Nov 22, 2017

Van Belle Nursery Named Finalist for International Grower Award

Van Belle Nursery in Abbotsford, British Columbia, is one of nine ornamentals growers, from Canada, China, Colombia, Israel and The Netherlands that was named finalists for the AIPH International Grower of the Year Awards (IGOTY) 2018.

The 2018 finalists are:
• AYURÁ SAS – Colombia
• Holla Roses BV – Ethiopia / The Netherlands
• JUB Holland (Jac. Uittenbogaard & Zonen ) – The Netherlands
• Kwekerij van Wijgerden VOF – The Netherlands
• Saidi-Ronen – Israel
• Ter Laak Orchids – The Netherlands
• Van Belle Nursery Inc. – Canada
• Yunnan Wei Jun Kai Landscaping Engineering Co. Ltd. – China
• Yunnan YinMore Flower Industry Co., Ltd. – China

The winner will be announced in January during the week of IPM Essen in Germany.

There are three main categories; Cut flowers & bulbs, Finished Plants & Trees and Young Plants. Bronze, silver and gold will be awarded, where applicable, to each category. Each of the category winners will be judged for the overall award – AIPH International Grower of the Year. There are also two new categories this year, for Sustainability and an Inspiring Business Award.

Young Plants Winner 2017, Poul Graff, Owner of Graff Kristensen, said, “This award is very different from any other award, as it’s given to us by fellow plantsmen, growers and their associations around the world. This is a fantastic honour for our so that they can see that visions and strategy are not just a paper exercise.”

Chair of the IGOTY jury, Tim Edwards of Boningale Nurseries in the U.K., said of this year’s entries, “The caliber of this year’s entries has impressed the jury panel once again, and all of the competitors should be proud of the fantastic work they do within the sector.”

AIPH hosts the awards in partnership with Founding Partner, FloraCulture International; Headline Partner, Royal Flora Holland, and Event Partner, IPM Essen. Other sponsors include Bord Na Mona, Dümmen Orange, Florensis, MPS, Poppelman and Rosso Group.

Find out more about the finalists at www.aiph.org/groweroftheyear.