To be able to continue its scale up track record and to facilitate future growth, Dutch high tech group Kind Technologies has been recruiting new directors to complement and strengthen its management across all its businesses. “It is a great pleasure that we have been able to secure such strong and experienced managers on top of our existing management teams”, says Richard Vialle, Founder & CCO of Kind Technologies. “We are preparing to further professionalize our group companies and to scale up internationally in partnership with greenhouse builders, horticulture investors and (technology) partners”.
In below picture the new management members are being introduced to the market.
From left to right: Alex Kind (Founder and CEO, Kind Technologies), Laura Diepeveen, Richard van de Waart, Antoine Kapteijns, Matthieu Kouwenberg and Richard Vialle.
Laura Diepeveen, Operations Director Martin Stolze Group
Laura has joined the management team of Martin Stolze besides Wido Kruijswijk and Bram van Paassen to lead the operations from production to supply chain and services. With a background as business process consultant and in operations and project management at Fokker, Laura is the ideal candidate to further optimize processes and to foster operational excellence at the fast growing manufacturer of internal logistics for horticulture products.
Richard van de Waart, Director of Sales
Richard joined Kind Technologies on the 1st of July to lead the growing sales teams within the group to ensure optimal cross-selling and to grow through direct sales as well as through partner sales world-wide. Richard has been active in horticulture his whole life, having been a grower himself for a long time. After that experience and having lived two decades in Central Eastern Europe he has been active in Sales in North America and other regions on behalf of KG Systems, Paul Boers and most recently at Luminaid.
Antoine Kapteijns, Customer Operations Director Crux Agribotics & KOAT
Antoine will lead the commercial side of Operations including Project Management and Services for both Crux Agribotics and KOAT. Antoine has an extensive experience in operations and project management as interim consultant. In his previous role as COO at Codema he already became active in this industry.
Matthieu Kouwenberg, Chief Technology Officer
Matthieu is the new CTO at group level. As a member of the board of directors he will lead the Technology and R&D departments to ensure a leading position with Robotics, Computer Vision, Data & AI, automating the processes from greenhouse to packing hall within the industry. At Van Riet Material Handling Systems and later MHS, Matthieu was responsible for Engineering and Product Development. He also was one of the key contributors there for implementing configure-to-order, a program which he will also lead within the Kind Technologies group.
Earlier this year, Kind Technologies invested in a local presence in Canada / Americas, divested its Pharmaceutical business, started a joint venture with Berg Hortimotive / Royal Brinkman. The company is about to open a new headquarters in the Dutch Greenport region, De Lier, ‘t Westland.
"Kind Technologies contributes to a world where plant and food distribution, producing and processing will be conducted in a much more efficient and safe way," says Richard. "A world where yields per square meter will increase and waste will be minimized without having to be dependent on scarce and costly human labor. Where technology ensures safer food, less pesticides are used and where food can be tracked and traced from plant to consumer."
He explains that the material handling and robots developed and supplied by Kind Technologies will replace human labor reducing cost and improving consistent and hygienic handling. "Less people in greenhouse and packing centers will result in reduced risk and pressure from viruses. Our computer vision, data & AI software will predict which crops need to be handled when and which products can be sold at the highest price in advance. The same handling systems and software will also grade, sort and pack the actual products and transport and deal with the package supplies"
All data and information from the systems is recorded and available in real-time having insight into which product originated from what greenhouse row and is placed in which package on what pallet for which customer. "Ultimately the full process from crop care, harvesting, transport, buffering and packing will be handled by material handling robotic systems and the data will be available real-time to the grower, investors, and all relevant stakeholders. More and healthier product for more people," Richard says.
Crux Agrirobotics
cruxagribotics.com
Charlotte Jannes
Kind Technologies
Charlotte.jannes@kindtechnologies.nl
www.kindtechnologies.nl
+31 40-7470401
Martin Stolze 
info@martinstolze.nl
www.martinstolze.nl