Floricultura, a Heemskerk company, which specializes in crossing tropical house plants, has had to lay off about 100 of its 500 employees because of the ever-rising gas prices. It is a major blow to the employees and the company.
The company creates new plant species by crossing existing ones and then delivers them to the growers, who then let them bloom for the consumer. Because gas prices are going through the roof, it is becoming more and more expensive for growers to be able to carry out their activities. As a result, Floricultura has lost a lot of customers.
“We have lost 20% of our turnover,” says Marc Eijsackers, marketing manager of the company. In addition to the layoffs, the greenhouse in Assendelft will also be closed, because natural gas is still fired there. Geothermal energy is used in Heemskerk.
Eijsackers thinks it is a painful decision. “We have no other option, this is unprecedented for such a company. The gas crisis is coming very close.”
Tuesday meeting
The company first offers the employees the possibility to leave voluntarily with a financial arrangement, so that there are not only compulsory redundancies. It will be announced during a meeting next Tuesday which people still have to leave.
“With the arrangement, we offer employees the opportunity to make their own decisions, so that they do not have to wait for next Tuesday. We hope that in this way we can create space for other employees.”
“We think we can manage with this, but if we have learned anything over the past year, it is that nothing is certain in this world. It is of course very painful, but this is a decision that has to be made,” concludes Eijsackers.