Marginpar needs no introduction! However, I am always amazed by their professionalism and dedication to growing quality flowers, and their commitment to the people working for them.
It’s my conviction that the highlights of my visit to Marginpar Holland will also give you a look inside this company and what people, products, and nature are all about. In Marginpar’s words:
"We grow people, our people grow unique flowers".
A Short History of Marginpar
The story of Marginpar began in 1988, with the founders Bate and Jill Koning in Zimbabwe. The focus was growing vegetables, but there was a need to diversify into other seed crops. However, in the spirit of doing something new, they started growing Hypericums in Zimbabwe. The political instability within the country around the year 2000 compelled them to consider investing in other stable countries. Marginpar looked into Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania.
What’s exceptional about Marginpar as a grower is their courage to try new things, pioneer new products, and explore uncharted waters. They pride themselves on their unique Clematis, which they collaboratively developed with a breeder more than two decades ago! Of course, there are impeccable qualities of their Aster, Solidago, and Craspedia varieties. You cannot fail to mention the crazy yet captivating Jatropha Firecracker.
Helena van Achterberg, Brand Manager, knows that top floral designer Dmitry Turcan is a big fan of their Clematis varieties; he once said:
“It's like a butterfly flying above your bouquet.”
The Tales of People, Products, and Nature
Helena van Achterberg, with a background in television and events, has been with the grower for the past five years. She firmly believes that there is power when you own your story and tell it yourself. Leveraging her skills in storytelling and expertise from script writing, directing, and editing programs from her mainstream media days, Helena helped her team package Marginpar’s story of people, products, and environment in a very good way. The result has been a surge in the Marginpar brand’s power and positioning in different market segments.
From collaborating with top floral designers like Hanneke Frankema to launching its magazine five years ago, named 'The Story of M'. The story that began with a focus on people, products, and nature, has brought Marginpar’s story to the spotlight! Now it is ingrained in their culture that their stories are theirs to tell, through their bi-annual magazine, collaborations with different florists, and the farms across, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Kenya. Their video series 'Ask Marginpar' captures the true essence of this grower producing unique products with the signature of its people!
Quality Products, Sustainability, and Social Responsibility
The production of quality products is Marginpar’s signature, it is a culture and therefore quality checks at the farm point are crucial before the shipment of any products to the Netherlands. Continuous vase life tests for both existing and new varieties are done to identify ways to improve. Marginpar also works with Royal FloraHolland laboratories for bacteria counts among other tests. Chrysal is an important partner for them from the farms' post-harvest and throughout the chain to ensure their product quality is not compromised upon harvesting, shipping, and arrival at the destination.
With the ever-changing climate, Marginpar is conscious when it comes to sustainable growing and production of their flowers. An impressive 95% of all Marginpar’s flowers are FSI certified, but it's not about the environment alone but also socially, the grower is doing exceptionally well! 4,000 employees working at Marginpar are entitled to education, healthcare among other benefits like hot lunches, and water points (allowed to be carried home). Solar panels have significantly reduced over-dependency on non-renewable electricity sources!
A Look Into the Future, Innovation, and More Innovation
Marginpar is relentlessly investing more into the future, with a desire to grow to a 450-ha production area, they are banking on its numerous trial sites and innovative test fields for different products across the four countries. The huge trial sites give them a leg up when it comes to selecting and pioneering new and unique sets to conquer markets soon.
Breeder partnerships have always been Marginpar's strength, with relationships spanning more than two decades. Collaborations and close relations with breeders, just to name a few: H. & Br Van Den Bosch BV (specializing in Hypericums), Kwekerij Sinnich BV (expert in Eryngiums), J. Van Zoest BV (known for the Amazing® Clematis), R. De Jong (an Astrantia breeder), among others, will contribute immensely to the future success!
I hope you found the story of Marginpar insightful and you got a glimpse of why prioritizing people, products, and the environment is a winning strategy when it comes to building a sustainable and effective company. Keep it Thursd not to miss my next blog!
