Partnership Modiform and IBN

IBN’s nurseries make top-quality products. Employing some 200 professionals at various locations, IBN produces approximately 100,000 cuttings of ornamental shrubs, conifers, climbing plants, and small fruits every day for large and small growers in the tree nursery sector. IBN is keenly aware that devotion and care are the keys to growth. That wisdom applies to plants, people, and partnerships alike. Modiform is delighted that IBN has been a customer for years, and our Propagation Account Manager Joyce Langeslag now knows the company like the back of her hand. With that in mind, we thought it was worth asking supervisor Gerard Heldens why IBN purchases trays from.

IBN is keenly aware of the fact that devotion and care are the keys to growth. We work with experts who deliver a top-quality product. That is what we care about – everything is about delivering quality. However, we also think it is important that everyone is given a fair chance in the labour market. That is why we work with people who are given extra support to develop their skills here, so that they feel confident and able to do their job well now and later in their career.

This is a form of sustainable business that we are completely committed to. We have our own core staff body that accounts for about 80% of our manpower, while the remaining 20% is covered by ‘development projects’ – people who come to us to gain employee experience. We want to make sure they love their job: whether they are working for us, for another company, for themselves, or whatever they feel like doing. Given our mission to deliver high quality to our customers, all of our employees ensure each product is top-notch. We are very passionate about that. The great thing is that this passion is naturally passed on to people who work here, even those who start off thinking that they have no affinity with this industry.

Tree trays
As we want to deliver high-quality products, we use trays supplied by Modiform. One of the trays we use is the 2578 high tree tray. It is essential that these trays are of impeccable quality, given the high precision involved in setting up growers’ machines to process them. Our conifers also have to put down a good set of roots before being sent to our customers, which takes as long as 12 to 14 months. Modiform’s trays meet all our requirements as well as our customers’ requirements. Modiform even made trays for us that have a different colour on top, so our staff can quickly spot them instead of wasting time looking for them.

Expertise
Apart from the quality of the products, we enjoy working with Modiform thanks to their knowledge and commitment. Joyce provides us with information on the market, trends, and developments. A few times a year, we sit down together to discuss the forecast. Of course, we want to get everything right, which is why we discuss IBN’s future requirements. Joyce informs us when there are new products, and Modiform also provides their input when we suggest ideas. Any issues are resolved quickly. We are extremely pleased with Modiform’s knowledge of our sector, products, and market. And with the return stream now well up to speed, we receive a competitive payment for returns and have become automatically more sustainable.

Back office knows about all the promises made by front office. It is easy to think that Joyce is a superhero (and she is!), but it helps that the whole workflow is extremely smooth. When Joyce makes an appointment with us, the back office always knows about it. And things go smoothly even when Joyce is absent. The back office knows about all the promises made by the front office. That partnership is important to us!