Lex van der Ende at the Xylem strategic meeting in Orlando

A good collaboration with partners is indispensable for Van der Ende Groep. Lex van der Ende talks about how this collaboration with the American Xylem, a prominent producer of water technical solutions globally, is going and how the two companies consider the developments in the market.

Over 25 years ago Van der Ende Groep introduced the brand Lowara in horticulture, which is one of the well known brands of the listed company Xylem. Partially due to this introduction Van der Ende Groep and Xylem are now market leaders in the area of irrigation in this segment. The product portfolio - including the brands Lowara, Grindex and Flygt - stand for quality and this fits in with the choice of Van der Ende Group.

At the end of November Lex van der Ende travelled to Orlando on the invitation of the top management of Xylem, consisting of 240 managers. Here they looked at the future, the growth strategy and the collaboration between Xylam and their partners worldwide, in the theme of 'Today, Tomorrow, Together'. As the only European, Lex was part of the customer panel to talk about the achievements and the strategy. "We export the Xylem products, among others, to over a hundred countries globally - both direct and indirect. The available configurations are of huge importance to this: 208V, 50/60Hz or 600V? It's always a challenge for us to find solutions that meet demands worldwide, such as multi voltage solutions, certain certifications and a covering scope. Realising applications like this can mean a simpler production process and make the logistics and stores worldwide simpler, more quickly and more efficiently. There are more challenges for Van der Ende Groep, which we have suggested."

These topics were extensively discussed during the meeting. And not for nothing: Xylem also wants to work to improve this. "We see that knowledge plays an increasingly important role. This is why we are considering IoT (Internet of Things) and Big Data solutions. We could think of guaranteed pumped m3 in the future instead of selling a pump. This demands a different way of thinking and we demand this from our growers as well," says Lex. "These developments make a good collaboration with your suppliers indispensable. Xylem is an important partner for us, especially as we see one another as extension which adds value to the process. Such as modifying a pump, suggesting product improvements or complimenting the scope. Now Lex sees the same opportunities for the Lowara heating pumps. At Van der Ende Groep we worked together with Xylem for years on complimenting and expanding the heating line for horticulture and also developed a connecting special tool: the Curves selection tool. Thanks to these developments we see good opportunities for collaboration in various sectors and a good future with Xylem!"