An introduction
The beginning: small scale
The foundations for the current company were laid by Bernd Rötjes in 1993. At the time he started to supply rooted cuttings on a small scale to local tree nurseries. A site was initially rented for this purpose in Horst. In September of the same year, the activities were relocated to Swolgen, where Bernd had a greenhouse of 1800 m2 at his disposal. The assortment at the time consisted of Hebe, Skimmia, climbing plants and ground covering shrubs.
Continued expansion
Over the years, Rötjes young plants has established a solid reputation. Increasing numbers of growers called on the services of the company in Swolgen. To cope with the demand, an additional 1800 m2 was built in 1997.
Cooperation
In 2002 Tobias Rötjes became co-owner of the company. From that moment the tasks were divided: Bernd became responsible for sales and Tobias for production. This approach was successful and in the space of five years the company expanded from production levels of 1.7 million to11 million rooted cuttings annually.
New premises
From 2002, growth reached explosive proportions and more and more greenhouses were rented to accommodate the growing business. Bernd and Tobias decided to build new premises in 2007. Concentrating the activities on a single location was aimed at increasing efficiency. A plot covering 10.5 hectares was acquired on Horsterdijk in Lottum. In early 2008 the first spade hit the ground and in the summer of the same year, the new company was up and running. Due to high demand from the market in 2010, again more space was needed. At the end of 2010 therefore we started the construction of phase 2 of the new company, where production in 4 hectares greenhouse now has risen up to 25 million rooted cuttings per year.
The current company: modern and professional
Since the summer of 2008, Rötjes young plants has been based on Horsterdijk 116 in Lottum. At this easily accessible location - in the heart of the arboricultural concentration of North Limburg- we have a highly modern company, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities that reflect our professionalism. An image that reinforces the high quality we supply!
Tight schedule
Rötjes young plants adheres to a tight schedule concerning the routing of products within the company. To safeguard optimal standards of hygiene, our company is divided into five zones. The cuttings arrive in a rinsing area where cooling and further treatment takes place. The cuttings are then transported to the cutting department. After the cuttings have rooted, they are transferred to another part of the company to be hardened off. Here all the necessary activities take place to ensure the delivery of a perfect end product. When the products are being prepared for dispatch in the hall any final treatment necessary is carried out.
Enthusiastic employees
Our team of dedicated, enthusiastic employees sees each day as another challenge to produce absolute top quality shrubs and plants. Rötjes young plants employs nine people permanently. We also work with students and hire seasonal workers during peak periods.
The future: growth and innovation
Service and innovation. These are the priorities for the future. We are busy with various developments to improve the quality of our cuttings in the future at the highest level also we try to make potting and planting for our customers as easy as possible and we are working on a system to run special customer requirements even better.
New markets and wider range
Innovation to Rötjes young plants includes entering new markets within Europe. We are also looking to expand within the existing range; however adding entirely new varieties to our range is also a possibility. Here too, market wishes dictate our course; the customer is central!
News
Trade fairs
Rötjes Young Plants is represented at all leading trade fairs for the arboricultural sector: