The VGB has become 100% shareholder of the European horticulture branch of Container Centralen (CC). All other parts of CC are now entirely owned by investment company Erhvervsinvest. CEO Roel de Jong of CC is convinced that the split of the company will strengthen the focus on the floriculture sector. “We’re going to see an acceleration, improvement and broadening of CC’s services.”
“We’d been with the same partner for 25 years, when one morning, we woke up to see a strange blonde woman in bed with us. She got up and said: things are going to be completely different from now on.” That’s how chairperson Cees van der Meij describes what happened to the Association of Wholesalers in Floricultural Products (VGB) at the end of 2017.
For many years, VGB had been the owner of CC together with GASA, both for 50%. Until one day, completely unexpected and unannounced, the share of GASA was transferred to Erhvervinvest. It turned out that GASA had been taken over by this Danish investment company. VGB wasn’t happy about the situation, which is now coming to an end. The VGB and Erhvervsinsvest are separating.
Individual interest
The VGB and Erhvervsinsvest didn’t match. It didn’t take the VGB long to realise this. The two partners had different missions. One was focused on the interests of the floricultural industry, with a long-term vision. The other one was focused on the short term, on maximising profits and trying to sell after 5 to 7 years.
Erhvervsinvest (EI) has now become the only shareholder of CC’s American subsidiary. CC’s European activities are divided in two parts. EI is the owner of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), which focuses on the retail segment. The VGB is the only shareholder of the European horticulture branch of CC. (..)
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