From Joy to Perfection: A conversation with Sam van den Ende on finding the right balance in family, employees and the cultivation of exclusive roses.

Founded by Hans van den Ende and continued by his sons Sam, Tim, and Bob, the business thrives on a commitment to creating a supportive working environment, empowering its employees, and ensuring each rose receives the utmost care for top-quality blooms.

Sam, the head of cultivation, energy, and climate, offers insights into the delicate balance the family maintains between dealing with the ever-changing outdoor climate and using technology to uphold the standard of excellence. In addition Sam’s brother, Tim, shows us how they keep close contact with their employees to provide a supportive and balanced workplace.

"It all started with my father on Wateringseweg. I was 21 then and now, at 41, I've been growing roses for 20 years," reminisces Sam as he takes us back to the beginning of his life as a grower in the family business. Originally dealing with gypsophila, a small white flower, the family transformed their greenhouse into a haven of roses after a few winters. In 2008, after buying land, they moved locations to expand and built 4.5 hectares of greenhouses which has grown into 7.8 hectares in 2021.

When asked about the role of Priva technology in daily operations, Sam explains:

Sam enthusiastically describes next to that the capabilities of Priva Connext in streamlining daily operations. He underscores the significant improvements in the Priva computer comparing its current state to that of a few years ago. He explains the change from standard extra influences to the current flexibility offered by Connext, allowing for the incorporation of various modules.

“With the current Priva system I can link to external influences more easily, such as the outside temperature. This gives me more peace of mind about the climate and systems, but most of all gives me the freedom to cultivate the way I want to”, Sam adds.

Combined with solutions like FS Performance (a system that provides insight into the company processes, labor and crop), the family monitors climate conditions, water usage, employees’ productivity, the volume and quality of the production and energy consumption for optimal rose growth, ensuring precision in their operations.

Founder Hans van den Ende walks into the conversation, and Sam shares with him that he’s telling the story of how their family-business began and what it has become. Hans responds with a simple yet profound statement that encapsulates the sentiment that is at the core of their business:

With the future around the corner, Sam discusses their ambitions concerning sustainability. The family aims for efficiency in energy use, like the planned shift from the current combination of SON-T and LED to full LED, but also reducing natural gas reliance, embracing geothermal heating, and minimizing overall gas consumption. It's a step-by-step process, a journey of exploring new technologies and scaling up when it proves to be added value.

"We strive for a balance between quality blooms and efficient energy use," Sam states, emphasizing their commitment to maintaining a balance in their practices.

Recognizing the importance of their workforce, Sam shares how they ensure continuous development and satisfaction among their employees. Attention, appreciation, daily training, and performance monitoring through Priva FS Performance create a healthy, and most of all fun work environment. While talking about their workforce management, Sam asks his brother (Tim) to join the conversation. Tim is the expert in this area and works with the FS Performance labor and process management system every day. Tim shows us around and explains about their focus on education and attention for their colleagues.

Despite challenges in the labor market, Fa. Van den Ende Rozen has built a strong team by valuing training and providing a supportive workplace by keeping close contact with their employees. “It's important to us that our employees enjoy their work as much as we do.”