Kurt Lauwers, one of the familiar faces at Hollandplant as a salesperson, recently made a remarkable career move. After 19 years he has moved to the Belgian substrate supplier Willems Perlite.
“I have always enjoyed working at Hollandplant, but I was ready for a new challenge,” says Kurt Lauwers. “I found it at Willems Perlite in Ghent. I have known the Willems brothers for a long time because Hollandplant has been a regular customer of perlite blocks since 2002 and in recent years also of their vermiculite. So I have always known that growers achieve good results using a combination of perlite substrate and perlite blocks.”
Perlite mats and recycling
Meanwhile, Willems Perlite has been investing heavily in further growth: the company is now also starting the production of perlite substrate in the form of perlite mats and upright bags. To complete the cycle, the organisation also wants to provide for the recycling after the growing season. Kurt Lauwers is fully ready to sell Willems Perlite’s new products and services.
Perlite brings great benefits
“I started on 1 August and currently things are exceeding expectations,” he says. “The first orders have already been received and enquiries are coming in, including from growers who have no experience of growing on perlite. They also see the great benefits of perlite. For instance, no chemicals are added during the production process, which makes perlite very sustainable and ecological. Moreover, the growers do not have to drain the perlite mats at the start, resulting in great labour savings.”
Demand for perlite is growing
Perlite is used in most vegetable cultivation, as well as for the cultivation of strawberries and soft fruit. Sven and Niels Willems, the managers of Willems Perlite, see the demand for their products growing. “We are very happy to have an experienced salesperson like Kurt Lauwers,” they say. “He comes at the ideal moment to respond to this growing demand. We are already looking for additional staff.”
For more information:
Willems Perlite
Hulsdonk 37 – 9042 Gent – Belgium
+32 (0)497 84 65 79
info@willems-perlite.com
www.willems-perlite.com