Going Dutch!
Everyone knows that tulips come from Amsterdam, but Dutch demand for British daffodils makes this the busiest week of the year for those who grow and manage the flow of flora.
Holland produces around 10 billion flower bulbs a year – some 65% of the total world production – yet despite this enormous output, it seems the Dutch cannot get enough of the great British “daff”.
Millions of the yellow blooms have to be transported at the peak of freshness across the North Sea in double-quick time.
On paper it is a logistical nightmare but supply chain specialist Gist manages the transportation for Anglo-Flora Flowers of more than twenty million bunches of daffodils every season and the number increases each year.
It’s a tricky, time-sensitive operation but David Beecham, European Development Director of Gist, loves the challenge!
He says: “We are obviously under a lot of pressure; the daffodils have to be kept at low temperature, they have to be delivered quickly and in a perfect condition despite their fragility. It’s a question of managing the whole supply chain to ensure a smooth flow from the UK to Holland and the other European countries.”
David, who has been in the flower operation for 25 years, continued: “Basically we have the skills and expertise in a time-critical environment – built up over many years working with a range of customers, all of which have different demands.”
Half of the UK’s one hundred million daffodils are exported, the rest are sold at home.
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Note to editors:
Gist combines leading edge experience and expertise to offer a range of supply chain solutions from design, set up, implementation and operational management through to supply chain consulting services.
Gist, based in the United Kingdom, has its head office at Basingstoke in Hampshire. However, Gist’s 4,500 employees operate out of 28 locations, providing a full range of intellectual and asset-based business offering in the UK, continental Europe, Asia, Australasia and North America.
Gist’s customers (including Ocado, Marks & Spencer, British Airways, Carlsberg-Tetley, New Look and Budgens) operate in a wide range of commercial and industrial sectors, including grocery, electronics, apparel and gas.
Dynamic supply chain management is critical to the success of businesses across the globe. Gist has the ability to transform supply chains through intelligent application of innovative leading edge technology, unique solutions tailored to customers’ strategies, managing change and embracing and enhancing the supply chain proposition. With industry specific experience, expertise and excellence, Gist’s solutions bring end-to-end visibility and implementation, from concept to delivery.
As part of the BOC Group, which serves two million customers in more than 50 countries, Gist also benefits from BOC’s global capability, synergy and scale.
To find out more about Gist, for photography or to arrange an interview with the Gist team:
Gist Limited
01256 891111
info@gistworld.com
www.gistworld.com
