We started the day at Royal Flora Holland, a company that connects consumers and producers within the floriculture industry. It was amazing to see the warehouse and watch hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of flowers being transported and organized by workers. We watched from an elevated walkway as employees zigzagged through driving lanes on Segway-like machines guiding carts of flowers to other destinations within the massive warehouse. While walking through the building, we learned that the warehouse was the size of more than 200 soccer fields combined- I’m sure we only saw a fraction of the enormous space in the 30 min that we were exploring. 

It was incredible to see how automated the warehouse was. While many carts were transported by people driving machines, lots were guided by tracks. Large carts of beautiful flowers were moved to their final destination when other carts crashed into them, propelling the carts further along the track. This automation ultimately allows Royal Flora Holland to improve worker efficiency and reduce labor costs. Workers can be redirected into areas that require more care and transportation can be easily negotiated by an advanced track system that organizes carts with ease. 

I was especially grateful that we took the time to visit Royal Flora Holland during our time in The Netherlands because during our pre-departure meetings, my group gave a presentation on the company. I researched the supply chain within the supplier and customer side of the spectrum and spent lots of time learning about competitors in the floriculture industry. It was clear from both my research and the company visit that Royal Flora Holland has an immense competitive advantage over other competing floral suppliers. The volume at which Royal Flora Holland trades and the industrial capacity of its warehouse allows the business to dominate the floriculture industry by reducing costs and achieving economies of scale. 

After visiting Royal Flora Holland, we traveled to De Tulperij Voorhout and learned about the floriculture trade from the perspective of a grower. We walked through beautiful tulip fields and absorbed information about the bulb growing and harvesting process. The trip was just as informational as it was beautiful! I am so grateful to have visited Holland while tulips were in season.