In late 2022, CombiVliet announced that it would build the last expansion in a 8-phase project at its NoordVliet location in Middenmeer. Havecon had been assigned to realise the previous seven phases, and the company was also awarded the contract for this final part. This made Project NoordVliet the largest continuous project ever realised by Havecon.
CombiVliet is a tomato nursery with sites in Westland, Zeeland, and North Holland, where they grow tomatoes for the European market. The goal is to supply affordable healthy tasty tomatoes across Europe.
Theo van Vliet was at the helm of CombiVliet for more than 40 years, until he handed over control to his son Roy van Vliet in the summer of 2022. Roy, the third generation in the family business, was fully involved in the initial designs of the NoordVliet project and the master plan, and he closely monitored and supervised the entire realisation.
It was decided to build expansions at the NoordVliet location in phases, a total of eight phases, each covering more than 12 hectares. The contract for the first two phases, covering a total of 25 hectares, was awarded to Havecon in 2011. These phases were completed in 2012. Phase 3 followed in 2013, then a fourth greenhouse was built in 2016. In the following years, phases 5, 6, and 7 were constructed, as what was previously farmland was increasingly covered with modern glass where tomatoes are produced all year round. Now that phase 8 is completed, CombiVliet has more than 1 million square metres of greenhouses constructed by Havecon in the Agriport A7 area.
'Havecon was initially chosen after careful consideration. 'The strength of Havecon in combination with the Voorwinden Group and the no-nonsense mentality really appealed to us. In addition, detailed schedules are drawn up and complied with. We're familiar with what Havecon can do, and that makes our work so much easier,' says Roy van Vliet.
'Havecon also has many processes in-house, which ensures the entire project is kept well under control. Thanks to direct communication with people in the field, both on the construction site and in the office, construction runs smoothly and efficiently.'
Sustainability is also extremely important to CombiVliet. In a sector that is evolving so quickly, it's important to stay abreast of innovations that are leading to climate-neutral tomatoes. It's impossible to do everything at once, but CombiVliet is working step by step towards the goal of being climate neutral by 2040.
In practice, this goal is reflected in various innovations that are implemented in the greenhouses. For example, all greenhouses with grow lights will be equipped with LED lamps by the end of 2024, and the company will invest in secondary screen installations to retain heat. The Agriport A7 area also has access to geothermal energy, biomass, and high-temperature storage. In addition to storing heat, there is also underground water storage that is shared with the entire area. The soil is used as a water buffer. All rainwater is collected and stored, and available when needed. Both energy and water are regulated by the ECW (Wieringermeer Energy Consortium), which was founded on the initiative of several large greenhouse horticultural companies in 2006.
Looking to the future, CombiVliet expects the sector to grow more in other European countries than in the Netherlands. Government measures have limited the opportunities for further growth within the Netherlands. Where the population grows, the demand for high-quality products will also grow. The demand for affordable healthy tasty tomatoes will continue to rise in the coming years.
For more information:
Havecon Kassenbouw B.V.
Lorentzstraat 8
2665 JH Bleiswijk
Tel. +31(0)10 266 32 70
[email protected]
www.havecon.com