There are certain moments in the growth of a company that deserve to be remembered. For Koberg, we recently reached one of those moments: the highest point of our new building has officially been reached.
The construction work is far from finished. Our new premises are expected to be completed next year, and there is still plenty of work to be done before we can officially call it our new home. Nevertheless, reaching the highest point of the building felt like an important milestone — and one that we did not want to let pass unnoticed.
So, for a moment, we stopped building and started celebrating.
Together with our team and some of the people and partners who contribute to Koberg, we celebrated not only the progress of our new building, but also the progress of Koberg as a company.
Because this milestone represents much more than steel, concrete and construction.
It represents growth, teamwork and our ambitions for the future.
From plans and drawings to reality
Not so long ago, our new building existed mainly in plans, drawings and conversations about the future.
Today, it is becoming increasingly real.
Watching a completely new location take shape step by step is something special. Every new part of the building makes it easier to imagine what it will eventually become: a place from which Koberg can continue to serve its customers, work with its partners and grow further in the years ahead.
The new premises are an important investment in that future.
As Koberg continues to develop, our organisation needs a location that can develop with us. The new building will provide more space for our operations and our team and will allow us to organise our activities with the future in mind.
But before we start thinking about moving in, there are still several construction milestones ahead.
Reaching the highest point, however, is one of the most visible.
Suddenly, the scale of the building can truly be seen.
And that deserved a celebration.
Small team, big steps
One message stood out during the celebration:
With a relatively small team, Koberg continues to take big steps.
Growth is often measured in numbers, buildings, square metres or turnover. But behind those numbers are always people.
The development of Koberg would not be possible without the people who contribute to the company every day.
A relatively compact team means that everyone plays an important role. Decisions, challenges and opportunities are often close to the people who actually work with them. Everyone contributes from their own position, and together those contributions create progress.
Our new building is perhaps one of the clearest physical examples of that progress.
It shows that the work being done today is creating opportunities for tomorrow.
And although reaching the highest point is a construction milestone, for us it also represents a milestone for the entire organisation.
A few words from Onno
During the celebration, Onno took the opportunity to address everyone who had joined us.
His speech made clear just how much has happened at Koberg over the past period.
With pride, he reflected on the steps the company has taken, the developments we have experienced and the people who have contributed to those achievements.
When you are working every day, it can sometimes be easy to focus mainly on what still needs to be done.
The next delivery.
The next project.
The next customer request.
The next challenge.
And, in this case, the next phase of construction.
Moments like this give us the opportunity to look in the other direction for a change — and see how far we have already come.
Onno's words were therefore not only about the new building. They were also about the journey behind it.
About what has been achieved as a company and how the commitment of employees, partners and other people around Koberg has contributed to that progress.
It was a fitting moment to recognise that growth and to share it with the people present.
Celebrating with the people around Koberg
We did not want to celebrate this milestone alone.
Koberg works with many different people and organisations every day. Our ability to operate successfully depends on relationships throughout the supply chain, from products and projects to transport and delivery.
That is why it was great to welcome a mix of people to the celebration.
Members of the Koberg team were joined by suppliers, transport partners, guests and people directly involved in the construction of our new premises.
They may all contribute to Koberg in different ways, but together they form an important part of the network around our company.
For us, that made the celebration particularly meaningful.
The people responsible for physically building our future premises were standing alongside people who help us move our products. Suppliers and partners had the opportunity to meet members of our own team outside the normal working environment.
No orders, deliveries or deadlines for a moment.
Just an opportunity to enjoy the occasion together.
And, of course, there was cake
No milestone celebration would be complete without something to eat and drink.
And naturally, there was a cake to mark the occasion.
Maarten had the honour of cutting it.
It may have been a relatively small part of the afternoon, but these are often the moments that make a business milestone feel personal.
Speeches, conversations, laughter, something to drink and a piece of cake — together they turned an important moment in the construction schedule into a memory for everyone involved.
Because ultimately, a new building is not just about creating more physical space.
It is about creating a place where people will work together, solve problems, welcome relationships, organise projects and build the next stage of the company.
More than 55 years of Koberg
The milestone also gives us an opportunity to look at the bigger picture.
Koberg's story did not start with this building.
Our history goes back to 1969, which means more than 55 years of experience, relationships and development stand behind the company we are today.
Over those years, the world around us has changed considerably.
Markets have developed, customer expectations have changed, logistics have become increasingly international and the horticultural sector has continued to evolve.
Koberg has evolved with it.
Today, we work as an international B2B partner in plants and planters, combining our network, product knowledge and years of export experience to support professional customers.
Our long-standing relationship with the UK market remains an important part of that story. Years of experience with international trade and weekly deliveries throughout England have helped shape the organisation we are today.
At the same time, we continue to look forward.
Our new premises are part of that next step.
They connect more than five decades of experience with our ambitions for the years ahead.
Building the next chapter
The highest point may have been reached, but the building is not finished yet.
Over the coming period, construction will continue and the building will gradually move closer to completion.
There is still a lot to look forward to.
Eventually, the construction site we are visiting today will become the place where our team starts another working day. Trucks will arrive and leave, products will move through the building and customers and partners will visit a location that currently still looks very different.
That thought makes this stage of construction particularly exciting.
We can already see the outlines of what is coming.
Next year, those outlines will become our new home.
Until then, we will continue doing what brought us here in the first place: working together, serving our customers, strengthening our partnerships and taking the next step whenever an opportunity presents itself.
Thank you
Finally, we would like to thank everyone who joined us to celebrate this special occasion.
And, even more importantly, we would like to thank everyone who has helped make this milestone possible.
From our own team to the construction professionals working on the building, and from our suppliers to our transport partners and other relationships: every contribution forms part of the bigger picture.
We are proud of what has already been achieved.
We are proud of the people behind it.
And we are excited to see what comes next.
The building is taking shape.
Koberg continues to grow.
And the next chapter of our story has already begun.
On to the next milestone.