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| Members approve merger of FloraHolland and Bloemenveiling Aalsmeer | |
FloraHolland and Aalsmeer Flower Auction (Naaldwijk/Aalsmeer, September 2007) – The merger of Bloemenveiling Aalsmeer and FloraHolland has become a reality. Members of both cooperatives approved the merger proposal last night. This took place at General Assembly meetings held simultaneously in Aalsmeer and Naaldwijk. A two-thirds majority was needed for the merger proposal to succeed. In Aalsmeer, 85 percent voted in favour, while in Naaldwijk the percentage was 79 percent. The merger will take effect on January 1, 2008. The boards and managements of FloraHolland and Bloemenveiling Aalsmeer welcomed the members’ “yes” vote. The decision means that the auction cooperatives will be able to maintain a strong market position for their members and partners in the ornamental flower and plant chain and will be able to adapt their services to the changes taking place in the market. At the General Assembly meetings, both boards and managements emphasised the necessity of the merger. The reasons for the merger are strategic. As service providers, both organisations want to strengthen their joint markets. This can be done easier and more efficiently with a single organisation than with two separate organisations. Furthermore, the merger partners say that by joining forces the strength of the Dutch auction system can be increased, by offering buyers an even broader range of products. The merger is not an end, but a means to be able to vigorously meet the demands of the future as an ornamental flower and plant chain. Another goal of the merger is to limit costs throughout the chain by, among other things, greater standardisation in the chain. Organisation right on track The merger plans were first launched in October last year with the signing of a declaration of intent to merge. Last August, the Netherlands Competition Authority approved the merger. The Association of WholesaleTrade in Floricultural Products (VGB) also supported the merger of the two auction organisations. The coming months will be used to get the organisation of the new joint operation as ready as possible on January 1. The main management positions have now been filled. The investment capacity for the coming five years has been set at a total of EUR 400 million. About the FloraHolland merger combination The new cooperative called FloraHolland offers growers and customers a network of six auction locations (Aalsmeer, Naaldwijk, Rijnsburg, Bleiswijk, Venlo and Eelde), one nationally operating intermediary office and a centrally controlled Import division. Annual sales via FloraHolland total about EUR 4 billion. The aimed-for annual profit of the merged combination is EUR 10 million. The organisation expects sales to grow annually by about three percent. FloraHolland employs 4700 people. |
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