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Kekkilä PrimeFLOW brings a unique air and water management solution for growers of young plants

Today at IPM Essen Kekkilä Professional introduces a new product, namely Kekkilä PrimeFLOW, a unique substrate mixture containing renewable wood fibre. Kekkilä PrimeFLOW is produced with inventive solution in Kekkilä-BVB’s factories, which ensures uniform mixing so that the wood fibre is properly fluffed. This enables easy and smooth potting without oversized lumps of fibre or impurities. Kekkilä PrimeFLOW offers growers a product that has good air/water balance, for a competitive price compared to perlite.  Kekkilä PrimeFLOW is in production and ready for orders.

Kekkilä PrimeFLOW is developed and tested to improve the growing conditions for bedding plant growers, young plant growers and tree nurseries. “We want to offer both sustainable and cost-efficient solutions for our customers. In continuous dialog with them we are constantly improving our offering for a better growing environment. Kekkilä PrimeFLOW answers some of the requirements of our customers such as products with improved drainage in finer fractions without perlite. With this new product we can bring solutions for tray mixes at a lower price and high-quality material for robotic transplanters.” says Guido Linders, Director, BU Professional growing.

Kekkilä PrimeFLOW solves several issues in small pot production

Nedeljko Basic, the product manager for Kekkilä PrimeFLOW highlights the unique benefits for the growers: “The clear benefits for the small pot grower are tangible. The wood fibre in the mixture ensures reduced shrinkage and increases solids in the mix, improving physical properties. The best usage of fertilizers and water thanks to Higher EAW (Easily available water) is one of the key features of Kekkilä PrimeFLOW. It brings along specific pore size distribution which is the most important factor for the plant’s growth. Furthermore, the optimum level of capillarity forces for all types of irrigation systems makes this product available for all small pot growers.”

Kekkilä PrimeFLOW is completing the Kekkilä FLOW family, which already includes three sustainable products that improve water management: Kekkilä SafeFLOW, Kekkilä EasyFLOW and Kekkilä SteadyFLOW.

Read more: https://www.kekkilaprofessional.com/products/ornamental-and-pot-plants/flow/

Read more about Kekkilä-BVB´s concrete sustainability cases here: kekkila-bvb.com/sustainability

Contact:

Guido Linders, Director BU Professional growing: guido.linders@kekkila-bvb.com tel. +31 (0)653273109

Nedeljko Basic, Product Manager: nedeljko.basic@kekkila-bvb.com, tel. +358 (0)406324837

Kekkilä Professional is a premier brand of high-quality growing solutions for global modern horticulture. Kekkilä Professional is a brand of Kekkilä-BVB, the European leader in horticulture. We provide products and services for professional greenhouse growers, consumers and landscapers to over 100 countries worldwide. We have strong product brands within the professional and consumer growing markets, trading under the names of BVB Substrates, Kekkilä Professional, Kekkilä Garden, Hasselfors Garden, Jardino and Florentus. Together with our customers we grow for a better future. Kekkilä-BVB is a part of Vapo Group.
www.kekkila-bvb.com

BVB Substrates introduces sustainable new innovation for acid loving crops

The new product in BVB Substrates’ portfolio, BVB Quick Rooting Acid Loving Substrate, is a mixture suitable for the cultivation of acid-loving crops.  BVB Accretio is used as one of the raw materials. Its unique physical and chemical properties help crops to develop strong root systems more quickly. BVB Accretio is a new raw material made of sphagnum moss. It offers many advantages for growing acid-loving crops, such as quick rooting, which is important for enclosing the roots well while providing sufficient drainage.This ensures the availability of air to the rootzone.

“Recent research shows that adding BVB Accretio to substrates quickens the rooting of crops thanks to the increased porosity of the mixture. BVB Accretio ensures that the plant roots can access water evenly at any time due to the improved water holding capacity it gives the substrate.” says expert product manager Bram van Brommel.

The chemical characteristics of BVB Accretio are particularly suitable for acid-loving crops e.g. due to a low pH level. It provides a good pH-buffer which steadies the pH level throughout the growing stages, making the mixture reliable and stable.

BVB Accretio – a sustainable raw material

The origin of BVB Accretio is in Finland where there is approximately 300.000 hectares of land area suitable for the collection of this moss. Sphagnum moss is a renewable material, which means that it grows back after harvesting and is ready to be harvested again in 20-30 years. Research shows that the harvest doesn’t have a negative impact on the environment.

In addition to the fact that the extraction of the raw material has minimal impact on the ecosystem, it also has a relatively low weight. This means that the transport of BVB Accretio has a smaller environmental footprint.

“For Kekkilä-BVB, sustainability is about a change in how we as a company do business, taking into account the whole value chain. We are focusing on how we can help our customers in the most sustainable way. Using sustainable raw materials such as Accretio in our products helps our customers in their way of doing sustainable business.” says Guido Linders, Director BU professional growing.

Read more: https://www.bvb-substrates.nl/en/bvb-accretio-sustainable-raw-material-for-substrates/

Contact:

Guido Linders, Director BU Professional growing, guido.linders@kekkila-bvb.com,

tel. +31 (0)6 53 273 109

Bram van Bommel, Product Manager for Tree Nurseries, bram.van.brommel@kekkila-bvb.com,

tel. +31 (0)6 55 737 557

BVB Substrates was founded in the Netherlands over 100 years ago. High quality, tailormade growing media under the BVB substrates brand are sold directly to professional growers worldwide. BVB Substrates is a brand of Kekkilä-BVB, the European leader in horticulture.  We provide products and services for professional greenhouse growers, consumers and landscapers to over 100 countries worldwide. We have strong product brands within the professional and consumer growing markets, trading under the names of BVB Substrates, Kekkilä Professional, Kekkilä Garden, Hasselfors Garden, Jardino and Florentus. Together with our customers we grow for a better future. Kekkilä-BVB is a part of Vapo Group.
www.kekkila-bvb.com

Premium-Qualitäts Rinden- und Mulchprodukte über Kekkilä-BVB‘s neue Produktionslinie in Grubbenvorst

Grubbenvorst, Niederlande – Kekkilä-BVB, ein internationaler Marktführer in der Herstellung von professionellen Gartenbausubstraten und Blumenerden für den Einzelhandel, freut sich, die vollständige Inbetriebnahme seiner neu installierten Rinden- und Mulchsiebanlage im Werk Grubbenvorst bekannt zu geben. Die Installation markiert einen neuen Meilenstein in punkto verbesserter Produktionseffizienz und Produktqualität und stellt darüber hinaus sicher, dass Kekkilä-BVB die sich entwickelnden Bedürfnisse seiner vielfältigen Kundenbasis voll umfänglich erfüllt.

Mit der Einführung der neuen, hochmodernen Siebanlage stärkt Kekkilä-BVB seine Position für die Belieferung von Rinden- und Mulchprodukten in allen Qualitäts-Segmenten. Kunden profitieren dabei von einer verbesserten Qualitätskontrolle und einer breiteren Palette unterschiedlicher Rohstoff-Fraktionen (Partikelgrößen), die auf ihre spezifischen Anforderungen zugeschnitten sind. Die Weiterentwicklung erweitert nachhaltig das Angebot von Kekkilä-BVB an seine Kunden in allen belieferten Vertriebssegmenten und deren individuelle Bedürfnisse.

Mit der Inbetriebnahme der neuen Siebanlage folgt Kekkilä-BVB seiner Ausrichtung einer konsequent selbstständigen, und unabhängigen Produktionsausrichtung und reduzierten Abhängigkeit von externen Lieferanten. Diese Veränderung macht das Unternehmen Kekkilä-BVB autark, ermöglicht zudem eine planungssichere Produktion von sowohl losem Material (Schüttgut) wie auch einer Abfüllung der Rinden- und Mulchprodukte in Säcke.

Kekkilä-BVB plant die vollständige Betriebsbereitschaft und vollumfänglichen Produktionskapazitäten der neuen Anlage per Ende Januar 2024 vorzuhalten. Alle bestehenden Kunden wie potentielle Neukunden sind eingeladen die diesbezüglichen Möglichkeiten ihrer Produktpalette zu diskutieren. Ob es sich dabei um einzigartige Orchideenmischungen, natürliche Wegbedeckungen im Garten oder kundenindividuelle Produktzusammensetzungen handelt, wir freuen uns über Ihre Kontaktaufnahme.

Weitere Informationen
Michael Christoffer
Vice President, Retail Sales, BA Central Europe
michael.christoffer@kekkila-bvb.com
+491714649969

Kekkilä-BVB ist ein europäischer Marktführer im Gartenbau. Wir bieten Produkte und Dienstleistungen für professionelle Gewächshausgärtner, Konsument und Landschaftsbauer in über 100 Ländern weltweit an. Wir haben starke Produktmarken in den Märkten für professionelles und Konsumentwachstum, die unter den Namen BVB Substrates, Kekkilä Professional, Brill Substrates, BVB Landscaping, Kekkilä Garden, Hasselfors Garden, Algomin, Jardino, Florentus und TerraBrill handeln. Gemeinsam mit unseren Kunden wachsen wir für eine bessere Zukunft. Kekkilä-BVB ist Teil der Neova Group. kekkila-bvb.com

 

(Für eine größere Version auf das Bild klicken, hochauflösende Versionen auf Anfrage verfügbar)

 

Grüner und gesünder Welt

Allgemeine Geschäftsbedingungen

Karriere bei Kekkilä-BVB

Leute unterstützen

Kekkilä-BVB hat Konsultationsverfahren zu zwei Produktionsstandorten in Mitteleuropa eingeleitet

Als Teil seines Effizienzprogramms hat Kekkilä-BVB eine Vorstudie zu Maßnahmen zur Optimierung der Fixkosten der Kultursubstratproduktion in Mitteleuropa gestartet. Der Schwerpunkt liegt dabei auf der Optimierung der Produktionsmengen aller Wachstumsmedien, der Standorte der Produktionsanlagen und der Logistikkosten, um die aktuelle und erwartete Marktnachfrage in den nächsten Jahren zu erfüllen. Auf Grundlage der Überprüfung verfügt Kekkilä-BVB über einen vorläufigen Plan zur Schließung der Produktion in Georgsdorf (Deutschland) und Hardenberg (Niederlande).

Den vorläufigen Plänen zufolge könnte die Produktion in den anderen Produktionsstandorten von Kekkilä-BVB effizienter organisiert werden. Geplant ist zunächst, die Kultursubstratproduktion vom Standort Georgsdorf in Deutschland an die Produktionsstandorte in den Niederlanden und die Gartenbauproduktion vom Standort Hardenberg an den Standort Drachten in den Niederlanden zu verlagern. Von den vorgesehenen Änderungen wären maximal 43 Stellen betroffen, davon 33 in Georgsdorf und 10 in Hardenberg. Kekkilä-BVB hat den deutschen und niederländischen Arbeitnehmervertretern eine Einladung zur Beratung über die Pläne geschickt.

„Wir prognostizieren Veränderungen auf dem Markt, die durch die Nachfrage der Kunden und Verbraucher getrieben werden, verbunden mit einem hohen Maß an Wettbewerb. Neue, zirkuläre Rohstoffe werden enorme Auswirkungen auf unsere Betriebsabläufe haben und sich auf unsere Lieferketten und unsere Ausrüstung auswirken. „Als Kekkila-BVB befinden wir uns in einer Übergangsphase, in der wir unser Produktionsnetz optimieren und in unsere wichtigsten Produktionsanlagen investieren, um für die Zukunft gerüstet zu sein“, sagt Jarmo Santala, Senior Vice President, Business Area Central Europe, Kekkilä-BVB.

Die Optimierung der Betriebsabläufe von Kekkilä-BVB begann im vergangenen Jahr in den nordischen Ländern, wo das Unternehmen die Produktionsstätten in Haukineva, Finnland und Bredaryd, Schweden schloss.

„In diesem Jahr haben wir die Situation der Produktionsbetriebe auch in Mitteleuropa überprüft. „Mit der jetzt geplanten Reorganisation der Produktion könnten wir die aktuellen Kultursubstratprodukte effizienter herstellen und hätten in unseren Fabriken weiterhin die nötige Kapazität, um das geplante Wachstum zu ermöglichen“, fährt er fort.

 

Mehr Informationen

• Jarmo Santala, Kekkilä-BVB, Senior Vice President, Geschäftsbereich Zentraleuropa, Tel. +358 40 801 9191
• Ahti Martikainen, Neova, Direktorin für Kommunikation und öffentliche Angelegenheiten, Tel. +358 40 680 4723

Arjen van der Meer: A lifetime of growing

Arjen grew up in a horticultural family and trained in agricultural education. His father grew Cymbidiums, flowers that are only harvested during the winter period. During his studies, Arjen helped his father in the company during the winter period, but in the spring and summer he could always be found at Bas van Buuren where there was always work to be done.

After graduating in May at about the age of 20, there was still work in orchid cultivation, so it was almost automatic that he started working for Bas van Buuren. In September it was the intention to start working for his father in the Cymbidiums, but in August he was approached by the then owner Mart van Buren who asked him if he was interested in taking over the plant manager position as their then manager was going to leave. Arjen thought that he was still a bit too young, but eventually gave in to the charm of Mart van Buren (the then owner), helped by his father who advised him to take on this adventure and see a bit more of the world than just growing flowers.

Bas van Buuren was then a much smaller company than it is today, with only a few trucks and two halls and relatively small outdoor storage, but he was able to learn a lot there. He was responsible for both transport and production. However, after a few years Arjen started to get restless and wanted a new bigger challenge, so he decided to leave the company. Mart van Buuren understood Arjen’s need to grow and within two weeks came up with a proposal that he could buy a business in Limburg called Euroveen and asked Arjen if he would like to lead this new location. Moving from the West to the South was a big decision, but Arjen finally accepted the opportunity.

Euroveen was a company that was very outdated and carried out all its activities outside, when Arjen started there in 1988 it employed about 10 people. With the promise and intention to invest in technology and buildings at Euroveen and to produce the entire product range at Euroveen, facilitated his decision to take up this challenge. Arjen rolled up his sleeves and got to work. Being responsible in a small business, his duties and responsibilities varied; visiting customers, purchasing raw materials, calculating raw materials and selling prices, hiring new employees, and anything else that was required. He considers himself fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn all facets of the substrate business over the past 33 years and is grateful for the experiences it has brought him.

This brings us to last year. Since the merger of Kekkilä-BVB, Arjen felt that his position has changed significantly from being an all-rounder and having been fully responsible for a production site, to a responsibility for the operational activities only. And he could not optimally use and deploy extensive expertise and was therefore ready for the next challenge. In 2021 Arjen became our first Director of Operation Projects, meaning he now works across our company and with numerous departments managing new projects. One of his projects is that of Brill, he currently plays an essential role in the Brill integration project where he has been able to use both his German skills and his extensive know-how to gain knowledge from our newest colleagues and learn how they work.

In the future, Arjen looks forward to projects that stimulate ownership and entrepreneurship within Kekkilä-BVB by looking for opportunities that respond to market changes, the circular economy and innovation.