• Honselersdijk, September 23rd, 2022 The management of Van den Bos Flowerbulbs and Penning Freesia are pleased and proud to announce today that they have joined forces to strengthen their leading position in the global freesia market.

    With this joining of forces, both companies give substance to their shared vision that further economies of scale are necessary in order to be able to continue to invest in further growth of this thriving and appealing product for the Netherlands. The joining of forces means that Penning’s trading activities will be transferred to Van den Bos. Penning will continue to operate as an independent company in the cultivation and breeding of freesia and amaryllis, and Penning will also continue to trade in the dry sale of freesia.

    (f.l.t.r.) Frans van der Weiden and Daan Vermeer
    At the table (f.l.t.r.): Marko Penning, Peter Penning, Robert Piek

    Robert Piek, CEO at Van den Bos: “Penning is a highly respected company that has built up a solid position in the global freesia market over a period of more than 95 years. I am very happy with this joining of forces. I am convinced that our companies strengthen each other and that together we can ensure continuity of the beautiful product freesia. Together we can invest more in marketing, product development, quality and improvements in logistics processes.

    Marko Penning, General Manager of Penning: “The addition of our freesia range at Van den Bos is an important step forward. Van den Bos is the market leader in the export of flower bulbs for professional nurseries. I am convinced that our range will benefit from the scale they have achieved in the meantime. Together we can build on strengthening our position and on even better cooperation with our international customers.”

    About Van den Bos

    Since 1946, Van den Bos has been active in the cultivation, storage, preparation and trade of lilies, freesias and calla for professional floriculture. In this field of flower bulbs – in which Dutch companies have a global dominant position – Van den Bos is the market leader in the product freesia. In addition to the Penning range, Van den Bos also trades the freesia varieties from Royal van Zanten and various other breeders. The company employs approximately 100 people worldwide.

    About Penning

    Penning was founded in 1926 and has been active in the breeding of freesia since the 1960s, and also in the breeding of amaryllis since the 1980s. The company is located in Honselersdijk and is led by cousins Marko and Peter Penning. The company has 18 employees. The trade in freesias in the Netherlands and abroad is done by Niels Drughorn, who will be strengthening the sales team at Van den Bos as of 1 January.

    Future

    Van den Bos and Penning will continue to operate as independent companies, where in addition to cooperation in trade, cooperation in services will also be continued. Together they will focus on strengthening commercial activities. As a consequence of this acquisition, Penning’s own production of freesia tubers in Morocco will eventually be discontinued and moved to Van den Bos’s New Zealand production. The consequences of this step for both organizations will be carefully examined in detail in the coming weeks. In any case, Niels Drughorn will strengthen the sales team at Van den Bos as of 1-1-2023.