Our Relationship with Nini Herburg Roses
At JZ Flowers, long-term partnerships are the foundation of our success — and few relationships demonstrate this better than the one we’ve built with Nini Herburg Roses.
Our connection with these two nurseries — Nini in Kenya and Herburg in Ethiopia — has developed steadily over the past decade, shaped by shared values, mutual trust, and a joint focus on delivering high-quality roses for the retail market.
Philippe Veys (Nini Herburg Roses board member), Jan van Dam (CEO DFG) and Marco van der Burg (Nini Herburg Roses board member). Photo: Fotomel.nl
A Shared Focus on Retail
Nini Herburg Roses produces over 200 million stems annually across more than 100 hectares of land and employs around 2,500 people. These nurseries have been key partners to Dutch Flower Group (DFG) companies, helping ensure a consistent and high-quality supply of roses to meet the demands of retail customers.
Since 2017, the Herburg site in Ethiopia has been exclusively dedicated to producing roses for specific DFG customers, creating a reliable, bespoke supply chain. At the Kenya site, we see equally close collaboration, with varieties carefully grown to meet the needs of large retail programmes.
Strengthening the Chain through Vertical Integration
In January 2023, DFG took a further step in strengthening this relationship by becoming a shareholder in Nini Herburg Roses. This strategic move reflects a wider commitment to vertical integration — giving DFG companies, including JZ Flowers, a greater degree of oversight and alignment from grower to customer.
By becoming more integrated with growers, we can enhance efficiency, improve forecasting, and ensure our retail partners receive the very best product offer. It also provides a platform for joint innovation, sustainability programmes and shared investment in quality and service.
As DFG CEO Jan van Dam explains, “This is a logical development in our long-running relationship, which enables us to improve our position in vertical integration and give our customers the very best offer.”
Aligned on Values, Committed to Sustainability
A shared outlook is what makes this partnership work so well. Beyond a mutual focus on retail, JZ Flowers and Nini Herburg Roses are fully aligned on values — particularly around sustainability, ethical trading, and long-term impact.
All sites operated by Nini Herburg Roses are certified to Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI) standards and carry a Fairtrade licence. Local social projects are also supported, involving contributions from Fairtrade premiums, DFG companies, and retail customers alike.
Board member Marco van der Burg reflects: “We’re now seeing the sustained relationship already built up with DFG companies being firmly secured. The decision over a decade ago to focus entirely on the retail channel — and to do so in close cooperation — has laid the foundation for continued growth through this deeper involvement.”
Philippe Veys adds: “Our visions fit seamlessly together, not only in terms of how customer-orientated both our organisations are, but also in our sustainability programmes.”
Looking Ahead
As our partnership with Nini Herburg Roses continues to evolve, vertical integration will play a key role in helping us deliver greater value, agility and consistency across the supply chain. Together, we’re not only growing beautiful flowers — we’re growing a more resilient and responsible future.