ANNUAL REPORT 2022 Fit for the Future 2023-2024
Index 04 06 16 Sustainable growth 2022 Our highlights Sustainable growth of our people 32 Sustainable growth of our business Sustainable growth of our relationships 20 34 Plantify Partners Europe, Green Sparkle and Care & Share Huib Kranendonk (Commercial Director), Michiel de Haan (Managing Director), Jan Slingerland (Director of Finance), Jeannette Jongeleen (HR, CS & Facility Director), Alice van Veen (Director Sourcing, Sustainability & Marketing), Leon Verschoor (Director Digital & Operations) 10 26 Fit for the Future Sustainable growth of the world 2
ANNUAL REVIEW Foreword 2022 Dear Partner, We had high expectations for 2022 with a revenue target of more than €350 million. But we ended the year with €307 million, just below the figure reported in 2021. They say that wisdom comes from the east, but it turned out to be something quite different this year. This resulted in a significant negative impact on our revenue and costs, which many of our suppliers and customers also experienced. Unfortunately, this meant we were forced to take a number of tough measures to counter these adverse developments. Nevertheless, we managed to achieve a small but positive bottom line, a result to be proud of. We measure our success by our financial results but primarily by our mission: sustainable growth. Fortunately, in this area, we have a lot of good news to share about our people and partnerships as well as our sustainability ambitions. You can read all about it from page 16. There are also more than enough positives to report in other areas, including our move to robotisation, our new customer Oh’Green, the opening of our hub in the UK and the fun family day that celebrated Royal Lemkes’ 140th anniversary. We share these and other highlights with you on pages 6-9. The theme for this year’s annual report is Fit for the Future. It is important to capitalise on promising trends, and we have been investing heavily in these in recent years. Two years ago, we founded Plantify Partners Europe and are collaborating closely with our sister company Floréac to establish an efficient European network of family firms. We are also investing considerably in technology, such as our new in-house ERP system and robotics and automation, and are adjusting our sourcing strategy to be fit for the future. More on this on pages 10-15. We are genuinely grateful to our colleagues and partners for all their tireless work last year. The uncertainty of 2023 lingers in the air, but as a team, we can handle anything. We are confident of a bright future. Together. We continue to value your trust in Royal Lemkes. Michiel de Haan Managing Director
IN REVIEW Sustainable growth 2022 Sustainable growth of our people 223 223 colleagues attended a course, workshop or training programme. 24 24 nationalities are represented at Royal Lemkes. 22 22 colleagues advanced to new positions. Sustainable growth of the world in which we operate 94 94% of the plants we supplied were certified according to the FSI Basket of Standards. Our fleet is 64% electric, and since 2020, all new lease cars are electric only. We now have 34 charging stations available on our premises. In total, we generated approx. 825,000 kWh of energy from the solar panels on our roof. 4
Sustainable growth of our relationships In 2022, we supplied a total of around 4,200 stores throughout Europe. 2020 2021 2022 1,000 garden centres (Jardiland, OBI, PraxisTuin, Truffaut, Oh’Green) 2,000 supermarkets (Aldi, Système U, Jumbo) 300 home furnishing stores (IKEA) 900 DIY stores (B&Q, Brico, Brico Depot, Castorama, Praxis) 71% 77% Purchase value at our top 100 growers 79% Sustainable growth of our business €307 million in revenue 122,000,000 plants delivered 20,000 different products 34 export countries 600 suppliers 4,200 stores 500 different types of plants
MAJOR MOMENTS Our highlights 1st Quarter Royal Lemkes’ 140th anniversary In 2022, Royal Lemkes celebrated 140 years in business! Lemkes Sports Club Lemkes Sports Club glided into the new year with a skating clinic held by former international skater Jan Smeekens. The club also organised Spinning for Sophia, water skiing, boxing lessons, cycle rides and a table football and table tennis tournament. Masterclass in business administration Our management team joined up with lecturers from the Business School of the Netherlands for a masterclass in business administration. Talent Development Programme The sixth edition of our development programme for young, talented employees came to another successful conclusion. GS Next Supply The supply module went live in GS Next, our in-house ERP system developed using the low-code OutSystems platform. 6
2nd Quarter Young Lemkes at Royal Flora Holland Young Lemkes visited Royal Flora Holland. We also organised a fun monthly get-together for our younger employees. Visit from IKEA COO Following ASH winning the IKEA Supplier of the Year Award in 2021, Henrik Elm, COO at IKEA, visited Royal Lemkes. Argos Our 100th grower was linked up to Argos, a robotics system that scans incoming trolleys, reads optical codes and measures plant heights. Plantify® Podcast To add lustre to Royal Lemkes' 140th anniversary, we launched our own Plantify® Podcast. Scan the QR code, put on your headphones, go for a walk and listen to all the episodes.
3rd Quarter UK hub Our UK hub started operations! Royal Lemkes and Floréac can now support our British customers even better. Royal Lemkes app We launched the Royal Lemkes app. Colleagues can now easily stay up to date with our latest news, events, training courses and workshops using our mobile application or the web-based version. Staff association Our staff association organised an array of amazing activities, including creative workshops, our annual Saint Nicholas celebrations and a fun day at the beach in Scheveningen. Lowpads go live We proudly concluded phase 1 testing of our Lowpad smart robots that manoeuvre under Danish trolleys and automate a significant part of the operational process. 8
4th Quarter Family event At the Royal Roots family event, we got together with more than 600 family members and friends to celebrate Royal Lemkes’ 140th anniversary. Welcome Oh’Green We were proud to welcome the Belgian garden centre chain Oh'Green as our new customer. OBI growers’ event OBI invited 60 indoor and outdoor growers to take part in an event to discuss business strategy and current market conditions. Milestone for Teun Teun van den Bos will be retiring after working at Royal Lemkes for a remarkable 56 years! To honour Teun, we will be naming our logistics corridor after him. Christmas breakfast After two years, it was great to be able to get together in person again for our traditional Christmas breakfast celebration.
Fit for the Future Cees van der Meij, owner of PPE & Royal Lemkes Michiel de Haan, Managing Director Royal Lemkes 10
FIT FOR THE FUTURE Plantify Partners Europe Royal Lemkes is a subsidiary of Plantify Partners Europe (PPE), a European network of family firms active in the horticulture sector. Plantify Partners work together to enable their companies, employees, customers and business partners to grow sustainably. PPE was founded in 2020 with Royal Lemkes and the Belgian company Floréac as the first Plantify Partners. Strength of family firms Owner of PPE and Royal Lemkes Cees van der Meij explains: “Royal Lemkes and Floréac share a common culture and vision for the future that has resulted in a fruitful partnership. Both companies are healthy family firms with long traditions and strong identities, attributes that shine through in our business cultures and longstanding relationships with the retail partners we supply. This is why we believe in the strength of local family firms." Cees continues: "With PPE, we aim to forge a network of European plant trading companies to preserve these unique identities while seeking colla boration whenever possible. Together, we can respond to the need for larger economies of scale and professionalisation as well as new trends in Cees van der Meij Owner of PPE & Royal Lemkes local-for-local and international production.” According to Managing Director Michiel de Haan, working with Floréac has proven highly effective: “We learn from one another, benefit from each other’s strengths and work hard to achieve synergies.” Fit for the Future “PPE enables us to supply our retailers even more effectively”, says Michiel. “We open up local production areas, create cost efficiency using economies of scale and learn and innovate together. In their respective production areas, Floréac and Royal Lemkes serve as logistics hubs. Thanks to their strategic locations and well-organised logistics, both companies can deliver their products reliably across the continent.” Cees adds: “A fit family firm looks to the future and focuses on people and the environment to benefit the next generation. As anticipating market trends and continued development are key to being fit for the future, collaboration between specialised family businesses means PPE is a perfect example of sustainable entrepreneurship.” Huib Kranendonk Commercieel Directeur Michiel de Haan Managing Director Royal Lemkes
FIT FOR THE FUTURE Technology By continuously investing in innovative technology and improving our services step by step, Royal Lemkes is set to be a firm that is fit for the future. Commercial Director Huib Kranendonk lists three key principles: “First of all, you need to ensure that the entire process is optimally efficient, enabling delivery at the lowest possible costs. Secondly, the ordering and delivery processes must be made simple. Finally, you require data-driven information on the product range and the supply chain.” We are proud of the progress made in 2022 in these areas with the successful conclusion of robotisation and orderpicking projects and the renewal of our ERP system. In-house ERP system We always strive to optimise performance, scalability and flexibility to benefit our retail partners. “Every efficiency step we take with technology translates into a competitive edge for our customers”, says Huib. “Developing an in-house ERP system is one of the ways we create added value.” Director Digital & Operations Leon Verschoor explains: “Our GS Next ERP system automates and links internal and external operational processes. By developing this system ourselves in the low-code platform OutSystems, GS Next allows us to respond quickly to the needs of our customers.” Robotisation Leon concludes: “Data-driven and digital innovation improves efficiency across the entire chain. We made solid progress in the field of robotisation in 2022, and robots have become valuable assets throughout the process.” Huib Kranendonk Commercial Director 12
Huib uses the Lowpads as an example: “Automating the process of manoeuvring Danish trolleys using Lowpads has led to performance stability and will create continuity for our retail partners in the long term.” Watch the video about robotisation. Data, forecasting and artificial intelligence Reliable forecasting makes our processes more efficient. But seasonal peaks and external factors such as the weather make it difficult for the horticulture sector to make truly accurate forecasts. However, business intelligence provides the solution, especially when combined with artificial intelligence. Leon Verschoor Director Digital & Operations Royal Lemkes has a lot of historical information at its disposal, but translating this huge amount of valuable data to create useful business insights is a genuine skill. Fortunately, our business intelligence platform, Diver, does this for us by providing Watch the video here to find out how our business intelligence services support Jumbo. buyers, account managers, suppliers and customers with informative reports. Because available information is recorded in a single system, we can assess performance data across the entire chain. This allows both ourselves and our partners to gain crucial insights into areas where we can improve efficiency. By working together, we continue to successfully strive for sustainable growth.
FIT FOR THE FUTURE Sustainable sourcing Director of Sourcing, Sustainability & Marketing Alice van Veen remarks: “European consumers’ preferences and the retail landscape are changing at lightning speed. Now that consumers are becoming more aware of the impact of their purchases, retailers expect us to supply a reliable and sustainably produced product. A future-proof plant category requires us to continuously innovate our products and services.” Plant category optimisation Royal Lemkes must structurally optimise its sourcing strategy to respond to the needs of a changing world. Sourcing is no longer just about pot size, loading, flowering stage and pricing. Plants have evolved into complete products that have to meet a multitude of national and international standards regarding certification, legislation, environment, traceability and sustain ability. Sustainability Manager Elise Wieringa notes: “This means suppliers must deliver a very specific range of products.” As a plant service partner, we work closely with our selected growers and sub-vendors to ensure a distinctive assortment that closely matches the retailer's business formula. Our aim is to maximise shelf performance with a sustainable and reliable product. A product we can be proud of and which makes a positive contribution to tackling Alice van Veen Director Sourcing, Sustainability & Marketing social and environmental challenges. It is becoming increasingly important to share and record data on growers and their products across our supply chain network, including information on product origin, certified production sites, plant protection products and packaging materials. This data pro vides valuable information when assessing how and where carbon reductions can be made in the supply chain. 14
Scan to see our dream. Data-driven retail management is therefore an essential ingredient for success. Not only do you obtain insight into both product and category performance, but this approach also shines a light on where improvements can be made. ‘Positive plants’ We are currently in talks with our supply chain partners to drive forward and implement our 'positive plants' ambition for 2030. Elise clarifies: "These are plants that will contribute to a healthier planet and a better life for all." In 2022, Royal Lemkes and a number of customers set out their sustainability goals in a combined roadmap. If we can steer our retail partners in the same direction, our joint impact will be even greater. We are trying to make our world greener step by step, enabling our growers to produce the plants of the future. Alice continues: "Mutual long-term commitment between Royal Lemkes and our retailers and growers is vital if we are to keep making strides in the right direction. We monitor all relevant value components at our growers to ensure we meet current and future retail requirements. Elise Wieringa Sustainability Manager Royal Lemkes plays a key role in bringing supply chain partners together, encouraging close collab - o ration and inspiring and motivating everyone to continue developing in terms of sustainable growth." We are acutely aware that innovation is at the heart of horticulture. The sector can provide many examples of sustainable innovation, but this is not common knowledge. We need to spread the word to improve our image. And we must remember that there is no competition when it comes to sustainability. The future belongs to us all!
Sustainable growth of our people #FITFORTHEFUTURE Sandy Verwoerd, Employee Customer Service Sales Demi Vermeer, Employee Customer Service Sales 16
SUSTAINABLE GROWTH Our people make the difference Economic challenges have not held us back from making substantial progress in the areas of diversity, vitality and personal growth. We want our employees to feel at home here at Royal Lemkes, and we enjoy providing opportunities for their continued development and long-term growth. In 2022, we were proud to offer a new course at our Plantify Academy, a successful masterclass in business administration by the Business School of the Netherlands in collaboration with our management team. Over an eight-day period, 15 colleagues got to grips with the basics of business administration: finance, human resources, commerce, supply chains, IT and business intelligence, strategy, sustainability and leadership. As part of our vitality programme, we organised a number of great activities, and Lemkes Sports Club continues to provide incentives for staff to stay fit and healthy. Jeannette Jongeleen HR, CS & Facility Director Listen to our Plantify® Podcasts presented by Jeannette. Huib Kranendonk Commercieel Directeur In 2022, we ran a comprehensive vitality programme.
SUSTAINABLE GROWTH Our people make the difference NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 293 2022 151 men 51.54% 48.46% 142 women 22 19 2022 ADVANCEMENT ADVANCEMENT TO A HIGHER POSITION SICKNESS ABSENTEEISM NUMBER OF YEARS IN EMPLOYMENT 2022 2021 2020 2019 3.65% 3.68% 3.66% 3.02% 157 62 50 24 1-5 years MANAGEMENT POSITIONS 19 men 61% 39% 12 women 41.34 44.16 5-10 years 10-15 years AVERAGE AGE 42.8 15+ years 18
PERSONAL GROWTH Plantify Academy Once again, a large number of our employees attended training courses, workshops and webinars in 2022, including the new masterclass in business administration in collaboration with the Business School of the Netherlands. NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS PER COURSE/ WORKSHOP AT THE PLANTIFY ACADEMY Leadership programmes 10 12 21 20 9 Talent Development Programme Personal Leadership Programme Pizza with Covey Introducing Insights Discovery Effective Leadership Professional programmes 12 10 15 18 36 48 10 Dutch course Negotiation skills Masterclass in business administration Green Sales system training Plant courses Online courses by GoodHabitz Vitality course
Sustainable growth of our relationships #FITFORTHEFUTURE Vincent van Maris, Standard Range Purchasing Manager Jaco Blom, Senior Account Manager OBI 20
OUR RETAIL PARTNERS Our customers We are proud to serve our customers, most of whom are long-term business partners. Unfortunately, many of our customers experienced disappointing in-store sales in 2022. Nevertheless, our total revenue remained on par with 2021. IN 2022, WE SUPPLIED A TOTAL OF APPROX. 4,200 STORES THROUGHOUT EUROPE. 1,000 garden centres (Jardiland, OBI, PraxisTuin, Truffaut, Oh’Green) 2,000 supermarkets (Aldi, Système U, Jumbo) 300 home furnishing stores (IKEA) 900 DIY stores (B&Q, Brico, Brico Depot, Castorama, Praxis) 10 15 20 25 30 35 OUR CUSTOMERS AND PARTNERSHIP IN NUMBER OF YEARS NUMBER OF COUNTRIES 10 6 1 3 2 34 1 0 5 1 2 1
Welcome Oh’Green At the end of 2022, we welcomed our new customer, the Belgian garden centre chain Oh’Green. Connecting customers and growers We believe it is important to connect our customers and our growers. To encourage this, our strategic suppliers joined us on visits to our retail partners, and we organised supplier events for a number of them. UK hub We opened a local hub in the UK to support our customer B&Q, allowing us to serve the British market even better. 22
Trade marketing and shopper activations We published the third edition of the Green Trend Report with elho and Floramedia. We also developed several in-store presentations and collaborated with the Flower Council of Holland in setting up successful shopper activation campaigns for Jumbo Supermarkets in the Netherlands and OBI in Italy. Watch the video here to find out more about our shopper activation for Jumbo. Sustainability An increasing number of customers consider sustainability crucially important. Experts from our sustainability team support our retail partners in various areas, and we have developed a joint sustainability roadmap with two of them. Sustainability Roadmap Royal Lemkes & partner Tray multi-use tray Analyse and model the supply chain 2022 Baseline measurements (packaging, % peat in substrate) Research alternatives to current packaging materials (trays, pots, sleeves, seals) Start introduction of Floriculture Code of Conduct Investigate footprint calculation opportunities & FloriPEFCR calculation rules 2023 $ Plan steps towards sustainable packaging Set targets for plant pots & substrate Risk analysis of use of agrochemicals Risk analysis of the supply chain on social issues 2030 2024 All growers have footprint & reduction plan Start pilot project towards living wage Positive plants Substrate 100% certified substrate, no virgin material 2025 Abbrevations: PS: Polystyrene FSC: Forest Stewardship Council PEFC: Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification PCR: Post-consumer recycled material Tray: no single-use plastic tray Pots: 0% fossil fuel-based virgin materials Substrate: 100% certified peat (RPP) 95%-100% FSI-compliant production 70% renewable energy used for production Sleeve & Seal no virgin plastic sleeves/blisters
OUR SUPPLIERS Our growers Due to the astronomical rise in gas prices and other production cost increases, 2022 was a difficult year for many of our growers. In several markets, such as the Phalaenopsis product category, production was consistently down. We are developing an increasingly close partnership with our top 100 strategic growers. In 2022, we organised dream sessions, during which we looked ahead to 2030, as well as sessions on sustainability themes and retail visits to the UK. Royal Lemkes: Lemkes Export, Edelman Green, ASH 2020 suppliers 600 suppliers 79% purchase value at our top 100 growers 71% Purchase value per product category Outdoor Indoor green perennials Indoor orchid 77% 79% Purchase value at our top 100 growers 2021 2022 Outdoor seasonal Indoor bloom Indoor seasonal Indoor/ outdoor arrangement 43% 14% 24 12% 11% 9% 7% 4%
OUR SUPPLIERS Our carriers Last year was a challenging period for the transport sector due to the significant rise in diesel prices and staff shortages. Nevertheless, we were satisfied with our on-time delivery performance. Working with our carriers, we made solid progress in implementing the use of electronic CMR bills of lading (e-CMR) and carbon footprint calculations. • In 2022, another two carriers transferred to e-CMR, bringing the total to four. • In 2021, we started measuring carbon footprints with two of our carriers. In 2022, seven more carriers joined the programme. By 2023, we aim to encourage six further carriers to do the same. • On-time delivery in 2022: 94.6%. ON-TIME DELIVERY 94.8% 95.3% 93.7% 94.6% 2019 2020 2021 2022
Sustainable growth of the world #FITFORTHEFUTURE Naihira Pinedo, Distribution Coordinator Operations Naisi Hilibertha Pinedo, Distribution Coordinator Operations Suvien Pinedo, Team Lead Operations 26
SUSTAINABILITY MISSION Our sustainable dream for 2030 To realise our sustainability dream – Royal Lemkes delivering ‘positive plants’ by 2030 – we need to continue to inspire and motivate not only our colleagues, suppliers, customers and NGOs but also the government, fellow competitors and other sector partners. We do this in various ways. We work with our customers to develop sustainability roadmaps and publish white papers on topics such as plastic use and potting soil. We also organise roundtable sessions and workshops with our growers on various issues, including substrate, packaging, plastic reduction and footprinting. And we inform and inspire our stakeholders through various channels. PACKAGING STRATEGY ROADMAP 2022 20% plastic reduction 2023 30% plastic reduction 2025 50% plastic reduction Abbreviations: PS: Polystyrene FSC: Forest Stewardship Council PEFC: Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification PCR: Post-consumer recycled material Tray 90% PS or cardboard Cultivation pot 0% carbon black Complete registration of all packaging material Start FSC-decoration material Cultivation pot 100% circular and compostable Tray 100% circular and reusable 0% plastic & 100% mono materials Tray 100% PS or cardboard Cultivation pot 80% PCR & 100% recyclable 2030 Positive plants Tray 100% returnable Cultivation pot 100% circular Plant label 0% plastic Sleeve mono material & no print 100% FSC or PEFC 100% circular, reusable, recyclable Sleeve & Seal 100% circular material & 0% virgin Plant label Alternative We are committed to providing a high-quality, sustainable product and service in line with customer requirements, legislation and our dream for 2030. Our management systems and the Florimark trade certification NEN-EN-ISO 9001 guarantee our commitment. We strive for continuous improvement to remain Fit for the Future. Read more about this on pages 14-15. Huib Kranendonk Co eur
SUSTAINABILITY THEMES 1. Climate Sustainable Development Goal 13 We can only succeed in creating a sustainable supply chain if all parties in the chain cooperate and take joint responsibility. By mapping the effect our products have on the climate, we can discover opportunities that allow us to reduce our impact. Last year, we generated approx. 825,000 kWh of energy from the solar panels on our roof. Our fleet is 64% electric. New lease cars are electric only. We now have 34 charging stations available on our premises. In 2021, we started measuring the carbon footprints of two of our carriers. In 2022, seven more carriers joined the programme. By 2023, we aim to encourage six further carriers to do the same. Working with Wageningen University, we published a white paper on FloriPEFCR, the Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules for the floriculture industry. ROYAL LEMKES’ CARBON FOOTPRINT 2015-2021 VERSUS NUMBER OF PLANTS 1,500 1,000 500 0 2015 Gas and electricity in tonnes of CO2 equivalent 2016 2017 Business travel 2018 2019 2020 Commuter travel 2021 Emissions in tonnes of CO2 equivalent 150,000,000 100,000,000 50,000,000 0 Working towards our vision to supply ‘positive plants’ by 2030, we continue to reduce our carbon emissions. We offset any remaining emissions (Scope 1 and Scope 2) through the FairClimateFund scheme. 28 Number of plants delivered per year
SUSTAINABILITY THEMES 2. Biodiversity Sustainable Development Goals 12, 13 and 14 The percentage of sustainably sourced products rose to 94 per cent in 2022. The FSI (Floriculture Sustainability Initiative) target of 90 per cent of sustainably sourced products has therefore been amply met. 94% FSI-compliant sourcing by Royal Lemkes. We are testing our processes for including plants that attract bees and butterflies. We renewed our FSC certification for biodiversity and forest protection. To fulfil our ambition to reduce the use of plant protection products, we continue to work with stakeholder groups and networks such as Tuinbranche Nederland, Natuur & Milieu and CLM consultancy. 400,000 300,000 200.000 100,000 0 2020 In 2022, we sold 322,752 organic products. 2021 2022 We are developing and testing neosticks that make it easier to check for neonicotinoids.
SUSTAINABILITY THEMES 3. Natural resources Sustainable Development Goal 12 In a circular economy, the cycle of raw materials is closed: components and products lose their value as little as possible and are reused as much as possible. We organised four workshops for our growers to learn more about sustainable packaging. We recorded a Plantify® Podcast where listeners can hear Royal Lemkes and a packaging expert from the packaging advisory board KIDV discuss sustainable packaging for plants. Listen to the Plantify® Podcast – sustainable packaging. 45,658 39,100 2021 2022 We organised two roundtable sessions on sustainable substrate. We reduced the amount of plastic wrapping film we use by 6,558 kg. Since 2020, our goal has been a 10% year-on-year reduction in plastic – an overall reduction of 50% by 2025. Our ultimate aim is to use multi-use plant trays by 2030. In 2022, a packaging material registration process was implemented as an intermediate step towards a system in which all packaging will be registered and reused. • Registration December 2021: 15% of transport packaging • Registration December 2022: 74% of transport packaging 30
SUSTAINABILITY THEMES 4. Working conditions Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 8 Within the framework of the International Responsible Business Conduct (IRBC) Agreement, which we signed in July 2019, Royal Lemkes actively participates in several working groups. These groups are developing action plans for a living wage, a reduction in the impact of plant protection products, tackling climate change and due diligence. We have drawn up a code of conduct for the floriculture sector. The official external rollout is expected in 2023. View our code of conduct. We are collaborating with the FSI to introduce social responsibility certification for low-risk countries. Together with HR, we organised a session to inform colleagues about energysaving measures at home. Our HR policy and the annual IWAY audit (IKEA supplier code of conduct) ensure we provide good working conditions for our colleagues. We are a member of both the Sedex and amfori communities for enhancing sustainable trade. We concluded the IRBC Agreement to promote international corporate social responsibility.
Sustainable growth of our business #FITFORTHEFUTURE Amir Palangbod, Team Lead Operations Nico van der Laan, Employee Operations 32
FORCE FOR GOOD: MINIMUM VIABLE PROFIT Financial results For 2022, we had set our sights on revenue of more than €350 million, but we ended the year with €307 million, just below the figure reported in 2021. Costs also came under significant pressure due to the war in Ukraine. To keep out of the red, we were forced to take several difficult measures. As a result, we have managed to end the financial year with a small profit. Our final figures will be known by the end of March and published through the usual channels. We remain optimistic about our longterm future. Despite a possible further decline in revenue, we still expect a positive result for 2023. Jan Slingerland Director of Finance “We have a solid foundation, and by continuing to invest heavily in our people and technology, we will remain Fit for the Future!” REVENUE DEVELOPMENT RESULT DEVELOPMENT 320 310 300 290 280 270 260 250 240 230 220 309 288 288 307* 1.50% 1.40% 1.30% 1.20% 1.10% 1.00% 265 249 249 222 2015 2016 2017 Net revenue in € million 2018 2019 2020 2021 *Based on provisional figures, yet to be verified. 2022 0.90% 0.80% 0.70% 0.60% 0.50% 0% 2015 2016 Pre-tax profit (%) 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 1.34 1.28 1.18 1.15 1.09 0.93 1.28 ? 2022 Our final figures are available at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce.
PPE, Green Sparkle and Care & Share #FITFORTHEFUTURE Cees van der Meij, owner of PPE & Royal Lemkes Liz, granddaughter Cees van der Meij 34
FAMILY FIRMS Plantify Partners Europe Royal Lemkes is a subsidiary of Plantify Partners Europe (PPE), a European network of family firms active in the horticulture sector. Plantify Partners work together to enable their companies, employees, customers and business partners to grow sustainably. PPE was founded in 2020 with Royal Lemkes and the Belgian company Floréac as the first Plantify Partners. Cees van der Meij and Michiel de Haan explain more about PPE on page 11. www.plantifypartnerseurope.eu/en www.floreac.com Supervisory board In 2021, the supervisory board of PPE was formed and includes: • Heleen van Gulik, chair, active on various supervisory boards • Thomas Heerkens, former CEO Landal GreenParks • Werner Krott, former CEO Floré and Floréac • Cees van der Meij, 100% shareholder, former CEO Royal Lemkes
Stewardship fund Green Sparkle Plantify Partners Europe (and therefore Royal Lemkes) is part of Green Sparkle, the family stewardship fund of owner Cees van der Meij. Green Sparkle is an incubator for sustainable entrepreneurs who support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Green Sparkle supports exciting initiatives, including the social enterprise Herberg Welgelegen in Valkenburg, South Holland, where professional care and hospitality complement each other. The enterprise recently started a new initiative, Herberg Thuis, a digital platform that links carefully selected buddies to people in need of care. In 2022, Herberg Thuis experienced huge growth in demand due to an overwhelming need for carers. www.herbergwelgelegen.nl www.herbergthuis.nl www.greensparkle.nl 36
Charity support Care & Share Whatever the earth gives, we need to give back. That’s the motto at Care & Share, which supports initiatives that help people grow and strengthen communities. Together, we can help create a more caring, healthier and sustainable society. Royal Lemkes financially supports various charities, but our employees can also request additional support for any initiatives they are actively engaged in. Additional initiatives Leuk voor tehuis Additional initiatives A forest inside In 2022, in collaboration with nature educators IVN and Presikhaaf School Furniture, Royal Lemkes provided primary schools with no fewer than 120 ‘indoor forests’. The aim is to make thousands of schools greener and to teach children more about plants. Through our ongoing initiative Leuk voor tehuis, we also donated plants to dozens of care homes and food banks.
What we believe in Is what we stand for Royal Lemkes has a green heart Our green heart has three chambers: our roots as growers, our knowledge of plants and the sustainable ethos of our shareholder, management and employees. Our mission: We strive for sustainable growth Our aim is not to maximise profit but to maximise impact. Naturally, we need a minimum viable profit, but that results from and is a condition for a healthy company. We strive for the sustainable growth of our employees and business partners in everything we do. If we succeed in that, the company will grow organically. We also aim for a green supply chain and a liveable planet, not only for ourselves but for all future generations. Our dream: Positive plants In 2030, we want to sell twice as many plants as in 2020, with each plant contributing to a healthier planet and a better life for all. We call this ‘positive plants’. Our vision: We believe in plants Plants are a beautiful and healthy addition to our lives and strengthen our customers’ businesses. Plants also play an important part in making the world greener. We do not just believe in plants. We also believe in: • Business as a force for good • People – because people make the difference • Togetherness • The uniqueness of the plant category • Scale • Digital, data and technology • Doing better every day Our core values: Craftsmanship, Reliability, Customer Engagement, Customer Intimacy, Connection and Leadership. Scan to watch our story. 38
We believe in plants. Plants can create a better life, stronger businesses and contribute to a healthier, green world. In everything we do, we strive for sustainable growth. Of our people, of our relationships, of our common business and of the world we live in. Let’s plantify® Plantify® the future. Together. = Creating a better life, stronger businesses and a healthier, green world with plants. Our dream for 2030 To sell twice as many plants as in 2020: from 125 million to 250 million. 'Positive plants': the plants we sell contribute to a healthier planet and a better life for all.
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