Royal FloraHolland
Royal FloraHolland, legally Koninklijke Coöperatieve Bloemenveiling Royal FloraHolland U.A., is a Dutch conglomerate of florists. It is one of the largest auction companies in the world. Royal FloraHolland is headquartered in Aalsmeer, with locations in Naaldwijk, Rijnsburg and Eelde.
Royal FloraHolland headquarters in Aalsmeer | |
Type | Cooperative |
---|---|
Industry | Floristry |
Predecessor | Verenigde Bloemenveilingen Aalsmeer (VBA) FloraHolland (FL) |
Founded | January 1, 2008 |
Headquarters | Legmeerdijk 313, Aalsmeer, Netherlands |
Number of locations | Aalsmeer Naaldwijk Rijnsburg Eelde |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Jack Goossens (Chairman) Steven van Schilfgaarde (CEO) |
Revenue | €4.6 billion (2015) |
€12.5 million (2015) | |
Website | RoyalFloraHolland.com |
Company
FloraHolland is a non-profit organization which is a result of a merger between FloraHolland and Aalsmeer Flower Auction in 2007.
History by location
Aalsmeer
In response to the increased power of brokering, flower growers in Aalsmeer joined forces. The auction in Bloemenlust was founded in late December 1911 "the auction of export flowers will take place in Café Welcome". In addition, the Central Aalsmeer Auction was launched on January 5, 1912. Five days later in the pub Three Columns the first flowers appeared at the clock. Both auctions saw their sales grow annually. In 1918 the Central Aalsmeer Auction achieved, for the first tine, annual sales of 1 million guilders.
With flower and plant exports booming the industry desperately needed to expand to a new auction complex with ample space. Against this background it was decided to merge the auctions of Bloemenlust and Central Aalsmeer Auction. The merger took effect on March 6, 1968. The organization continued as: Aalsmeer Flower Auction (Verenigde Bloemenveiling Aalsmeer or V.B.A.:United Flower Auction Aalsmeer)
In 1972 a new auction complex at Legmeerdijk came into use. The complex covered an area of nine hectares. Further expansion followed and in 1999 the Aalsmeer Flower Auction and its customers took the first parts of the VBA South into use. This is located on the other side of the provincial road N231. Seven years later the first known plans for VBA Oost were drawn up. VBA Oost has a size of 36 hectares. Construction started in 2009. The main auction building was constructed in 2007 and covers an area of approximately 860,000 sqm and is the largest indoor market building in the world.
Other important milestones were in 1973, when the VBA allowed suppliers to market their products through an agency and 2006 when international membership was introduced. The first auction in the world Aalsmeer Flower Auction opened membership to international members; companies located in countries outside the EU (companies from EU member states were already allowed to be members). After a short time there were approximately one hundred international members.
Naaldwijk
On March 2, 1923 was founded the Central Westland Cut Association (C.W.S.). Revenue in the first auction day was fl. 304.59. The C.W.S. rented a building in Poeldijk. In 1923 there were about 75 growers member of the auction. It was auctioned in a single clock.
On March 30, 1931 has decided the auction association into a cooperative. From that moment the auction is named Cooperative Central Westlandsche Cut Association (C.C.W.S.). It was decided to establish the auction to the Dijkweg in Honselersdijk, where the Naaldwijk is still.
In 1971, a small amount of foreign flowers were sold for the first time on the clock. In 1976, the bells were number seven and eight in use for the auctioning of potted plants. This came to an end the auctioning of flowers and plants on the same clock. In 1983 the name changed again, this time in C.C.W.S. Flower in Westland.
The auction is still in Honselersdijk, formerly a core in the municipality of Naaldwijk (today part of Westland). The name Naaldwijk has so far not changed Establishment Westland.
Rijnsburg
In 1914, seventeen growers Flower Flora established in Rijnsburg. In the beginning it was auctioned in the local pub. Only became a real auction building inaugurated in Rijnsburg in 1917. Bulb flowers and especially tulips and lilies were for Flower Auction from its inception important products. other flowers were auctioned from about 1927.
In 1980, the new auction complex was put into operation just outside Katwijk on the municipal boundary with Oegstgeest. Since the merger is achieved most sales in the Rijnsburgse establishment of bulbous flowers, also in comparison with the other branches.
Bleiswijk
In 1928 from the 'Rotterdamsche Vegetable Auction' except vegetables for the first time auctioned flowers. A year later built a separate auction in Berkel for the auction of flowers and the name was changed to Cooperative Fruit and Flower Berkel en Rodenrijs. In 1973 merged the vegetable department with Tuinbouwveiling in Rotterdam. Auctioning of flowers continued under the name Flower Berkel and Environs. In 1982, the auction building was moved to the Klappolder in Bleiswijk. In 2014, this auction has been closed, the auction operations have been moved to Naaldwijk. The facility is maintained as a logistics center.
Venlo
In 1915 the Cooperative Auction-Vereeniging (CVV) in Blerick. At that time there were auctioned only fruits and vegetables. From 1916 there were eggs in. Selling flowers through the CVV began in 1962 when a grower of Chrysanthemums are reported at the auction. His flowers were auctioned at the vegetable clock, as there was no clock for flowers. Later went many growers instead of vegetables, grow flowers. For example, a flower was born.
After a year as many flowers already were auctioned on CVV, there was built a separate Bloemenhal in Grubbenvorst. This is the place where Venlo location is still located. The new auction complex was opened in 1965. On April 30, 1969 the building was destroyed by fire and the sale was to go into a Groentehal. A few years later, they again built its own Bloemenhal.
After several mergers the auction CVV finally went in 1991 with the Cooperative Venlo Vegetable Auction. They continued under the name Cooperative Auction Southeast Netherlands (abbreviated auction ZON). On July 1, 2002 closed the floral part of auction ZON themselves with FloraHolland.
Eelde
In 1927, the first flowers were auctioned in the north of the country, in the city of Groningen. The auction was called Flower 's North. The auction has twice moved from place in Groningen in 1936 and in 1948. In 1978, the auction moved to Eelde.
See also
References
- (in Dutch) NRC.bl
- (in Dutch) Gedi.nl about the dutch auction
- (in Dutch) Source about Bleiswijk