Anemones, ranunculi, tulips, snapdragons, mimosa and all kinds of greenery. This and more Greenflor gets from the southern regions of Europe. Marc van Graas has been a buyer at Greenflor for years and already has a lot of experience with growers from countries such as France and Italy.
Marc van Graas
Marc van Graas says it is a special area. “The weather and climate make it possible to grow other products than in the Netherlands. The products that come from there are often also of higher quality.” When asked if Marc has a nice job, he says: “It’s certainly nice to get in touch with different growers. No day is the same. Every day different challenges come your way, and that keeps you on your toes.”
Healthy competition
Marc describes the collaboration between Greenflor and the growers as a healthy kind of competition. “Naturally, you want to treat the growers as good as possible. Greenflor needs reliable growers to keep growing, but it also needs to do business with as little margin as possible.” If this goes wrong, action must be taken quickly. This is not a problem according to Marc, because both parties benefit from the right solution. “I always consider the relationship between grower and buyer to be a kind of marriage. We need each other, we depend on each other. But just as in every marriage, not everything goes as well as you would like. Fortunately, this is always resolved quickly.”
Peony season
Greenflor distinguishes itself by the long period in which peonies are available. Marc explains it like this: “We start growing peonies in southern Europe early in the year. When the season for these flowers comes to an end there, the season is starting here in the Netherlands.
