Paul Schouten, A&P Flowers:
"Always a good mix of colours in the bunches"
Paul: “We always make sure that there is a good mix of colours in the bunches, incorporating at least 7 different shades; in contrasting colour tones or in a matching palette.” He laughs and continues: "Yes, with Easter we put more yellow in the mixes and with Valentine’s Day more red.”
Tulips that wow
His Preferred Supplier status provides him with valuable information. “When certain customer groups require different colour combinations or if an element needs to be adjusted, we are able to act accordingly.” His goal is to only supply tulip bunches with a wow factor. Paul:”Bunches that people must have!”
Tulips are a beloved product and with his quality, there will be a huge run for them. Paul:“That’s a nice thought, however it also means that we must supply a certain quality throughout the season in order to keep up our good name. Something we are happy to oblige.” All his tulips are pre-treated ensuring a minimum vase life of one week for consumers. “So that they are able to enjoy them for a longer period of time.”
Show your true colour
FleuraMetz buyer John Diemeer confirms. “A&P Flowers’ approach isn’t just smart, it’s also forward-thinking. As they mix the bunches at their facility, they can cut the flowers when they are properly ripened showing the full potential of their colours.” Paul nods. “If you cut tulips when they’re still tight, the flowers hardly show anything. This isn’t the case with the products from A&P Flowers.”
Further down the supply chain
Paul: “We want to keep innovating. As a Preferred Supplier, we are receiving more feedback from entities down the supply chain and useful information from our markets.” John: “It allows us to fine tune the mix for different target groups creating a win-win situation for all parties involved.”
For more information:
FleuraMetz
www.fleurametz.com