You have to move with the times and not stand still

Standing still is not something Kings Art Flowers does well. Since its founding in 1954, the family business has grown from a vegetable farm into an internationally operating floriculture company, with locations in the Netherlands, Spain, and, as of this year, Kenya. According to René Koning, the explanation is simple: “You have to keep up with the times.”

That willingness to adapt has been part of the company’s DNA from the start. René’s father, the son of a farmer from the Beemster region, began growing vegetables in Hoogwoud in 1954. The first greenhouse, a wooden structure of just 400 square meters, went up in 1968. When vegetable production no longer generated enough income to support a large family, the company switched to freesias.

“From the freesias onward, things really only went up,” René says. In 1997, he and his brother took over the business and split it into two separate companies, after which their father eventually retired.

Zantedeschia, Matricaria and Scadoxus
Kings Art Flowers has continued to look for new opportunities ever since. When pricing pressure put the cultivation of Zantedeschia under strain around 2013, the company shifted course again. Through a colleague, it began growing Matricaria, which has since become one of its most important crops, used primarily in mixed bouquets. Kings Art Flowers has also spent years developing new Scadoxus varieties.

Across the border
The company’s crop range was not the only thing that changed, it has also sought opportunities beyond the Netherlands’ borders. When energy prices rose sharply in the early 2000s, René took the company’s first step into Spain in 2021. Since then, a further international expansion has followed: through a colleague who still had access to a greenhouse in Kenya, the opportunity arose to begin growing there as well.

“Last year we ran trials, and they went really well,” René says. Production in Kenya is now in full swing, and the next expansion is already being planned. Day-to-day management is largely handled from the Netherlands, with a weekly call over WhatsApp with the Kenyan team every Wednesday. These calls cover everything from crop development and harvest planning to pest pressure. “It works really well.”

Growing in Kenya
Partway through the conversation, René’s son Thomas joins in. As the next generation in the family business, he sees particular potential in Kenya. “We started there this year, and I really see room for expansion,” he says. “First we want to let that grow further. After that, we’ll see what it means for the Netherlands in the long term.”

That does not mean the Dutch location will fade from view, but for now, growth is concentrated in Kenya. Early results are encouraging: production there began on January 10, and the company is already considering further construction.

Sustainability
Kings Art Flowers has also made significant sustainability progress in recent years. Since 2008, the company has sourced most of its heat from a manure digester located about a kilometer away, reducing its annual gas consumption from roughly 400,000 to about 60,000 cubic meters. Gas is only used when the heat supplier cannot provide enough during the winter months. To control bulb mites in its Scadoxus crop, the company also uses a nitrogen system: by replacing nearly all the oxygen beneath a sealed film with nitrogen, it can control the pest without chemical treatment.

According to René, innovation and collaboration will only become more important in the years ahead. He sees the Dutch horticulture sector changing, while the number of available crop protection products continues to shrink. His advice to fellow growers is clear: “Try to keep up with the times. Don’t stand still.”

For more information:
Kings Art Flowers
Herenweg 91
1718 AD Hoogwoud
+31 (0)6 20 62 61 37
[email protected]
www.kingsartflowers.com