Trip down memory lane: flower power.

In 2019, we developed the first FlowerCollector. This innovative robotic solution opened the doors to the flower industry, a sector with plenty of opportunities for automation.

"Our adventure in the flower processing industry began several years earlier with a visit to the Dutch Flower Group (DFG)," says Maro Dedel, CEO and founder of DERO GROEP. "A partnership of more than thirty specialized trading companies that together serve the international floriculture chain. During that visit, we were asked if we could help automate the handling of a bouquet line, from placing flowers in the line to placing the bouquets in buckets, packing them in boxes, and palletizing them. At that point, we weren't too keen on the inserting part, even though that was the most labor-intensive aspect of the process. We were already able to handle the packaging and palletizing, so we decided to start by automatically placing the bouquets in buckets."

The first FlowerCollector.

The FlowerCollector

This was the beginning of a long journey. Maro: "Because DFG didn't want to invest at the time, we decided to develop the solution by ourselves. The question intrigued us, and we had an idea that was close to our DNA: making smart use of robot technology and its flexibility. That's how the first FlowerCollector (FLC) came into being."

Coincidence or not, shortly afterwards we received a request from a company near Nieuw-Vennep for end-of-line automation. We missed out on the order, but our FlowerCollector had made an impression and the company was willing to take a chance. That was the beginning of a success story that continues to this day.

Entering the market together

Because we still had little knowledge of the flower market at the time, we went looking for a partner. "We found one in Jamafa," says Maro. "Together, we brought our solutions to market and developed many machines for the tulip industry, including the FlowerBucket in Box (FBB), based on an existing concept. Unfortunately, Jamafa was unable to keep up with developments and after Jamafa went bankrupt, we continued independently. We expanded our portfolio with solutions for placing buckets of bouquets in boxes and palletizing them. We quickly learned that palletizing flower boxes is a skill in itself, very different from other boxes."

International growth

Rolling out our standard solutions in the Netherlands proved difficult at times, because flower production lines here operate for relatively few hours. The situation is different abroad. In the United Kingdom and the United States, our solutions were welcomed with open arms, and we are now working with the largest flower grower and processor in the world.

Maro: "Because we still believe that we have too little knowledge of the market and cannot serve the entire market as we would like to, we have entered into a partnership with Invaro. We have now developed a complete product line for end-of-line solutions for the flower industry. And the end is nowhere in sight. Our roadmap includes new developments such as the automatic placement of bouquets in a line (packed at source) and the destacking of aircraft pallets. Flower, as we call it internally, now forms a significant part of our activities and has become indispensable."

// P. Mulder - Synergy Food  //