Dec. 23, 2010, the Netherlands – Vegetable breeding company Rijk Zwaan has again topped the list of the Hillenraad 100, the annual overview of the 100 leading companies in Dutch food-producing greenhouse horticulture.
The Hillenraad committee of experts, chaired by Willem Vermeend, said Rijk Zwaan remains robust despite the slumping world economy. “Even in these troubled times, this by now international concern does not make any concessions. The momentum does not slow down.”
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| Rijk Zwaan placed second in the Innovation category in the Hillenraad 100 competition. |
Hillenraad also assessed the 100 companies separately on running their enterprise in a socially responsible way, and on innovation. This earned Rijk Zwaan first and second place honours, respectively.
Rijk Zwaan credits its ranking in the Hillenraad 100 in part to its success in the R&D Top 30 awards program in the Netherlands, which also includes names like Philips, ASML and Unilever. Also helpful was its outstanding creditworthiness, assessed by Dun & Broadstreet as “Triple A.”
Rijk Zwaan director Marco van Leeuwen was present during the Hillenraad announcement. “We are very proud of this, in particular because our human approach towards our employees and those outside the company has been recognized for the second time this year.”
This is a reference to Rijk Zwaan being declared Best Employer for 2010 in the Netherlands. “Both Number One placings are a huge sign of appreciation,” said van Leeuwen, “and strengthen the good commercial and social positioning of Rijk Zwaan.”
Rijk Zwaan is one of the world’s top five vegetable breeding companies. It has 25 subsidiaries and sales in more than 100 countries.
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