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Laurant Fleur

Customer case of Laurant Fleur

"More control in the purchasing process"

Laurant Fleur Flower Nursery from Ammerzoden grows special products that require specific lighting. After first being introduced to LED in 2022, the company made the switch to LED with dimming functionality this year. Ledgnd assisted in making the right choice. “We were able to purchase the fixtures at a competitive price, which essentially made Ledgnd pay for itself,” says owner Laurens van den Oord.

50% savings on lighting costs

Service rated a 9

About Laurant Fleur

Laurant Fleur is a modern flower nursery from North Brabant. The company grows two special flowers: cut kalanchoes on 2.4 hectares and matricaria on 3.6 hectares. “So, two niche products that we cultivate on a large scale,” says entrepreneur Laurens van den Oord. “In the field of cut kalanchoe, we are the only ones in Europe, and in matricaria, we are also a major player.”

Far-red dimming

In 2022, the nursery switched from SON-T to LED lighting. This coincided with the start of the energy crisis, according to Van den Oord. “Fortunately, we had strong energy positions, so we had the financial capacity to make that investment at that time.” Van den Oord handled the first phase without the help of Ledgnd. “It involved 1.3 hectares of full LED lighting for the kalanchoe crop. For the matricaria crop, I chose to equip the entire 3.6 hectares with hybrid lighting with far-red light, but without dimming functionality.” A decision he reconsidered two years later. “This year, I decided to switch the matricaria crop to full LED with far-red dimming. Dimmable far-red light is particularly important for controlling the length of the matricaria plants. For the purchase, I sought advice and support from Ledgnd.”

In the cut kalanchoe crop, no far-red light is used. “It’s quite unusual, because you don’t see that with almost any other product,” says Van den Oord. “Unlike potted kalanchoe, it’s essential to achieve more stretch in cut kalanchoe, which is why it’s better to grow it without far-red light. For matricaria, however, the far-red spectrum is important. That’s why we chose the latest LEDs from Philips, as they allow us to control the far-red separately and switch off the blue and white for added efficiency.”

Open to new partners

Van den Oord decided to remove the lamps from 2022 from the greenhouse and replace them with the new dimmable LEDs. The used lamps were sold. Van den Oord consciously chose to involve Ledgnd in the purchasing process. “I thought it would be good to have an outsider take a look. Ledgnd gave me excellent advice. I’ve always had a preference for Philips lamps because I consider them a reliable partner. With other suppliers, I thought it was more uncertain. But Ledgnd made me realize that there are many more good options on the market, both in terms of technology and price. As a result, I was open to new suppliers and compared all the offers. In the end, I chose Philips again, but purely for personal reasons.”

The original LEDs above the 1.3-hectare kalanchoe greenhouse remained in place. However, in the 1.1-hectare extension, which is currently being completed, the same lamps used for the matricaria crop will be installed, so full LED with far-red dimming. “We don’t actually need far-red light there at the moment, so the far-red will remain off as long as we’re growing kalanchoe,” says Van den Oord. “But if the market performs well, we might choose to grow more matricaria and less kalanchoe, or the other way around. We always want to have the flexibility to switch between the two greenhouses and decide whether or not to use the far-red light. For the new build, we also worked with Ledgnd.”

More guarantees and options

Van den Oord has been very satisfied with his collaboration with Ledgnd. “I’m really enthusiastic. It’s a young company that looks at things from a different perspective. I found that very pleasant and refreshing. I was initially very brand-biased, but Ledgnd gave me clear insight into the differences between providers. In the past, I’ve experienced a lot of failures with 1,000-watt SON-T fixtures. You don’t want that, so you tend to choose a partner you know and trust. But now I know there are also alternatives.” What Van den Oord particularly appreciates about Ledgnd is their support leading up to the purchase discussions. “You’re not alone in the process. You also get advice about the price and how the other suppliers are positioned. This provides a lot of peace of mind and made me feel like I was in more control throughout the entire purchasing process. Additionally, Ledgnd carefully reads the fine print, which revealed more guarantees and options. If I had to give the company a rating, I’d definitely give them a 9!”

The choice to switch to LED has certainly resulted in significant savings for the company. “I can confidently say that we’ve achieved a 50 percent reduction in lighting costs. Not on total energy costs, because with LED there’s less heat radiation, so we had to heat a bit more. But heating is easier to produce during low-cost periods than electricity purchases during peak times. So, in terms of energy costs, it has given us a major boost. Of course, there was a significant investment, but we’re clearly investing in the future of our business.”

"I’m really enthusiastic. It’s a young company that approaches things from a different perspective. I found that very pleasant and refreshing."

Delivered on time

All in all, the choices made have brought significant benefits for Laurant Fleur. The new lamps were only installed by Stolze a few months ago, but Van den Oord is already seeing much more growth in length, which is also reflected in the weight of the flowers. “In addition, we were able to purchase the fixtures at a very competitive price. As a result, Ledgnd essentially pays for itself.” It’s also important to note that the lamps were delivered on time, Van den Oord points out. “Despite supply issues in the market, the collaboration has been beneficial in this regard as well.” The new greenhouse will be fitted with new lamps by the end of this year. “After that, we should be set for a while, but I wouldn’t rule out using Ledgnd’s services more often in the future. In terms of data collection and crop control, they could also play an important role, and I’m definitely open to that.”

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Laurant van Oord
Laurant van Oord
Laurant Fleur

"I’m really enthusiastic. It’s a young company that looks at things from a different perspective. I found that very pleasant and refreshing. I was very biased when it came to brands, but Ledgnd gave me clear insight into the differences between providers. Moreover, Ledgnd also carefully reads the fine print, which reveals more guarantees and possibilities. If I had to rate the company, I would definitely give them a 9!"

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