Rijk Zwaan is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Founded in 1924, it now operates in over 100 countries. The celebrations began on 1 July, the company’s founding date, with the King’s Commissioner announcing that Rijk Zwaan has been granted the Dutch honorary royal title ‘Koninklijk’.
“After 100 years of entrepreneurship and innovation, one can say that Rijk Zwaan is of great importance for the future of humanity”, says Jaap Smit, the King’s Commissioner, during the festive kick-off of the breeding company’s Centenary Celebration, according to a press release.
Rijk Zwaan’s history began in 1924 when founder Rijk Zwaan opened a seed shop in Rotterdam, focusing on quality and innovation. Initially targeting the Dutch horticultural market, the company began exporting to neighboring countries and opened its first subsidiary in Germany in 1964, followed by France in 1982. From the 1990s onwards, the company expanded rapidly.
Today, Rijk Zwaan employs 4,000 people. The company is represented in over 100 countries through more than 30 subsidiaries in all four corners of the globe. The head office is in the Netherlands.
