Situated along the motorway in Herongen, Germany, near the Dutch border and in proximity to Venlo, the Veiling Rhein-Maas occupies a strategically significant 220,000-square-meter site, serving as the only flower and plant auction in Germany. This auction plays a crucial role in the regional economy, processing approximately 5 million transactions annually, with a reported turnover exceeding 420 million euros in the previous year. For those interested in observing this unique enterprise, it is advisable to arrive early, particularly during the peak season.
The auction commences at 6 AM from Monday to Friday, with customer attendance typically beginning at 5 AM to allow for personal inspection of the offerings and assessment of quality. During the peak season in April and May, the auction starts as early as 5:30 AM due to heightened supply levels. The auction process persists until all containers of cut flowers, potted plants, and trees are sold, which can extend over a protracted duration. Cees Hoekstra, the managing director of Veiling Rhein-Maas, remarked, “While digitalization has enabled the purchase of flowers and plants from remote locations, a significant number of customers still prefer on-site participation.” This auction is part of the German-Dutch Interreg project ‘Agropole Innovates,’ aimed at enhancing connectivity and fortifying agribusiness across both nations.
The auction hall accommodates several hundred customers and operates eight clocks simultaneously, with four designated for cut flowers and four for potted plants. Hoekstra elaborated, “Customers select their positions in the auction room based on their interests. The auction order of different flowers and plants typically remains consistent, permitting customers to anticipate the timing of their desired bids.”
The auction’s supply is subject to seasonal variations; for example, red roses are particularly sought after during Valentine’s Day, while yellow flowers and plants gain popularity around Easter. It is not uncommon for certain goods to attract no bids, resulting in a lack of buyers, although this occurrence is infrequent and contingent upon the quantity available and prevailing demand.
The logistics centre of Veiling Rhein-Maas, located directly behind the auction hall, provides visitors with insight into the operations that expedite the delivery of goods to the highest bidders. Here, there is a distinction between potted plants and cut flowers. Potted plants are frequently sold by complete carts and transported through the facility via a 10-kilometer-long chain conveyor. In contrast, cut flowers are often sold in smaller lots, necessitating that auction staff manually assemble all buckets of flowers for each customer.
Currently, there are approximately 350 permanent employees across various departments. However, the organization faces challenges related to the labour market shortage, prompting inquiries into further optimization of processes to maintain efficient service delivery. Hoekstra indicated, “Auction breaks are implemented to provide customers with a respite while enabling Veiling Rhein-Maas employees to promptly prepare and distribute load carriers necessary for transporting auctioned flowers and plants.”
Veiling Rhein-Maas distinguishes itself as Germany’s sole flower and plant auction, diverging from analogous auctions in the Netherlands, which predominantly operate in a digital capacity, thus removing the opportunity for in-person inspection and bidding. Established in 2010 through the collaboration of two Landgard auctions in Germany and the Royal Flora Holland auction in Venlo, this merger has fostered greater cross-border cooperation between the neighbouring nations, an outcome that the Agropole Innovates team is eager to promote.
Following the visit to Veiling Rhein-Maas, the day is not concluded. Pay a visit to Schultz Blumenhandel und Logistik an intermediary, connecting the auction with various clients, including numerous garden centres. Senior manager Jürgen Schultz personally attends the auction each morning to procure goods ordered by their clientele at the most favourable prices.