Vegetable breeding company Rijk Zwaan has announced that it has again topped the list of the Hillenraad 100, the overview of the 100 leading companies in Dutch food-producing glasshouse horticulture.
The announcement was made on Friday 1 November during the Hortigala of the Year event in Rotterdam.
Rijk Zwaan holds on to the position it achieved last year, while it also topped the list in 2009 and 2010.
For Willem Vermeend, chairman of the committee of experts, Rijk Zwaan can be regarded as an example for many Dutch companies. “Internationally very strong, highly knowledge-intensive, socially responsibe and an excellent employer,' is how he described the group.
In the jury’s report, it described how Rijk Zwaan was able to make optimal use of human talent.
'Employees are cherished and get the chances to develop both themselves and the organisation: one plus one makes three,' the report stated. 'They can answer their needs for even more knowledge and expertise with continuous education, and receive a lot of responsibility.”
Managing director Marco van Leeuwen received the award on behalf of Rijk Zwaan and emphasised the importance of partnerships and sharing knowledge – both internally, but also with all customers and partners.
“That is why we want to thank them for the pleasant and open cooperation, which we are planning to continue for a long time,' he said.
