RZ-100-wt4-E-flipbook-240702 - Flipbook - Page 81
Besides the financial contribution in the form
19
85
Elvira
Lettuce
of interest-bearing subordinated loans from BP,
Rijk Zwaan will also be able to use the UK group’s
research facilities. Rijk Zwaan will use the cash to
conduct research and development, to improve
logistics and to further expand its international
sales force.
Having managed the share sale, Jaap Zwaan’s
main work is done. He officially retires from
the company in 1989. Although BP would have
preferred that only Anton van Doornmalen took
charge – every BP company has a single managing
director – Anton dismisses this. In consultation
with Ben Tax and Maarten Zwaan, a proposal is
made to appoint a three-member Board, with
each Board member having a specific area of
Significant expansion is also planned in France.
focus and having an equal say.
Further expansion takes place after the
establishment of a subsidiary in France in 1984. The
This gives rise, in 1987, to the new three-man Board,
company’s own plant nursery near Avignon further
consisting of: Anton van Doornmalen, who will take
expands its French sales, and the management of
charge of Commercial Affairs and Seed Production,
Rijk Zwaan is committed to continuing on this path.
Ben Tax, who will be responsible for Human
In Belgium, Rijk Zwaan acquires the company
Resources, Financial and Economic Policy and
Hollandia. The company also continues to expand
Internal Organisation, and Maarten Zwaan, who
in De Lier itself. In 1987, the office buildings are
will run Research and Development as a specific
extended and facilities for the laboratory are added.
The Board of Rijk Zwaan
in 1987: (from left to right)
Maarten Zwaan, Anton van
Doornmalen, chairman
Jaap Zwaan and Ben Tax.
area of focus. Anton van Doornmalen becomes
Chairman of the Board, but this position only
Together with the new parent company, a policy to
holds representative significance. Rijk Zwaan will
significantly expand Rijk Zwaan is clearly outlined.
continue to chart its own course under the new
The considerable investment required for this will
leadership. The three-man Board moves forward
result in start-up losses in the first two years. After
energetically. They draw up a comprehensive
those two years, however, the break-even point is
five-year plan aimed at achieving a five-fold increase
reached and the company will come out of the
in sales in ten years. At that time – it is 1989 –
red. Partly thanks to large-scale investments, sales
Rijk Zwaan turnover is around 30 million guilders,
have now increased by 60 per cent.
which it realises with 180 people.
Rijk Zwaan fully exploits the advantages of
The five-year plan envisages substantial expansion
having a financially strong parent company.
abroad. In Spain and the UK in particular, the five-
And although BP-Nutrition does try to integrate
year plan provides for the creation of their own
Rijk Zwaan somewhat into the group, the
subsidiaries. In addition, the countries of Central
De Lier-based company manages to parry these
and Eastern Europe will initially be covered from
‘attacks’ as much as possible. However, the idea is
the German branch.
beginning to grow there that the parent-subsidiary
relationship will not last long. The Rijk Zwaan Board
is seeing far too many companies coming and
going in the BP group.
1980-1986 | Troubled times | A parent
*BP-Nutrition itself was sold
via a management buy-out
in 1994 and continues as
Nutreco N.V., a Dutch manufacturer of animal nutrition,
fish feed and processed meat
products. In 1997, Nutreco was
acquired by SHV Holdings.
79
1984-1985
Turnover
FTE
14.848
-
