Heemskerk Flora, a family business founded in 1988 by Koos and Jan-Kees Heemskerk, is located at the FloraHolland Rijnsburg auction site. Early on, the company committed itself to direct deliveries from the nursery, bypassing the auction clock. This way, florists could not only count on the best flowers but also on optimal freshness. This strategy paid off for them as where they once started with a single line to Germany, this quickly expanded to multiple lines to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
With a spacious location at the auction site, well-running lines, a busy webshop, and a modern fleet of vehicles, Heemskerk Flora is a company that has great pride in itself. Founders and owners Koos and Jan-Kees have simply built a company where the pursuit of quality is the driving force behind everything. By never deviating from these ideals, Heemskerk Flora can now be called a leading company within the horticultural sector.
Someone who knows all about the importance of personal contact with the customer is Leon de Mooij, account manager at Heemskerk Flora. For Leon, direct and personal contact with the customer plays a very important role. He regularly visits customers in Switzerland, where he continuously identifies areas for improvement, which he immediately implements upon returning to the Netherlands. Leon says that: "You need to know what your customer is concerned with and where you can add value. Only then can you make a difference."
Another development is the entry of the younger generation, both at Heemskerk Flora and among its customers. Within the family business, this is reflected in active use of social media, where Heemskerk Flora has gained popularity among florists throughout Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. But the next generation also brings new opportunities with them among customers. It is mainly the new generation of florists who see the added value of a webshop, while the older florist still greatly values visiting a wholesale market. Leon explains: "Convenience serves the people, and our customers find that convenience in being able to order through the webshop and receive personal delivery via our own line."
Of the flowers sold, Leon says that there is always a chrysanthemum included. According to him, this is due to the great variety of available types, shapes, and colors. However, the santini forms the largest part of the chrysanthemums traded by Heemskerk Flora, followed by special disbuds chrysanthemums like the dahlia-shaped Kalimba or the pompom-shaped Playtime.
A large part of the chrysanthemums traded by Heemskerk Flora consists of varieties that Dekker once brought to market. With santinis as the main group, we see well-known varieties like AAA Peptalk, AAA Purpetta, and AAA Aurinko frequently. But the exclusive forms like AAA Bluff and small-flowered Madibas are also often ordered by customers. Leon sees a nice resemblance between Heemskerk Flora and Dekker: both strive for the highest achievable quality, with Leon calling Dekker the leading breeder of chrysanthemums.
Source: dekkerchrysanten.com