Like many fellow companies, greenhouse builder Kubo has also discovered the international market. Their flagship product, the Ultra-Clima, is ideal for cultivation in extreme climate conditions as found in the Middle East or the Chinese city of Wuhan for example. “Of course, our techniques are being copied”, says director Wouter Kuiper. “That’s why we have to keep developing. It’s the only way to survive.”
At the factory in Monster, two employees are busy milling cutouts in some trusses. A process that’s usually automated, but this particular customer wanted a tailor-made solution. “We manufacture all the different components here in Monster”, explains director Wouter Kuiper. “It’s the best way to stay on top of the quality. I can’t imagine constantly having to fly to the other side of the world, just to check the quality of our steel.
”Between 2000 and 2005, almost all Dutch production was moved to low-income countries, but Kubo made a conscious decision not to do this. As a result, the company had to automate extensively to keep up with the going prices.
Kubo is a family business, founded by Arie Kuiper and Rien Boers immediately after World War II. “People like working for a family business, because there’s always a long-term focus”, according to Kuiper. “Large companies don’t provide the same stability, they’re characterised by mergers, reorganisations, and so on. In family businesses, there’s a stronger social conscience.” Kubo didn’t have to dismiss any permanent staff during the coronavirus crisis.
Click here to read the full article on Kubo in Floribusiness magazine.
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