Bulb giants are set to flourish (From This Is Lancashire)

Bulb giants are set to flourish

10:31am Friday 1st June 2007 in

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THE Bolton office of one of the world's largest flower bulb exporters will celebrate its second birthday next month with company bosses predicting a £2 million growth in turnover over the next year.

De Ree Holland BV, a family firm which has been trading since 1912, opened De Ree UK, a sales, distribution and customer services operation at Paragon House, Chorley New Road in Horwich in July 2005, to improve its market share in the UK bulb market, which is currently worth around £200 million.

In September last year, De Ree made a strategic alliance to combine knowledge, experience, and distribution facilities with one-time rival K. van Bourgondien & Sons Together the companies are the largest player on the world flower bulb market, with an estimated 16 per cent market share of the International trade in flower bulbs, and an annual turnover of £50m.

Phil Heaven, head of the Bolton office, said: "This week the partnership opened a state of the art production and distribution facility, in Lisserbroek, Holland.

"This is six months ahead of schedule and will be the largest bulb factory in the world.

"This is the next major milestone of global supply, of flower bulbs from Holland.

"In the UK the operation of the two companies will also be strategically combined to maintain their traditional identities in established markets.

"This gives us a lot of new product ranges including exclusive bulbs, a top quality brand in garden centres called Simple Pleasures, and water plants.

"It will give us another shot in the arm and should take our turnover from £5m to over £7m this year. Our turnover was £3.2 million in our first year."

Mr Heaven said that the additional strengths of the parent companies, notably in sourcing across continents, is expected to consolidate the UK operation, not only for flower bulbs but for horticultural products including roses and seeds.

In its first year, the Horwich office secured an exclusive deal for the supply of eight new ranges of flower bulbs to more than 225 Focus stores.