This Mother’s Day will be more festive than ever for Finnish mothers. The Dutch company, HPD, has, for the first time, added a white sleeve with a bow to their potted roses. They ordered these from Koen Pack.
Last week, they began covering 35,000 potted roses in four colors: white, light pink, dark pink, and red. All for this occasion and only for Finland. “That’s a huge sales market,” says Pieter Middelkoop, account manager responsible for marketing at Vireõ plants sales, HPD’s umbrella company.
Koen Pack’s Hans de Jong and Pieter Middelkoop of HPD with the new roses’ white sleeve and bow.
During a visit to the eight-hectare large HPD facility, things like modern automation can be admired. With various robots and cameras, they assess each plant several times during cultivation. As a result, the potted roses are delivered exactly as customers desire them. Some want more blooms, and in Germany, preferably still in bud.
Because the plants go all over the world, cooling is important. A rose stops growing around 5-6ºC, and to keep the rooms as cool as possible, some 2,300 solar panels on the roof save more than 400,000 kg of CO2. “That adds up nicely with the increased energy cost,” Pieter explains.
HPD Potplanten – an abbreviation of Hedera Plant, Pouw en W. van Diemen – has existed since 1998. They market a wide range of green plants and the ‘Favourite Roses’ label under the umbrella name, Vireõ.
HPD grow more than 13 million potted roses yearly, all from their own cuttings. That makes them one of the largest pot rose producers in the Netherlands. Because retail involves large numbers, the plants reach consumers primarily through this channel.
These plants often feature on local TV programs, and Vireõ has been a sponsor for many years, trying to promote this product’s recognition.
Koen Pack will be at Vireõ’s Retail Fair in the Netherlands from June 13 to 16. You can see their added value and, of course, this new sleeve there.
For more information:
Koen Pack BV
8 De Loetenweg
1187 WB, Amstelveen, NL
www.koenpack.com
HPD
Vireõ plant sales
13 Hoofdweg
1424 PC, De Kwakel, NL
www.vireo.nl
