After a period of almost 9 years, Kees van Dam has decided to part ways with Koat. Kees: "It has been an interesting time in a rapidly developing sector. This sector takes fast and decisive decisions and that moves at a rapid pace towards more automation and data-driven cultivation.
"For Koat, it has been a period of great change and development. The company has developed from a local player into an internationally valued supplier of advanced barn automation for greenhouse horticulture including robotics, especially for vegetable crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, and peppers," Kees adds. During this internationalization drive, it became clear that the global field was clearly different from that of the local markets. Much larger horticultural companies, full-service delivery, such as including consumer packaging, which is different from the traditional local market where grower associations play a dominant role in the processing of harvested vegetables. Both in size and needs, Koat has learned to respect these new requirements.
Kees took great pleasure in leading Koat through this transformation. In mid-2019, he sold Koat to Kind Technologies. From that point on, they have taken on the responsibility of further professionalizing the company, achieving growth, and properly serving Koat customers and associates. Effective January 1, 2022, he will no longer be employed by Koat.
