trade. You supplied flowers and didn't hear much else. As a group, we can involve our growers in these matters. What is actually happening in the trade, why is this the price formation, and how do we respond to this?” says Lisanne Borst, account manager and purchasing manager at Colorpack.
THAT SOUNDS GOOD! DOES THE COLLABORATION WITH BLOOMINESS PLAY A ROLE IN THIS?
“I dare say it does. From day one, the communication has been very good. We have had the same contact person (Gerjo Crielaard) for years who knows us well, which is very nice. Our collaboration is open and direct. We discuss everything, and if there’s ever a hiccup, we lay it on the table immediately. We really enjoy working together.”
DOES SUSTAINABILITY PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE FOR YOU?
“Absolutely. Sustainability and innovation are our top priorities. Through the latest innovations and developments, we aim to keep our environmental impact as low as possible. All our growers use solar panels, several use a geothermal heating and cooling system, and another has developed Ecopack.”
TELL US MORE ABOUT THE GEOTHERMAL HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM?
“I can explain this well using a recent project at one of our growers: H&M Flowers. A new greenhouse was built with three cultivation layers, more than doubling their area. Additionally, they work entirely with a geothermal heating and cooling system combined with a heat pump. This allows them to cool the cold storage rooms through this system. The heat generated is stored and can be used in the winter to heat the greenhouse. LED lighting is used between the cultivation layers. There is also a picking area in the greenhouse, which has a separate temperature control. A special light spectrum is also used there to make the leaf color greener. The energy needed for all of this is generated by solar panels on the roof of the barn.”
THAT SOUNDS GOOD! AND WHAT IS ECOPACK?
“The ECO-Pack was developed to reduce the unnecessary consumption of paper. Instead of wrapping the tulips in paper, they are rolled in the ECO-Pack. Through this development, Colorpack alone saves over 100 tons of paper. Not only is paper saved, but also transportation and labor. Fewer actions and more flowers per crate. To process our volume and deliver fresh to the consumer, we work in an efficient and sustainable manner. In that thought, Colorpack and Bloominess absolutely strengthen each other!”
