Biobest Group was voted as winner of the Export Lion 2018. Flemish Minister-President Geert Bourgeois awarded the prestigious prize to Jean-Marc Vandoorne, Biobest Group CEO, at the closing event in Antwerp. Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT), the Flemish Agency for International Business, has been awarding this distinction for 17 years to two Flemish companies achieving exceptional export performance. Biobest received the award in the category of companies with more than 50 employees. The award stresses the enormous importance of export for the Flemish economy and puts the winner in the spotlight both nationally and internationally.
Jean-Marc Vandoorne, Biobest CEO, was over the moon with this recognition: “The credit for this Lion is due first and foremost to our many employees and customers. The achievement of this Lion is down to the unbridled commitment of all Biobest employees all over the world and to the support and trust of our customers, our distributors and the growers who rely on us every day to guide and advise them in their quest for successful and sustainable cultivation. We had strong opponents in our category, so we can be proud of this award. The jury selected Biobest because of its strong and ambitious vision, the successful global export strategy and our contribution to a sustainable world.”
The jury based its judgement mainly on export turnover figures, geographical diversification, the strength of the export policy, corporate social responsibility and ability to innovate. After a previous nomination in 2014, this time, Biobest was able to win over the jury with its excellent sustainable product range that has brought about a global transformation of the horticulture sector. Of course, the impressive growth figures also jumped out, with 2017 as an exceptional year. In addition to a number of acquisitions in new markets, the company reaped the benefits of its own distribution system and clocked up growth of more than 30%.