The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) members consist of thousands of growers of flowers and ornamental plants around the world who are together united by one essential goal – promoting the place of plants in people’s lives.
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AIPH International Grower of the Year 2024: Gold winner for Young Plants
Mike van Schie, Commercial Director, at Sjaak van Schie B.V. .
When European customers purchase a potted Hydrangea, there’s a high probability that the plant was originally grown by Sjaak van Schie B.V, creators of the HiBreeding and Hy-Pe brands. The company was awarded Gold in the Young Plants category at the AIPH International Grower of the Year 2024. “Thinking globally while working locally” was the praise given by the IGOTY Jury in recognition of this company’s exceptional work. FCI asked its next generation of board members some questions.
Sjaak van Schie’s personal love for carnations sparked the establishment of his cultivation company in 1980. However, as the popularity of carnations decreased, Sjaak made a strategic shift from a cut flower to a potted one: the Hydrangea. This decision, in hindsight, proved to be a masterstroke, as this product has become one of the top-selling pot plants in the indoor and outdoor market.
In just 15 years, Sjaak worked hard to breed the plants to secure access to the right genetics and keep ahead of the sustainability regulations.
Today, the Sjaak van Schie company is one of the largest growers of Hydrangeas in Europe and is a trustworthy supplier of Hydrangeas flowering pot plants in various growth stages, from cutting to finished products.
Now, the company has two locations in the Netherlands and, since 1999, also a large growing area in Portugal due to the ideal climate. At the beginning of this year, the next generation stepped up to the Board as Sjaak stepped back. Roel van Schie (director of operations), along with his brother Mike van Schie (commercial director), is in charge of the company’s strategy and development alongside Fidélio Alegria (CEO).
(Left to Right): Mike van Schie, Sjaak van Schie, Roel van Schie and Fidélio Alegria.
FloraCulture International: Congratulations on winning Gold in the Young Plants Award at the AIPH International Grower of the Year 2024; what does this mean for the Sjaak van Schie team?
Fidélio Alegria: “Thanks! I am very proud of the award we won. We are thankful for this honourable recognition as one of the best growers in the world. Winning this award is a reward for our work as individuals and as a company and will help us further develop our strategy, not only as a breeder or grower but also as a reference for the best sustainability practices and as an ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) company.”
Roel van Schie, Director of Operations.
What ignited the spark for you to enter the IGOTY Awards, and would you recommend others to go through the gruelling jury process?
Fidélio Alegria: “We find it important to make others enthusiastic about our product and to inspire them with all the innovations in the (growing) process and regarding sustainability purposes that we apply in our company. In addition, we think it is important to show how valuable our employees are and how proud we are of their contribution. We do it together. We believe it is important to innovate and strive to keep improving ourselves. Of course, we encourage others to apply. Winning this award gives us as a company a big recognition and a proof of appreciation.”
Fidélio Alegria (CEO).
What is Sjaak van Schie’s biggest strength right now?
Fidélio Alegria: “The people we have in the company. Without the commitment of our colleagues, this would not have been possible, and we would not be where we are today. The latest developments and achievements are thanks to them.”
Aerial view of the Portuguese site.
Can you tell us more about the type of Hydrangeas your customers demand these days?
Mike van Schie: “The house brand we carry is Hy-pe. Hy comes from Hydrangea, and Pe comes from Pegões. Pegões is the place in Portugal where our company is located. This is where the origin of our products is found. We have two product lines: Hy-pe Original and Hy-pe Unique. Customers will find Hydrangeas with the ‘wow factor’ in the Hy-pe Unique range. These are special varieties. Some of these varieties are exclusively available to customers through our nursery.
In the Hy-pe Original range, customers will mainly find varieties from HiBreeding, a collaboration between The Mastergrowers and Sjaak van Schie B.V. that focuses on developing new Hydrangea varieties by colour.
The selection criteria HiBreeding applies to include firmness, longevity, re-blooming, and flower head size. We consider market demand when developing and selecting new products, as we want our products to meet customer needs best.”
Flowering Hydrangeas.
What has been the secret to your thriving supplier base – do your values, knowledge, portfolio, competitive prices, or logistic capability attract them?
Roel van Schie: “By creating a focus towards the Hydrangea, we can be the best at what we do. Every day, we learn and grow a little as a company in all aspects you mention. So, the secret is to keep learning and growing in all topics and create a strong focus so it’s easier to develop and create a loyal customer base.”
Do you also supply internationally? Which nation is your leading consumer? And what products from your portfolio are in the most demand there?
Mike van Schie: “The young plants we sell as a company find their way throughout Europe. If a consumer buys a Hydrangea, there is a nearly 50% chance that this Hydrangea originally came from Sjaak van Schie B.V. The main country where our flowering Hydrangeas end up in the shops is Germany. Blue is the most popular colour among consumers, followed by red, pink and white.
Around certain holidays, there is sometimes more demand for a particular colour, for example, red on Valentine’s Day. Purple Hydrangeas are increasingly in demand, so this is an emerging trend.”
Cuttings in Portugal production.
Can you provide Hydrangea volumes/ratios per year for the following young plant types: unrooted cutting, rooted cutting, half-finished 9.5cm, 12cm, and 14cm?
Mike van Schie: “For unrooted cuttings around 22 million, and rooted cuttings around ten million (for sales).
In total, we produce around eight million half-finished plants in different pot sizes. We sell most of these as young plants to other growers and grow the remainder into flowering plants ourselves.
We focus on our sales flowering Hydrangea department on selling 23cm outdoor Hydrangeas.”
Rooted cutting.
Could you provide the production hectares/acreage? Greenhouse numbers? Is it all in one location?
Fidélio Alegria: “Currently, we have 5.2 hectares in greenhouses and 25 hectares outfield in The Netherlands. This is split between two locations. In Portugal, we are all centralised in one location. We have 5.5 hectares under plastic and glass, one-hectare tunnels, and 28 hectares outfield.
We had more locations in The Netherlands before, but we have chosen to centralise production where we can. An important reason for this centralisation is to improve the grip on costs through automation. Improving the grip on costs has been an important theme in 2023. For this reason, we have also decided to move the young plant production from the Netherlands to Portugal by 2025. This approach will allow us to be more competitive and sustainable in the future.”
Outside field in the Netherlands.
Can you tell us about the tech involved in the production environment, in the open and in the greenhouses?
Roel van Schie: “We automate and centralise the production processes where possible. It starts with sticking the cuttings. We do this on a sticking line where the trays and cuttings come to the employees so they can focus on the sticking and quality. We do all movements by belts or forklifts in the outside field or greenhouses—the mowing and spraying we do by tractor. We put our plants in cool stores to simulate winter or for storage. We have a WPS sorting system for processing the flowering material, so the employees receive only plants that meet the right specifications for packing. For growing, we use a climate computer to control watering and climate. The tech we have supports the specialists we have in our company to create the right product efficiently.”
The open fields in Portugal.
I understand that soil pH affects a Hydrangea’s colour. Can you tell us more about the importance of the growing medium you choose to use?
Mike van Schie: “That’s right. The colour of a Hydrangea is influenced by the pH of the soil in which it grows. Hydrangeas have a particular mechanism called ‘flower colour change’, which is determined by the presence of aluminium ions in the soil combined with the pH level. A low pH level of around four helps to ‘blue’ the plant.”
I am keen to know about Sjaak van Schie’s operation logistics. What does the journey look like for your products from the production fields in The Netherlands and Portugal? How do you manage the operations before shipping?
Roel van Schie: “The origin of the Hydrangeas is at the cultivation site in Portugal, in Pegões. This is where the mother plants are grown. Cuttings are cut from these plants. Some of these cuttings are sold. The other part is grown under ideal climate conditions with the greatest care. A cutting develops into a rooted cutting. This is planted and grows into a dormant plant. We force these half-finished plants in bloom in Portugal. There, the climate is ideal for a Hydrangea to grow. We then transport the plants to The Netherlands just before they flower. We finish growing the plant in The Netherlands in about three weeks. Finally, the plant makes its way to the customer.”
In which way do politics or global events influence the business? Is Brexit a blessing or a curse? Is this legislation or other external influences creating problems or opportunities?
Roel van Schie: “Because we’re active in all activities in the operational chain, we can deliver our young plants to the client later and earlier in the process. As for Brexit, English growers still need the young plants we can supply. Hence, the consumer still receives a plant with the origin of Sjaak van Schie B.V. It’s important that, as a company, you keep acting and preparing on the external factors. Then changes are more an opportunity than a threat.”
Can you tell us about Sjaak van Schie’s journey towards sustainability?
Fidélio Alegria: “We do our best to act as sustainably as possible. Step by step, we are improving the processes in our company. Every year, we evaluate what is going well and what can be improved. In the last few years, we decided to invest in centralising operations by investing in a central cool store, reinforcing cooperation with local suppliers, and investing in solar energy.
Recently, we built two water reservoirs in Portugal. It is important also to be aligned with the demands of our customers regarding sustainability certificates. We must be careful and wisely use our resources, also with an obligation to the next generation.”
Can you tell us more about your sustainable decisions, such as water retention, and how easy or hard it has been to achieve?
Fidélio Alegria: “Sjaak van Schie B.V. uses an ebb and flow system when watering all plants at its site in Maasdijk, The Netherlands. This means that after watering, the water is collected, filtered, and reused. One hundred per cent of the water is recirculated.
Two water basins totalling 40,000 m³ were built at the company in Portugal in 2023. In this way, water is also recirculated in Portugal. Water recirculation in Portugal is not mandatory; in The Netherlands, it is. We aim to grow Hydrangeas in Portugal to the same standards as in The Netherlands. It wasn’t easy to achieve, but we strive to cultivate in the best circumstances. By investing proactively in water recirculation in Portugal, we want to be accountable for our sustainable future and inspire others to do the same steps.
We have several initiatives concerning sustainability. For example, in Portugal, Sjaak van Schie B.V. has 1,000 m2 of solar panels on the roof of the new cold store and covered parking areas, which saves us energy costs.
And, since March 2022, Sjaak van Schie B.V. has been working with Koppert B.V. to purchase biological crop protection (Integrated Pest Management).
Most of Sjaak van Schie’s cultivation takes place outdoors. That means no lighting or gas is needed for the growing climate, which is a significant advantage with current gas prices.
Sustainability is also in the products we sell, as part of the flowering Hy-pe range we present them in seagrass baskets from the sustainable brand Terima Kasih.” (For more information on this brand, see www.terima-kasih.nl.)
What tools or certifications does Sjaak van Schie use in its domestic and international sustainability approach?
Fidélio Alegria: “Certificates received by Sjaak van Schie B.V. are: MPS GAP, S.Q., Grasp, Product proof, ABC. Moreover, Roel van Schie, Director of Operations, is involved in the FPC Hydrangea (Flora Holland Product Committee). Each FPC member works on different themes within the sector. Roel is linked to the sustainability theme and, together with other growers, investigates which materials can be used to package Hydrangeas more sustainably. In cooperation with MPS, we also measure and calculate our footprint every year.”
What is your view of today’s global ornamental horticulture trade compared to yesteryear?
Roel van Schie: “There are many developments going on in our sector, and we have many challenges and opportunities. Compared to the past, developments are happening faster and faster. Topics on the agenda these days include digitalisation, sustainability, cost increases and climate change. These developments make you, as a grower, think about how to safeguard the challenges towards the future together. We do our best to keep up and anticipate developments in the sector and fit customers’ demand.”
Sjaak van Schie Gold Award winner of Young Plants at AIPH International Grower of the Year 2024.
Aside from winning Young Plants at IGOTY24, what has been the most satisfying moment?
Fidélio Alegria: “There were two moments that I will keep forever in my mind. The first was the opening day of our refrigerated warehouse in Portugal. We started from an open field, and in two years, we built it – without the commitment of everyone, it would not have been possible.
The second moment was winning Digital Agriculture of the ‘Prémio Nacional da Agricultura’ in Portugal among 1,300 applications. This recognition from relevant entities, together with the support from the Portuguese government, gave us the trust that we were following a good strategy and gave more energy to the team to pursue more rewards and recognitions, like the one we got from AIPH. Thank you for that.”
