Since the end of 2023, Lydia en Gert-Jan Klaver trade all their flowers under the brand name Klaver Flowers. Alongside lilies, gypsophilas and limoniums, their catalogue keeps expanding with many more varieties. The expansion takes place in Ethiopia, where they own a nursery in the politically stable Sidama region. The combination of cultivars makes the company stronger, according to the Klaver siblings, brother and sister. Ethiopia still offers plenty of opportunities.
Our meeting space in the new modern-looking office building had already offered us a view of the Klaver Flowers greenhouses in Heerhugowaard. After the meeting with Gert-Jan en Lydia Klaver we go on a cycle tour of the greenhouses, which hold lilies in all stages of development. They form a block of 14 hectares, 6.5 of which consist of rented widespan greenhouses.
We pass a Furora bunching machine with a sleeving machine next to it. Both have only been here for one year, Gert-Jan explains. “It has been a substantial investment, but it allows us to process 7 ha of flowers more efficiently. The sorting, bunching and wrapping is 60 percent faster now.” The adjacent cold stores contain several boxes of lilies. “Most go to retailers in England,” Gert-Jan continues. “The premium product lines keep showing growth there. The English are quite willing to pay more for quality lilies.”
