The history of the Floral Trade Group Group dates back almost five decades. Since then virtually everything that could possibly change, has changed. However, one thing has characterised the company since day one: a resolute dedication to simplifying customers’ lives. He grew carrots with his father. However, his father left the business and Willem had no desire to continue the profession alone and
became a line driver. He drove a truck to Germany, where he sold flowers, as did many other young entrepreneurs at the time. As the years went by, Willem’s knowledge of the German language grew and he acquired more of a feeling for the trade, as well as a growing number of customers. He had four sons who were eager to join the business: Henk, Hans, Willem Jr. and Anton. They did so in 1986 and all developed their own line. Sales grew in more countries. Growth that endures to this very day. Henk, Hans, Willem Jr. and Anton learned the trade in the ‘old-school’ manner. They are all familiar with the business practices. They know what happens at a florists or retailer and when things are tense. They are aware of the value of personal contact in a customer/supplier relationship. They apply this knowledge in a world in which the process of ordering flowers and plants is becoming increasingly automated. Shortly after the turn of the century, the Floral Trade Group moved from Aalsmeer to its own company premises in Rijnsburg. The new building provided space for growth, which also followed. This was achieved by expanding the existing customer portfolio by taking over other companies, by creating an online shop and by adding product categories. Van der Plas merger with Heembloemex is especially worth mentioning; it meant that from then on the management consisted of Henk, Hans, Wim Jr. and Anton Van der Plas plus Cees de Mooij. Heembloemex is an export company, which has operated for decades, focusing on wholesale and retail with a substantial trade in flower imports and decorative materials. Consequently, the Floral Trade Group now has everything the customer could possibly need for his or her shop. Flowers, plants, decorative and other materials. In other words: it offers one-stop shopping. plaatje-2Today the Van der Plas Group has dozens of trucks on the road. A minority of these are used exclusively for line driving; an ever-increasing share of sales is made via the online shop. However, this does not mean that the customer misses out on personal service. Every customer is assigned his or her own account manager whom he or she can contact any time of day. The online shop/account manager combination ensures that customers can make their purchases every day based on up-to- date market knowledge from the largest assortment of flowers, plants and decorative materials. The Floral Trade Group line drivers possess an innate awareness of the importance of fresh daily products. The company provides next-day delivery, six days a week. The emergence of the Internet heralded a huge change for the Floral Trade Group and its customers. Contact with the flower truck several times a week was transformed into daily purchases (and deliveries) via the online shop. The Floral Trade Group is the ultimate partner for florists and retailers all over Europe because it combines the power of modern Internet sales with traditional views on product quality and delivery reliability.
