As of Jan. 1, 2016, Rijk Zwaan Hellas has taken over the sales activities previously handled by the Rijk Zwaan distributor Agrosystem. Rijk Zwaan expects this new subsidiary to enable it to respond to the needs of the Greek vegetable sector even more effectively.
The management team of Rijk Zwaan Hellas comprises Christos Lavdas and Diamantis Tsiatouras, both of whom have been working at Agrosystem for many years in line with the Rijk Zwaan philosophy: with a long-term vision and a focus on quality. The rest of the Agrosystem team are also transferring to Rijk Zwaan, where they will continue to put their valuable knowledge, experience and network to good use to further develop the Greek agri-food sector. Rijk Zwaan Hellas is based in Irapetra on the island of Crete where it also has a trial station.
Faster product launches
Rijk Zwaan has been active in Greece for more than 35 years and has built up a sizeable market share in different vegetable crops. ‘Our own subsidiary will enable our breeders to respond to the needs of the Greek market even more quickly and it will also improve the availability of information for the entire chain,’ says Marco van Leeuwen, Managing Director. ‘Hence, the opening of Rijk Zwaan Hellas will help us to expand our product assortment and launch varieties even faster.’
Leading role
The Greek agri-food sector is currently undergoing rapid professionalisation. A growing number of high-tech greenhouses are being built and chain management is on the rise. Rijk Zwaan will play a leading role in these developments. ‘The country has good export opportunities to the Balkan region and other European countries, especially in the winter and early spring. Thanks to our top-class varieties, we can make a significant contribution to the year-round availability of high-quality vegetables,’ concludes Marco van Leeuwen.
