RZ-100-wt4-E-flipbook-240702 - Flipbook - Page 57
This makes 1964 an important year for investments.
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62
Deciso
Lettuce
Not only does Rijk Zwaan take the first serious step
towards penetrating the foreign market, but the
purchase of the land in De Lier has created the
basis for sufficient possibilities to grow even more.
Arie Vijn, the man who has been at Rijk Zwaan’s
side from the onset, is with the company just long
enough to see the changes take shape. He reaches
retirement age in 1964 and leaves the business in
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63
Magiola
Lettuce
which, for forty years, he had kept tight control over
the company’s financial affairs, a talent that Rijk
Zwaan had lacked. He had also made his mark in
the sector, holding Board positions in the IVT, ‘het
Productschap voor Tuinbouwzaden’ and the NAKG.
Plenty of introductions
Many members of these organisations are there-
of lettuce in the
fore in attendance at his farewell.
catalogue 1962-1963.
Herman Beeftink is Arie Vijn’s successor. Herman
The success in Germany tastes like more. In 1966,
has extensive experience in the seed business,
Rijk Zwaan continues on its chosen path, and
having previously also worked in Enkhuizen with
Belgium and the Scandinavian countries join the
Rijk Zwaans brother Hendrik.
list of export countries. A year later France and
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64
Rijk Zwaan buys
first plots of land
in De Lier.
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64
Arie Vijn
retires.
the UK are added. While sales in Germany are still
Growth and flowering
three times higher in 1965 than exports to the
Although the now ‘old man’ Zwaan has only
other countries, by 1969 the German subsidiary’s
reluctantly agreed – on the advice of, amongst
sales are already overtaken by exports to the other
others, his son Jaap – to allow the company to
countries. For this reason, the developments in the
try its luck abroad as well, it is precisely this new
1960s can be regarded as the starting point of the
venture that starts to bear fruit. In the 1960s,
‘globalisation’ of Rijk Zwaan.
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64
Acquisition of
Heemann &
Van Dok (D)
Rijk Zwaan grows rapidly. To start with, Rijk can
still admonish his advisers, as the German branch
Demand in the Netherlands also increases
suffers significant losses in the first two years, but
enormously during these years. The demand for
in 1966 it makes a profit for the first time.
quality seeds is mainly caused and driven by the
Indeed, in that year the German subsidiary
much-increased
makes a profit of 100 thousand guilders on
intensification of
turnover of 900 thousand guilders. Rijk Zwaan
horticulture.
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64
Launch of
RZ Welver (D)
can feel well satisfied.
1962-1963
The first Rijk Zwaan logo,
1960-1980 | Time for expansion
the so-called ‘seal logo’,
Prijscourant
used in the 1960s.
1962-1963.
55
Turnover
FTE
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