Westland Seeds prepares for a future without Wim Grootscholten

"Wow, these bell peppers are stunning," says Wim Grootscholten as he walks into the greenhouse at Westland Seeds in his shorts. Known as 'Wim with the beard' in the industry, his friendly demeanor shines as he pats shoulders and greets the workers warmly. Though he's 75 and a former grower, Wim used to work weekend shifts in the breeding greenhouse until recently. Today, he's simply here to pose with a crate of bell peppers for an interview about one of his achievements, having sold his shares in the company.

Many in the horticultural world are familiar with Wim and his numerous innovative projects. With a forward-thinking approach, he has been instrumental in founding what is now Rainbow Growers Group, establishing a cultivation company in the UK, and eventually venturing into breeding, something that led to the creation of Westland Seeds in 2008.

Not replaceable
Wim decided to start his own breeding company after realizing that no matter how successful growers are, supermarkets can easily replace them. "That's why having your own unique varieties is essential," he explains. He also learned that breeding is quite different from growing. Teaming up with Tom van der Heijden, a top expert in bell pepper breeding, Wim set off on this new venture.

Westland Seeds, with strong ties to production growers, aims to offer unique plant varieties to growers. "At one point, our varieties filled 75% of Rainbow's greenhouses in Middenmeer," Wim notes. However, the original business model faced challenges. The new generation of bell pepper growers wasn't interested in exclusively growing varieties from a single in-house breeding company.

Very profitable
Wim understands why the new generation of bell pepper growers opt for other seed sources, given the competitive market and numerous seed house options. However, he still believes in the potential of the original approach. "When we started breeding, we anticipated seed prices would rise about three percent each year. Breeding is a promising business," he says.

Wim is troubled by the current market trend of scaling up, where traditional growing often struggles to be profitable. Many growers rely on additional activities like energy trading, and subsidies play a significant role in their income. "We need to ensure that growing in the Netherlands has a sustainable future, even without these additional opportunities."

Figuring out the game
After entering the breeding industry, Wim had to navigate a new market, similar to his experience setting up Thanet Earth in the UK. "I found it incredibly enjoyable," he shares. He's also passionate about the future of food, considering it "the ultimate in this world," and notes its importance as large multinationals continue to invest in it.

As his business began to thrive and he grew older, Wim engaged in discussions with major players in the breeding industry about potential partnerships or mergers. However, history shows that no such deals materialized. "Mergers with larger companies haven't always benefited smaller companies," Wim observes. "Plus, we found that, as a small company, we were often already ahead of the curve."

Focus on bell peppers and peppers
From the beginning, Westland Seeds focused on developing bell pepper and pepper varieties, including snack and pointed peppers. "We are market leaders in some segments," Wim proudly notes. However, entering the bell pepper market proved challenging, especially locally. "We have excellent red, yellow, and orange bell peppers that are competitive with others in the market, yet growers sometimes choose varieties from larger companies for the perceived reliability," he explains.

Wim acknowledges his own missteps as well. "You don't always get everything right. As a small player, we sometimes lacked a strong marketing strategy. Perhaps we were too conservative and should have invested in sending a representative to promote promising varieties like our yellow pepper WLS 1225. We grew that variety successfully on a large scale for three more years," he reflects.

A good example
In preparing Westland Seeds for a future without him, Wim explored partnerships with specialized breeding companies that focus on a single crop. A pepper-tomato combination seemed promising, but it ultimately didn't work out for Westland Seeds.

Reflecting on his journey, Wim wishes more ventures like Westland Seeds had emerged. He considers himself skilled at launching new initiatives and then letting talented individuals develop them further. He highlights the success of Jos Looije, who, by collaborating with a breeding company, has achieved great results with the Piccolo tomato variety. "The prices paid per kilo for those tomatoes in winter are astonishing, but they are real. It's truly impressive."

Growing is a lottery
When Wim began growing bell peppers in the mid-eighties, he observed annual acreage increases of 10 to 20 percent in the Netherlands. However, this growth has since leveled off. "I expect the acreage to stabilize around 1,400 hectares," he notes. In the domestic market, there's a strong emphasis on greenhouse production and yield, even beyond just bell peppers. "It's crucial that the quality of what we grow in the Netherlands remains high," Wim says. "With the right taste and shelf life, we're making a strong impression. The recent fantastic weather has helped maintain high quality, allowing us to compete globally."

Despite advances like artificial intelligence, the market has yet to boost pepper production significantly, Wim observes. "We think we know a lot, but in reality, we have much to learn. It's what makes this profession so fascinating. There's a reason people say growing is like a lottery."

Wim also believes that among the four major greenhouse crops, pepper cultivation is the most challenging. "It requires the best green thumbs," he explains. "This leads to significant differences between growers and, even within a single company, between different departments, despite using the same varieties and techniques."

Competitive pipeline
In recent years, Wim has assembled a strong team at Westland Seeds to guide the company into the future. The current owners, Iwan van Vliet and Ferry Strik, each bring valuable expertise. "Iwan comes from an advertising background, which may be beneficial because horticulture often struggles to showcase its strengths," Wim explains. "Ferry is a former grower who I consider exceptional. His ability to select outstanding varieties is as crucial as the breeding itself." Wim adds that new breeding techniques accelerate the exclusion process but emphasizes that traditional methods have also yielded significant successes. "Ferry has a keen eye for recognizing quality."

Westland Seeds is expanding internationally, partnering with local entities to enter new markets. "There are numerous global opportunities for companies like ours," Wim remarks. Still, the Netherlands remains a vital home base. Wim is optimistic that the team will create something impactful for the domestic high-tech market. "Our pipeline stands strong against current market varieties," he asserts.

Wim's guiding principle has been: "When you're willing to give more, you go further." This mentality drove him to work "twice as hard as normal" for over fifty years. "High-tech growing is what I've missed the most since stepping back," he admits. Now that he's transferred his shares in Westland Seeds, Wim has fully parted ways with all the companies he founded. "Westland Seeds was, and still is, one of my jewels. Perhaps my decision to sell my shares has inspired others, too. As things stand, this gem continues to grow every year. Westland Seeds is thriving."

For more information:
Westland Seeds
Zijlweg 7
2678 LC De Lier
Tel: 0174 527 750
info@westlandseeds.nl
www.westlandseeds.nl