OZ Planten CEO Henk-Willem Spaargaren retiring; Dana Meertens to become  the CEO at major Dutch plant exporter

Managing director Henk-Willem Spaargaren will retire after a remarkable 25-year stint, OZ Planten announced on Tuesday (2 April 2024), and will be succeeded by Dana Meertens.

In 1998, Henk-Willem Spaargaren began his business transformation programme turning the Aalsmeer-based flower exporter OZ Export into  an autonomously operating plant exporting company name trading under the name OZ Planten.

Since then, he has helped  develop the entity into the flourishing organisation that it is today.

In 1999, it was the first company in OZ Group to move to the VBA Zuid industrial park in De Kwakel. That same year, OZ Group merged with Van Duijn Groep to become Dutch Flower Group (DFG).

OZ Planten is renowned as a market-oriented organisation that uses its mission ‘with passion for plants’, to establish a close relationship with growers. OZ Planten also uses its expertise to make daily deliveries of house and garden plants to various customer segments, including wholesalers, garden centres, and retail chains in Europe.

When Henk-Willem Spaargaren leaves on 1 June 2024, Dana Meertens will become the managing director of OZ Planten.

Dana Meertens had already assumed the role of commercial director last year. She has been at Dutch Flower Group for a total of 12.5 years and has occupied various commercial positions at e.g. Intergreen and Van Dijk Flora.

In her new role, she will continue to be responsible for commercial management at OZ Planten.

Henk-Willem Spaargaren says, “I can look back at all these years with pride, and was able to work with my colleagues to build the best plant company in Aalsmeer. I wish Dana the very best of luck as she further develops OZ Planten together with the team.”

The Executive Committee of DFG wants to thank Henk-Willem Spaargaren for his hard work and commitment over the past 25 years, where he build the organisation and relationships with growers and customers.