The Oserian stand that housed businesses that have set base at the new Two Lakes Flower Park was awarded Bronze for Best Stand Award – Non Perishables as well as Silver for the Best Grower Quality Competition Roses for its Charming Lady variety.
An elated Mary Kinyua, the firm’s Administration Director described the trophies as a sign of a bright future for the business that is undergoing a major restructuring to transform into a fully-fledged business park, eventually creating a green city in Naivasha. The process is being overseen by Oserian Two Lakes, the investment arm of the operations.
The trophies were not the only good news coming to Oserian from IFTEX. At the show, a new Flower Park tenant, French flower breeder George Delbard signed an agreement to set up a showhouse.
George Delbard will use the facility to avail flower exporters in Kenya and the region with new varieties in the novelties range said Chairman Arnold Delbard.
Welcoming the firm’s newest client, Two Lakes Managing Director Robert Ward said the park was ready for business since investors would ride on Oserian’s existing infrastructure such as greenhouses, geothermal power, hydroponics system, biological pesticides control and other environmentally friendly flower growing innovations.
George Delbard becomes the second breeder to set up at the Two Lakes after Netherlands-based Select Breeding. Mr Delbard said the move was informed by a growing demand for novelties and need to be closer to customers since Naivasha is home to 80 per cent of Kenya’s flower growers.
Select Breeding general manager Michael De Gues said if breeders set up in one area it would greatly benefit the industry by holding joint open days to introduce new varieties.
Oserian Two Lakes covers approximately 20,000 hectares with a diversification plan that will include residential estates, commercial and industrial parks, hotels, leisure parks and wildlife sanctuary among other commercial activities, as it positions itself to tap into the opportunities created by the Standard Gauge Railway Naivasha terminus and the push to fully develop geothermal power at Ol Karia.
The Oserian Two Lakes seeks to create a “green city’ in Naivasha by harnessing natural resources within its land such as geothermal. The company that prides itself as green by nature is planning to set up a mega solar plant to compliment geothermal power, said Mr Ward. “We plan to set up a green energy powered business park”, he said.
Two Lakes Flower Park is now up and running with six tenants already signed up and room for plenty more. Although the Two Lakes Flower Park is offering bare land for lease, it is also providing a unique offering for the smaller scale business by offering a turn key solution that includes use of Two Lakes Packing Services, one of the existing tenants, to process the stems, central procurement and logistics, agronomy services and Integrated Pest Management via another tenant, Madumbi East Africa. In the future, geothermal heating and carbon dioxide injection will be made available to those tenants that request it. Although titled Two Lakes Flower Park, the development is not limited to only those involved in the growing of flowers.
Diversification
Oserian Development Company, one of the largest flower growers and exporters in Kenya, has embarked upon a bold plan to diversify its commercial activities.
Consequently, the Farm has been subdivided and Change of use amended to Industrial, Commercial and Residential uses in support of the diversification plans.
Oserian is already a small town in its own right, with over 11,000 people living in its Company funded housing estates and benefitting from the Company funded Creches, Schools, Medical Centre and Social Halls.
The new strategy will ultimately see the expansion of these amenities in support of the diversification which will see the creation of an industrial park which will be known as Two Lakes Industrial Park. In addition the company has already created Two Lakes Flower Park and Two Lakes Business Park – both of these are already up and running with tenants in situ.
In order for the business to be better able to focus upon these diversification plans, the company recently contracted out all its flower packing operations and similarly put all the non-rose crop production on a Contracted basis. Both providers are also looking to offer their services to the other Companies that are moving into the Flower Business Park.
Negotiations are ongoing with additional tenants for both the Business Park and the Flower Park and Oserian has already received the first significant expression of interest in the Industrial Park. The new developments are in line with the foundations of green energy and creation of agro-processing businesses that are seeking steam and affordable electricity.
Upon completion, the entire Two Lakes project is expected to create over 20,000 new jobs. Agriculture remains part of Oserian’s DNA and in addition to the continued growing of Roses, the Farm is also diversifying into growing other non-flower crops.
For more information:
Oserian
Oserian
Robert Ward, Managing Director, Two Lakes Flower Park
+254 722 848 970