"If you order plants as an Italian wholesaler from a grower 30 kilometers away, you get them delivered a week later. If you order them from us, I will have them in the shed tomorrow. They go into the truck in the evening, and they will have them delivered the next day."
That, in short, is less than two days and, according to Luca Perra of Lievaart Planten Export, the reason why Dutch product is loved there. "The growers there can also produce quality, and horticulture there is bigger than in the Netherlands, but it is our logistics, the strength of being here, of the entire network that makes us interesting. Moreover, the entire range is represented here, and we, and I really mean not just ourselves but pretty much all trading parties from Dutch ornamental plant cultivation, can deliver carts or even layers without any problems if required, something that is by definition much more problematic in Italy."
Luca Perra
Not that that is the focus, Lievaart supplies wholesalers and also prefers to keep it simple in that respect. Customers are mainly wholesalers, and the growth in recent years has mainly been in the growth of customers themselves, rather than in new customers. "Occasionally, someone does come in, but most customers go back decades. You have built a bond with them; there is a certain trust, and that is the basis of good business. We are not necessarily the cheapest and don't claim to be, but in return, always fresh, always high quality, and always on time. In addition, the customer also knows that we are not going to try to sell to his customer, something that does happen but with which, at least in our philosophy, you don't do good business in the longer term."
More traditional market
Italy is a big market, which, as mentioned above, has also grown significantly since Covid. Green is still hot, Luca knows, whether because of Instagram, interest in health, air purification, coziness in the home, or other reasons. At the same time, the Italian market is a traditional market like the North European one. On the production side, you see that in more standard and classic added value, as far as the market is concerned, you see that the traditional holidays like the upcoming All Souls' Day and All Saints' Day are a serious spike in business every year.
Expeditie
Although Lievaart is by no means the only one focusing on Italy, the company is definitely one of the big boys. Trucks full of trade head in that direction every day, which in almost all cases is transported by Lievaart Expeditie, a company with which it once formed one entity but which was separated 30 years ago. However, the cooperation is sustainable, and, in addition, Lievaart Expeditions has locations in Milan and Naples, which means that trucks almost never have to stop.
For more information:
Lievaart Planten Export 
[email protected]
https://www.lievaartbv.nl/