The Ambassador
Theo Plasmeijer of Hilverda De Boer calls himself an ambassador of Dümmen Orange, and of chrysant Pina Colada. He is always happy to explain why he is so enthusiastic about their products. And with reason. Theo is a very energetic person with a lot of passion for his job. One of the characteristics of why he likes Pina Colada so much is that this flower really blooms before your eyes. "That is quite rare with this kind of chrysant." 
Who is Theo Plasmeijer?
"I have always worked in the flower business. No wonder, with parents that ran their own flower business. In 1987, three years after I enrolled in this trade I became a flower buyer. Because of my activities in committees related to my work I was always up-to-date with all the latest developments, such as including the digitalization of the clocks. As a flower buyer, I have been involved with a lot of product groups, like statice, limonium, anthurium, gladiolus, orchids, cut greens, protea, and chrysants. Since 2014 I am working at Hilverda De Boer. Besides waxflowers, limonium, and gladiolus I am a specialist chrysant buyer. This includes all types of chrysants: disbudded, spray, and santini."
Theo Plasmeijer is a fan of Pina Colada
How do you buy your chrysants, still at the clocks?
"Already in 2002, I started buying orchids directly from growers, and I liked this idea of dealing with the grower and control over the prices. So, that is what I have always been doing since, also when I started buying chrysants."
What do you think of chrysant Pina Colada?
"About five years ago I went to the flower trials at Dümmen Orange. At that time Pina Colada was just a number, not yet a name. When I saw the flower amongst all the other new species, I pointed at it and said immediately that this was the one that I wanted, that one was going to make it. You could say, it was love at first sight. Eventually, the flower got his name Pina Colada and my regular network grower Sensation started growing it. I like the way this flower blooms, the green spot in the middle that is clearly visible year-round, the power that comes from this flower, and the outstanding shelf life. I also particularly like the fact that Pina Colada is a blooming flower, you can really see it grow in the vase. This is quite unusual for this kind of chrysant.
"I don't drink any alcohol, so this is the only Pina Colada that I like"
A big plus for growers is that this flower has a good yield per meter. I have been buying this variety right from the beginning since the first availability in April 2016, and I am still doing this with great satisfaction."
Where do you ship your Pina Colada chrysants?
"The vast majority, about 80%, of these flowers are shipped to Russia. Actually, Pina Colada is wanted in the whole of Eastern Europe, also in countries like Poland, and Slowakia. The flower is strong enough to be transported over big distances, such as Holland to Russia. Therefore, Pina Colada is gaining on recognition in the Russian market."
Which colors of Pina Colada do you buy?
"Our customers mainly want white Pina Colada. We also buy some of the yellow variety. If you ask me, quality-wise it does not differ which variety of Pina Colada you get. They all come from the original, which is the white one. Therefore, they are basically of the same quality."
What do you hear from your sales colleagues about Pina Colada?
"I hear from our sales department only positive comments about Pina Colada. They report almost no claims on this type of spray chrysant. Having a steady variety like this is very important in the relationship between an exporter and his customers. The flower is used for any kind of purpose, as a mono bunch, and in bouquets, in small table decorations for hotels. In Russia, it is popular to make toy animals from these chrysants, like dogs, bears, monkeys, all very creative. Concluded, I am very happy that I was able to pick up Pina Colada already five years ago. I am still very happy with this nice spray chrysant, and so are our customers."
