Gediflora

YOU DON’T ACHIEVE THE NUMBER 1 SPOT JUST BY CHANCE!

But you do not become a world leader in breeding and reproducing chrysanthemums by chance. It takes a great deal of dedication, expertise, specialization, and energy. In order to offer growers consistent high quality, you have to enjoy what you do, each and every day. As CEO Elien Pieters from Gediflora says: ‘Enthusiasm is a vital competency in our company!’

Greener fingers than she thought
Elien (35) is the third generation of Pieters in the family business. It is special for various reasons. Primarily because she was not at all sure that her fingers were ‘green’ enough’ to take the reins from her father. ‘I studied commercial sciences because I wanted to see the world and get to know other cultures,’ she explains. ‘I saw my father’s company as somewhere I could earn a bit of extra cash on a Wednesday or at the weekends, not as somewhere I would like to work in a career sense. In 2006, my dad rang and said he had a vacancy. He said he thought I was the right person for the job. His call changed my life.

Wanting to be the best
‘During my interview, my dad spent an hour telling me all about his company; he was full of passion and enthusiasm. There was a world map on his desk and he showed me where we supplied rooted and non-rooted chrysanthemum cuttings to growers. The way he drew me into his vision to be the very best in what he was doing really inspired me. In the end, the very thing I was looking for was right in front of me and there for the taking! So, I took on the role with enormous vigour, launching myself into the world of chrysanthemums like a pit bull. I wanted to know, learn and experience everything and, more than anything else, prove that I was not just ‘the daughter of.’ In 2013, I followed in my father’s footsteps and took on the role of CEO within our business.’

The grower can count on consistent quality
‘We specialize in one product, the chrysanthemum. In this sector, we are a top supplier for our growers. They know that we select the ideal combinations of DNA to produce their absolute best products. Our chrysanthemum is 100% easy to grow and of the very highest quality. But creating consistently high quality is a long and sometimes demanding process. We make huge investments in research and development. Where others may choose to bring a new variation onto the market every two years, we only do so every seven years. And we always make sure we do the right things properly. The growers know which services they can count on and benefit from this sense of reliability. I can guarantee that there is a lot of challenging work going on behind the scenes, but this translates into trust and customer confidence. We always go the extra mile, with a smile!’

Container Centralen; invisible forces
‘The same applies to our use of the trolleys from Container Centralen. Aside from the contact we have with account manager, I do not need to spend a great deal of time or energy on maintaining the collaboration. It just rolls along nicely, much like the trolleys. I’ve never really had to think about how it works because it always runs smoothly. Everything is always fine. That is invaluable in terms of business operations.’

Innovating and learning
‘How can we teach our product salespeople how to sell our products more efficiently, and how can we boost the image of the chrysanthemum? This is something we constantly ask ourselves. With the aim of learning, innovating and ensuring every grower can be truly successful. By ensuring our product is part of a lifestyle and hitching a ride on the growing demand for green and natural products, under the name of the Belgian Mum. We constantly focus on improving our product and processes. ‘Deuredoen’ that is what we call it in West-Flanders.’

First step in the chain has to be sustainable
‘We are very aware of the fact that we are the first step in the chain; it all starts with us. So, we work as sustainably as possible; it is part of our sense of responsibility. We aim to reduce our footprint every year. Sometimes, we achieve a high percentage, sometimes it is a bit lower. But there is always progress. We heat water with residual heat and carefully monitor our use of plastic. Flying is an issue because we take our cuttings to countries such as Brazil and Africa. And we cannot do so without using flights. But let us first focus on our business in Belgium.’

Love your job
‘Perhaps the most important aspect of work is that you should enjoy your job and feel a sense of enthusiasm for what you do. Of course, I do not spend every day walking around with a huge smile on my face. But you do need to enjoy what you do. If you go to work smiling, you will be able to achieve so much more. During job interviews, I always check to see whether there is a ‘click.’ ‘What do you dream of? is a question I often ask. And when people have worked for us for a while, I often make sure they feel proud of what they are doing and whether there is still a good relationship. Then I think about whether they are still working in the appropriate role. That’s really important with a team of 40 permanent employees and the same number of seasonal workers. My dream is to retain the number 1 spot in the world in the long-term. That is what I have signed up for. Doing fantastic things with our product image and sustaining our levels of service and quality, at the very least. I am delighted that it is going so well and enormously proud of the fact that we have been able to weather some pretty heavy storms. And I hope, despite all the pressures of my position and having a family, that I can carry on enjoying the here and now!’