A specialist in the export of a range of flower bulbs and tubers, North Holland-based Zabo Plant is known for the impeccable varieties that it delivers. The 't Zand-based supplier sends millions of bulbs every year to customers around the world, with its biggest clientele being professional potted plant and cut flower producers.
However, to offer its customers even more varieties, Zabo Plant Inc. was established in the United States to cater to the region’s fast-growing market. With this development, its clients across the U.S. and the general North American region have it easy when acquiring its different floral products for their pot plants and cut flowers.
Zabo Plant’s Presence in the U.S. and North American Market
Without a doubt, Zabo Plant plays a critical role in its line of trade, no wonder the prolific growth. In the U.S., this exporter first started out acting as a supplier of floral products from its Holland-based mother company. This was in the 1980s’. Its presence and influence have, therefore, been in the region for quite some time now.
Ko Klaver, the Head of Sales and Marketing at the grower's U.S. subsidiary indicates that the supplier was, however, fully established in the region in the fall of 2000, to fully serve the North American market segment; giving it a much more localized, regional and personalized approach to service delivery.
Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Zabo Plant USA, for that reason, provides conditioned storage and faster shipping of its floral products; with its high-tech and state-of-the-art technologies, such as cooling facilities that guarantee optimal processing and storage of the products. This means its customers always take delivery of high-quality starter material for the floral products they desire.
Zabo Plant, Inc.:
“Our goal is to provide a high-quality product by careful monitoring of all steps throughout the production process. In Pittsburgh, we combine the advantages of a global operating company with a regional, personalized approach.
And since the communication lines are shorter, we can provide optimal customer service and support. Our team of specialists is focused on helping our clients achieve the best results with our products.”
The region's market, also, now has a new system — the New Order Flow System — which is designed to make customers' ordering experience smoother and more convenient and guarantee they receive their products promptly and with minimal hassle.
A Dynamic Market That Presents Many Opportunities
Ko, who has been in the flower business for 35 years; having grown up on a tulip farm in the Netherlands, opines that the North American market consists of multiple segments; but with a strong cut flower industry. There are thousands and thousands of local-based smallholder suppliers who cater to different segments of this market.
There, also, are bigger growers who mainly supply to larger entities like supermarkets, and larger retail stores, amid a growing shift in the way flowers are perceived in America. Previously, in the 90s’, domestically-produced flowers represented roughly 80% of the market, while 20% were imported. But this has now changed, well nigh, conversely.
This notion works well with suppliers, including Zabo Plant USA, which imports and supplies starter material for floral products from Holland to U.S. growers. It also works with proprietary genetics. In the U.S. market, Zabo Plant USA delivers starter material for at least ten different floral products which include perennials, peonies, callas, Roselily, and their premium brands Lily Looks and Prisma Gladiolus.
A Positive Reception of Zabo’s Floral Products in the U.S. Market
According to Ko, working in the U.S. market segment is quite stimulating and thought-provoking. It presents a synthesis of opportunities, good tidings, and sometimes even challenges, all of which Zabo Plant USA under Martijn Verlouw, the General Manager embraces as the key supplier of lilies and callas — among other floral products — to cut flower and potted plant growers in North America.
Ko, for instance, travels for at least 20 weeks per year, visiting the growers who work with Zabo Plant in the North American region. Along with other team members of the Pittsburgh-based supplier, he imparts knowledge to new growers who may have limited knowledge of the processes involved in the flowers’ cultivation, while working together with different American growers.
The reception, he says, has all the time been promising. American growers have a positive view of the Dutch expertise in flower production. They believe Dutch producers are generally knowledgeable in the production of the best floral products. This helps a lot, especially, when it comes to introducing new and different varieties into the market.
Photo by @oregonflowers
But competition has, sometimes, been a challenge as other similar suppliers also deliver their products to the market. This calls for the production of more quality starter materials; which, of course, Zabo Plant, certainly delivers with ease.
Oftentimes, the cost of production has, likewise been an issue. This was, especially so, during the COVID-19 period when practically everything came to a standstill. Coincidentally, it was then that many people had the need to buy flowers, thus the demand was high! Even still, when starting — for Zabo Plant USA — there was the challenge of establishing and endearing itself to the market — just the same way any new entrant into a new market faces almost similar challenges — which, however, Zabo Plant did impeccably.
Even so, there is — well, there always has been — a bright and encouraging future for the cut flower and pot plant market in the U.S. which Zabo Plant comprehensively exploits by delivering the very best of its floral products.
All photos by Zabo Plant unless otherwise indicated.
