In 2021, Luiten Kwekerij contacted Havecon to discuss plans for a possible new facility. It involved a brand new site of almost 6 hectares in Pijnacker, intended for the cultivation of indoor and Mediterranean plants. During the talks, all wishes and requirements were discussed and incorporated into a complete story. Towards the end of 2021, parties came to a joint agreement, and in 2022, the project was started and delivered.
Luiten Kwekerij once started, under the leadership of Wim Luiten, in cut flowers in Bleiswijk. Soon after its conception, it switched to growing potted plants, including yuccas. The assortment was subsequently expanded to include Mediterranean plants, enabling the company to offer a wide range of plants. Wim Luiten did not have a successor himself, so Frans van Dijk (2008) and Jeroen Soeterbroek (2013) joined the management and today run the company together. They do this with the help of a permanent group of enthusiastic employees.
Luiten Kwekerij supplies a wide range of plants. The focus here is on supplying retail, garden centers, and DIY markets in Europe, with Germany, France, Scandinavia, and the Benelux as the main markets. Due to the loss of a fellow grower, Dracaena was also added to the range at the beginning of this year.
At the beginning of 2018, the nursery moved from Bleiswijk (1.8 ha) to the Hoefslag in Pijnacker (3 ha) to grow further. But a lack of space arose here, too, especially to process all orders. And so, new building plans arose in early 2021.
Luiten Kwekerij found a suitable plot at Lange Campen, also in Pijnacker, of almost 120,000 m2, which met the requirements. The new building consists of 52,000 m2 of greenhouse and 6,900 m2 of processing space. Any further growth in the future is also possible at this location. The processing area is also covered with over 2,700 solar panels integrated into the deck system. Of the total yield, 40% is self-used, and 60% is fed back.
Good connection
“From the first conversation, there was a good connection between us and Havecon,” says Jeroen Soeterbroek. Both companies knew each other through others but had not worked together before. A number of issues during the process ultimately convinced Luiten Kwekerij to realize the project with Havecon. In combination with Voorwinden Groep, Havecon proved to have enough in-house capacity and strength to build the greenhouse within the desired planning. There is also a lot of knowledge in-house to look at the possibilities in the project, and they immediately thought ahead to a possible future expansion.
Luiten Kwekerij is looking positively towards the future in the moving market it operates in. With increasing demand from retail, collaborations within the industry are bound to emerge. In addition, the company wants to further increase sustainability by using e-boilers and hot water storage, for example. And who knows, maybe the next phase will fit the bill in a few years’ time.
For more information:
Havecon 
www.havecon.com