The co-operation between the two companies was
great and both of us gained a lot. One might say: the
expertise of a very specialized company, representing the
combined know-how of an entire industry, was bartered for
corporate professionalism, strategies and financial resources.
A definite win-win situation.
And so it was again, three years later, when
international markets shifted due to the fall of the Iron
Curtain (Eastern Europe) and better understanding of the
potential of biotechnology prompted Unilever to return to
their core business. Unilever and Barenbrug parted as good
friends. In 1994, The Barenbrug Group reclaimed its status as
a family owned company. But we kept the acquired management
style and founded a Supervisory Board, chaired by one of
Unilever’s top managers, Jan de Jong.
A second decision, inspired by our experience
with a multinational, was to diversify our climatic exposure.
The seed industry is cyclic by definition. However, by
investing in the Southern Hemisphere, a lot of flexibility is
gained. Overproduction or under achievement in one hemisphere
can be resolved by better planning in the other, and vice
versa.
