The Belgian horticultural supplier Schoubs, based in Tongeren, has recently become an official dealer of Rovero. For owners Dirk Adriaensen and Ann Pluym, who took over the company in 2020, this partnership is a key step in achieving their growth ambitions. "Rovero is an innovative and successful producer of high-quality foil greenhouses, fruit canopies and films," says the couple. "We know the Belgian and Northern French horticultural sectors inside out. Together we can help growers and other green professionals in our region achieve better results."
Schoubs has been active for more than 35 years as a producer and supplier of tunnel greenhouses, films, irrigation systems and other cultivation supplies. Five years ago, Dirk and Ann took over the business and have since strengthened its market position.
"We look back with satisfaction on these past five years," Ann explains in a joint interview with Rovero. "We've built strong relationships with our customer base and gained a clear picture of the wider market. Up to now, our focus has mainly been on strawberry plants, tunnel greenhouses, films and irrigation materials, particularly for soft fruit cultivation where we have a strong foothold."
This year, however, Schoubs wants to place more emphasis on selling greenhouses and films for both new-build projects and renovations. "Now that we officially represent Rovero as a dealer, we see enormous growth opportunities," Ann continues. "Not just for ourselves, but also for Rovero, which is still less well-known in Belgium and Northern France compared to other countries."
© Rovero
Driven entrepreneurs
Rovero's director, Jacco van Delden, is equally enthusiastic. "We are very happy to welcome Schoubs as our dealer. Ann and Dirk are highly driven to professionalize their company and to grow. That's exactly the spirit we share at Rovero. Over the past few years we've invested heavily in product innovation and in strengthening our international dealer network. Our webshop, launched in 2023, is already being used intensively by dealers and customers. Until now, however, we didn't have a dealer in Belgium. Ann and Dirk have now filled that gap."
Van Delden calls it a fortunate coincidence that Schoubs approached him shortly after Rovero's French distributor passed away, leaving the company underrepresented in that market. "That white spot on the map is now covered. Belgium had always been served from the Netherlands, but that wasn't ideal. There's still a language and cultural gap that can make doing business a little more difficult."
A step forward in offering and quality
With Schoubs, there's no such gap. "The connection was there from our very first conversation," Ann confirms. "Rovero is a larger company than we are, but it still has all the qualities of a transparent and trustworthy family business. What really appeals to us is that, with their products and support from Raamsdonksveer, we can take a major step forward in terms of our offering, our quality and our professionalism. We complement each other perfectly. This allows us to serve more growers and green professionals, such as garden centers, with tailor-made solutions."
Rovero's greenhouses and films sit in the higher quality segment, which is exactly where demand is growing, Ann adds. "One example is the AirVent concept for soft fruit. The yields and fruit quality that growers can achieve with it are extremely attractive. Belgian and French growers may need some time to embrace such innovations, but they will. We know them well enough to be sure of that."
Meanwhile, Rovero itself continues to grow through acquisitions and new partnerships with local representatives. Just this summer, the company announced the takeover of Polybow (lonk in Dutch). And for its representation in the Middle East, Rovero recently opened a branch in the United Arab Emirates.
For more information:
Jacco van Delden
Rovero
Tel: +31 (0) 162 574 574
[email protected]
www.rovero.com
