Orchids, kalanchoe, seasonal plants, succulents and green plants: a selection of the more than fifty products grown at the Turkish company Gardenkoala in Adana. Hasan Ergören, deputy general manager at the company, says: ‘We are aware of the importance of sustainability for the future of the company and the world.’
‘We strive to be a sustainable company that cares about the environment and therefore we grow environmentally friendly products with the highest standards’, says Ergören.
Hasan Ergören, deputy general manager at Gardenkoala
Gardenkoala is MPS-ABC, MPS-GAP and MPS-SQ certified. With MPS-ABC they guarantee their environmental performance, MPS-GAP shows that the company meets requirements in the field of the environment, traceability and crop protection products and MPS-SQ shows that the company complies with (inter)national requirements in the field of health and safety of employees.
Boost reputation
Gardenkoala was founded in 1987 and has years of experience with potted plants for indoor and outdoor use. In total, the company has 16 hectares of indoor cultivation and 15 hectares of outdoor cultivation. A large part of the energy is generated with solar panels, more than 600 kilowatts. ‘We hope to expand this soon. We are also investigating what kind of biology we can apply to our cultivation’, says Ergören.
Gardenkoala started MPS-ABC six years ago. The first reason was to gain acceptance in the European market and increase their export potential, but later they realised it is much more than that. MPS-ABC strengthened their reputation, changed their way of thinking: the company became more environmentally friendly and increased quality standards.
More aware
‘We use the certificates to show that we grow our products in an environmentally friendly way.’ According to the manager MPS-ABC environmental record-keeping helps them to make the company more sustainable. ‘Because we have insight into our usage of crop protection agents, fertilisers, energy and waste, we are more aware of this. With the help of the MPS-ABC record-keeping system we can monitor and analyse our usage and respond to this. We see our usage declining. In addition to this awareness, it also helps us market our products better.’
Over 30 years ago, my journey at MPS began after I saw an advertisement in the newspaper. After the birth of my daughter, I was looking to return to work and joined the data entry department. At the time, all data was still entered manually from paper forms. Since then, I have seen the organisation grow and change, and I have grown along with it.Today, I work in the Service & Support department. No two days are the same: one day I help a customer with questions about record-keeping, the next I help them understand requirements from the auction or the UO. It is precisely this variety and the personal contact with customers that make my work interesting every day.
In 2008, I joined MPS through a recruitment agency as a secretary. I then held various positions within MPS and MPS-ECAS, including roles in the Service & Support team and as a planner. In 2018, I left the organisation for a while, but in 2023 I returned to MPS-ECAS as a back-office employee. The people are simply too much fun and the world of ornamental horticulture is so innovative that it kept drawing me back. Shortly afterwards, I started working at MPS as Coordinator Netherlands.
During the final year of my Environmental Sciences degree, I joined MPS for an internship. The internship worked out so well for both sides that I was able to stay afterwards. It felt like a natural next step, because I immediately felt at home here and was given the opportunity to continue developing myself.My work is very varied. I work on different projects and products, carry out research and analyses and contribute to practical solutions. I also manage various systems, support customers with complex technical questions and work with external parties. It is precisely this combination that makes my work interesting and ensures that no two weeks are the same.
I first joined MPS through a friend who worked in MPS’s student team. I continued working here while studying Commercial Economics, and at the end of my studies, in 2004, MPS asked if I wanted to join the organisation permanently. It seemed like a great opportunity, and more than twenty years later, I am still here.No two days are the same, and that is exactly what makes my work so enjoyable. A large part of my week consists of project meetings and translating needs from within the organisation into practical solutions. Thursday afternoon is a regular fixture, which I set aside with a colleague to make MPS 1% better every week. For example, we experiment with AI, build prototypes, improve processes or develop new ideas. The goal is always to work smarter and create more value for colleagues, customers and the organisation.