KUB 190263 MAG Whats Next 75 jaar Totaal LR WEB

KUBO has been in existence for 75 years, so this is a fine opportunity to
look back to when it was founded. And to take in what’s happened since then.
When you do that, you’ll see a period full of milestones, developments, innovations
and achievements. Such as the birth and development of the revolutionary
Ultra-Clima, the pioneering role of truly sustainable thinking in greenhouse
horticulture, the build-up to total control of greenhouse operations, and the
growth from two to 130 employees. In this magazine, we reflect on some of
these wonderful milestones.
But actually, it’s much more important to look ahead to where we are going.
That’s why we will be doing both in this magazine. In the section you have in front of
you now, we celebrate KUBO’s 75th anniversary and its history, but if you turn the
magazine around you’ll get a glimpse of the future. Of what tomorrow has in store.
What will the next 25 years of greenhouse horticulture look like? What’s next?

ONTENTS
05
07
11
13
15
17
21
25
THE BIRTH OF KUBO
A brief look at KUBO’s history
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
Ed Kuiper and Wouter Kuiper on the past
A CUSTOMER FOR THREE GENERATIONS
Interview with John de Jong
PICTURES OF THE PAST
Back to the 50s
47 YEARS OF WORKING WITH US
Interview with Eef ter Laak
THE FUTURE OF GREENHOUSES IS BLUE
Where does this theme come from?
KUBO’S POWER WOMEN
The female touch of KUBO
30 YEARS OF CLEANING
Interview with Joke van Bergen-Korteland
and Nanda Kool-Loof
KUBO
Vlotlaan 710
2681 TX Monster
The Netherlands
T. +31 174 286 161
info@kubo.nl
KUBO.nl
REALISATION
Wubbe Creative Agency
Delft, The Netherlands
Wubbe.nl
No part of this publication may, in whole or in part, be copied and/or
reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.
© 2020 KUBO

THE BIRTH
OF KUBO
A family-run business from one to two to three generations.

We would like to take you back to 1945. The Netherlands had just been liberated and the country
needed to be rebuilt. At 13 Choorstraat in Monster, a workshop wedged between two houses, the
lights went on for the first time at the company Kuiper & Boers. KUBO, as we know it now, was born.
Those who turned on the lights on Choorstraat were Rien
Boers and Arie Kuiper, the first Kuiper generation. During
the day, they welded heating pipes, water pipes and
gutters at growers. But in the evening they could be found
in their workshop where they made all kinds of objects,
from photo frames to horticultural tools and innovative
solutions for greenhouse technology. It took until 1955 for
the company to launch a complete, new greenhouse onto
the market.
It turned out to be the beginning of stormy growth
that came to an abrupt end in 1970 when Rien and Arie
went their separate ways following difficult negotiations.
Fortunately, the second generation of the family, Ed
Kuiper, was already working at the company and, together
with his father, he was able to breathe new life into KUBO.
And it worked out. In 1975, a new factory was opened and
a new assembly line followed not much later.
After a turbulent period of growth, crisis, and the death
of Arie, the third generation of the family, Wouter Kuiper,
joined the family business in 1999. This resulted, among
other things, in the development of the revolutionary
Ultra-Clima greenhouse and an international focus.
Wouter took over the company in 2005 and, together with
Ron Arensman and Peter van der Kraan, he now leads this
family business that extends back three generations.
Today, 75 years later, KUBO is still operating out of
Monster. But now the company is based on the Vlotlaan,
just a stone’s throw from where the lights went on for
the first time, marking the birth of what is now a wellestablished
business.
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WHAT’S NEXT MAGAZINE KUBO 75 YEARS

LIKE FATHER,
LIKE SON
Interview
Even after 75 years, KUBO is still a family-run business. Arie Kuiper (1907) started it in 1945, his son
Ed (1946) developed it nationwide, and Ed’s son Wouter (1975) made KUBO a major international
player. The common thread in their work has been their constant search for ways to do things better.
and Rien left, after which we chose the name KUBO, as
an abbreviation of Kuipers Bouw. To be able to expand,
we approached a bank, but they weren’t eager to lend us
money until they started talking to our customers. What
those customers said about us convinced the bank. In 1970,
I became the managing director of KUBO, supported by a
very good team, including Ton Bellekom, who was to pass
away prematurely. They saved me from many mistakes.’
Ed: ‘My father Arie was a blacksmith, like his father before
him. At the end of 1945, he built a shed in his garden where
he started welding for the horticultural industry. A year later
he joined forces with Rien Boers under the name Kuiper &
Boers. They introduced one innovation after another: the
maintenance-free greenhouse made of rounded, hot-dip
galvanized tubes, faster construction using self-developed
fittings and putty-free windows that the grower could
replace more easily. They also developed a mechanism
that allowed a whole row of windows to be opened in one
operation.
As soon as I could walk, my mother sewed me a pair of
overalls, because I was always chasing after my father. When
I was 16, I helped to build greenhouses. In 1967, I spent 23
months doing my national service. My father took me to
the station every Monday at 5:30 in the morning. After a
number of months, he said, “You’re coming home this week.
I said, “But I’m going to Germany for an exercise!” “No,” he
said, “The company needs you.” I didn’t believe it until a
bewildered sergeant major in Germany told me I could go
home. My father had arranged that.
We divided the tasks between us: my father focused on
sales, and I focused on technology. At the end of the sixties
the market was very bad. Arie and Rien had a disagreement
Wouter: ‘When I was ten years old I wanted an MTB bike.
“Okay”, Ed said. So we got in the car - I thought to go to the
bike shop - but we stopped at the factory. I had to sweep
the floors to earn money for a bike. At that time, I knew
exactly when Grandpa had been to the factory, because
there would be cigar butts everywhere, from the cigars
he gave away all the time. Six months later, my father said,
“Come on, you’ve earned enough for a bike”. But I didn’t
want one anymore. Now that I knew how long I had to work
for it, I thought it was a waste of money.
Ten years later, as a study assignment for technical college,
I was allowed to reorganise the workshop. That was exciting
and it worked out well. But I still didn’t want to work at KUBO
yet. With Ed and Ton above me, I didn’t see that I could fulfil
my ambitions. Then Ed gave me the freedom to develop
exports. I remember missing a thousand euro flight in order
to conclude a contract in the Netherlands. Ton Bellekom
told me that this really wasn’t acceptable. But I did secure a
million euro order because of that.’
Ed: ‘Ton and Wouter couldn’t stand each other for the first
six months; after that they learned to get along. That’s when
I knew Wouter was ready to take over from me. His focus
on exports has meant that 95% of our projects are now for
export and we still make the most innovative greenhouses.’
Wouter: ‘And I’ve reintroduced Grandpa’s cigar. Employees
receive a bronze, silver, gold or platinum cigar for long-term
service.’

8
WHAT’S NEXT MAGAZINE KUBO 75 YEARS

KUBO
MILESTONES
Looking back on 75 years of KUBO we see many highlights. Too many for this magazine.
That’s why we’ve selected the most important milestones.
Founding of
Kuiper & Boers
(KUBO)
First
international
project:
Piscataway US
Construction
of the first
factory hall on
Havenstraat
Honorary medal
awarded by
Queen Beatrix
Launch of
KUBO W-deck
1965 1969 1983 1998
1945
1968 1975 1987 2004
Invention of
aluminium
Venlo deck
First stand at the
Horticultural Fair
(Tuinbouwbeurs)
First
greenhouses
with screening
Construction of
aluminium hall

Start of ‘The
Future of
Greenhouses is
blue’ theme
Opening of
permanent stand
at the World
Horti Center
KUBO number 1
in the
Hillenraad100
Official opening
of Vlothove
office
2007 2013 2015 2019 2020
2009
2014 2017 2019
Invention of
Ultra-Clima
Foundation of
KUBO Smart
Growing
Construction of
Ultra-Clima test
greenhouse in
Westland
Winner of the
SME prize
Launch of
PYLOT
10
WHAT’S NEXT MAGAZINE KUBO 75 YEARS

A CUSTOMER
FOR THREE
GENERATIONS
Interview
John de Jong of the De Jong-Franke tomato farm is KUBO’s oldest customer. We are not talking
about his age here, but about the fact that he has been a customer for as long as his company has
existed: 44 years! His father and grandfather were also customers.
John took over his father’s business 44 years ago and
then doubled his greenhouse area in small steps, from
two to four and then to eight hectares. In 2017, the last
doubling - to 16 hectares - involved the construction of
a new 8.5-hectare KUBO greenhouse. And he still hasn’t
finished expanding. This year a smaller experimental
7,000 m 2 greenhouse will be added, of which 1,500 m 2 will
be used to further develop KUBO’s Ultra-Clima system in
the Dutch climate.
KUBO AS SUPPLIER AND CUSTOMER
John: ‘In addition to growing tomatoes, fifteen years ago I
also started growing 350 varieties of tomatoes for a seed
breeder, in a 6,000 m 2 greenhouse. That greenhouse had
no artificial light and they wanted me to grow with lighting
as well. So I asked Wouter from KUBO for a new demo
greenhouse. He thought it was interesting and asked
if they could use part of that greenhouse too. Then we
could prove the effectiveness of the Ultra-Clima system
in the Dutch climate.’ The Ultra-Clima greenhouse strives
for the most sustainable and efficient way of growing and
achieves very good results in extreme climates. It offers
advantages in the Netherlands too, although to a lesser
extent. KUBO wants to investigate this further and they
also want a demo greenhouse close to their office. They
currently take their customers to North America and Asia.
I’ve been there with them too. But we will soon be able to
take customers here.’
CONNECTED TO THIS FAMILY-RUN
BUSINESS FOR THREE GENERATIONS
‘My relationship with KUBO goes back three generations.
My grandfather and father were customers of Arie Kuiper
in the old days. Arie was a mountain of a guy who could
easily hoist piles of metal beams on his shoulders. I
remember Arie’s 40th wedding anniversary. They wanted
to lift him up to the Dutch song ‘He lives high up’, but they
realised they wouldn’t succeed. Not only was he a big guy,
but he’d put on a bit of weight over the years. So I was
asked to take my forklift truck to the party. We put a pallet
with a chair on it so we could lift him up. The fact that we
know each other through and through doesn’t mean that
I automatically choose KUBO. It costs a lot of money to
buy a greenhouse. But in those 35 years, I only “cheated”
on them once. Ed saw the fact that I had chosen another
greenhouse builder as a challenge to his honour. For my
next expansion, he brought me back personally. And
now I’m onto the third KUBO generation, and I still know
exactly what to expect from them. They like to innovate.
And so do I. So we’re made for each other.’
“THEY LIKE TO INNOVATE. AND SO DO I.
SO WE’RE MADE FOR EACH OTHER.”
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WHAT’S NEXT MAGAZINE KUBO 75 YEARS

01
02
04
06
05
03
07

08
09
10
14
WHAT’S NEXT MAGAZINE KUBO 75 YEARS
01 Truck and staff in 1958
02 A 1951 photograph of oxy-welded gutters
03 An order confirmation from the
early years of Kuiper & Boers
04 Holiday photo from 1950. From left
to right: Mrs. P. Boers, Mrs. C. Kuiper,
Rien Boers and Arie Kuiper
05 Photo from 1951: even the supply pipe
for rainwater piping was welded. The
tap could be opened without draining
06 Document from the Chamber of
Commerce in 1951 confirming a permit
under the Small Business Establishment
Act (Vestigingswet Kleinbedrijf)
07 Here, in 1953, iron is being forged on an
anvil in the new building on Havenstraat
08 Here, in 1954, Kees Hoogenraad and
Arie van Vliet Jr. are seen carrying rafters
for the expansion of Havenstraat
09 A whole row of windows could be
opened with one handle on the outside
10 The first trade fair stand of Kuiper & Boers
in 1951 at the Westland Trade Exhibition

47 YEARS
WORKING WITH US:
EEF TER LAAK
Interview
Eef ter Laak clearly remembers the Fridays when everyone received their pay packet from KUBO’s
founder Arie Kuiper. There was also a cigar for every employee, except for sixteen-year-old Eef,
who started in production in July 1972. He had to wait a few more years for that. Now, 47 years
and thousands of cigars later, he still works there and enjoys every minute. As a senior technical
and sales advisor, and as the man with the longest employment record at KUBO.
‘We worked outside a lot, behind Arie Kuiper’s house.
It was mostly manual work. We also had a workshop in
Hoek van Holland where we made aluminium air vents. If
I was needed, Arie would drive me there. Arie was a very
imposing man, who treated his staff well. For instance, he
regularly collected apples to distribute to them and he got
chrysanthemums for the women from the grower Arnold
Eussen. You got a cigar with your weekly pay packet. I still
have an “Agio” cigar that I got from Arie. And when we
moved to this building, Ed Kuiper gave me the silver cigar
boxes that Arie always had in his office.’
‘To this day, I’m a real cigar smoker. When I visit one of
our major clients in North America - Casey Houweling
- I always take cigars. We’ve also really become friends
over the years. I used to smoke in my car, too. I’ve got a
company van now, not so much because I need the cargo
space but because I love driving it. But because of that
cargo space, colleagues still want to borrow it sometimes.
For instance, Nathalie uses it to transport material for
trade fairs. I remember the first time she borrowed it: she
hated the smell of cigars. The next time, I scattered rose
petals in it.’
In the eighties, I used to visit customers to connect
the ventilation systems and for servicing. As a result, I
became more and more involved in implementation and
gradually became the point of contact for customers. In
my current job, I serve three major clients, two of which
are in Canada. That means I stay there two weeks a month.
I talk to them about their plans and ambitions and promise
solutions. When I fly home, I’m confident that - with the
know-how we have - we’ll come up with an excellent offer.
I think I have the best job at KUBO, because I’m involved in
a project from customer inquiry to realisation. But it’s not
a nine-to-five job, so you have to leave your family behind
you, and I do.
‘I can look back on enormous developments. When I
started, greenhouses were 2.20 metres high and they
were transported to the growers by boat - a ‘Westlander’.
Now the greenhouses are seven metres high. More
than 80% of our greenhouses are still transported by
ship, but they now go in containers to other parts of the
world. What has not changed in all these years is the
corporate culture. KUBO has been one warm family for
three generations. I think it’s because the management
firmly believes that those who give something should get
something in return.’
16
WHAT’S NEXT MAGAZINE KUBO 75 YEARS

A GLIMPSE INTO THE HISTORY OF
For years, ‘the future of greenhouses is blue’ has expressed what KUBO stands
for and how the company views the potential of the horticultural industry.
But where does this theme come from? And how did it come about? We have
to go back to 2009 for that.
Anyone looking around the horticultural industry in 2009 could not have failed to see that
it was quite traditional. Most greenhouse builders, like KUBO, thought mainly in terms of
products and much less in terms of customers or market demand. It was also a time when
sustainability, the environment and environmental factors were not yet hot topics. Technology
and sustainability were hardly linked. It was only the car industry that was taking steps
in that direction. In this industry, ‘blue’ was introduced to express technology that had a
sustainable idea behind it, although truly sustainable thinking was still some way off.

The Ultra-Clima greenhouse
But 2009 was also the year when the revolutionary
Ultra-Clima greenhouse saw the light of day. Suddenly
there was a greenhouse that met all future sustainability
requirements. It was a greenhouse based on KUBO’s
vision of the future. But that vision was about more
than just a greenhouse: it was about the possibilities
and opportunities of greenhouse horticulture. The
decision was taken to link the KUBO brand to this
vision. ‘The future of greenhouses is blue’ had arrived.
‘Blue’ was a metaphor for high-quality, sustainable
technology. It was also a word that provided a
striking contrast to the ‘green’ in greenhouses.
‘The future of greenhouses is blue’ became KUBO’s
brand identity, the soul of the company. And KUBO
had all the technology to support this claim and fulfil
it. But more importantly, it became the guideline for all
the decisions that were taken at KUBO. Linking highquality
technology and sustainability to ‘blue’ suddenly
provided freedom and possibilities. The theme is still
being actively used to this day. And that makes perfect
sense, for if you look at the challenges in the world and
the role that greenhouse horticulture can play in that, you
cannot fail to see that it is actually more topical than ever.
The future of greenhouses is blue.
18
WHAT’S NEXT MAGAZINE KUBO 75 YEARS

KUBO IN
A NUTSHELL
ACTIVE IN 45 COUNTRIES
± 280x PER YEAR
± 20% CAPACITY
GROWTH EVERY YEAR
1945
MORE THAN 75 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

OUTSIDE
INSIDE
INVENTOR OF
ULTRA-CLIMA
NIGHT COOLING SYSTEM
IN ULTRA-CLIMA
EVERY DAY, APPROX.
500 PEOPLE WORK ON A KUBO
GREENHOUSE WORLDWIDE
APPROX. 45 FLEXIBLE STAFF &
130 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES
A FAMILY-RUN COMPANY WITH
3RD GENERATION AT THE HELM
SINCE 2017
FOR A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
IN GREENHOUSE HORTICULTURE
2020
20
WHAT’S NEXT MAGAZINE KUBO 75 YEARS

Janneke van der Kraan, Project Coordinator
‘I come into the picture once everything is ready to be transported, to ensure
that everyone involved in the construction of the greenhouse can do their
job. That involves a lot of arranging, and I like that. We have a great team with
people of all ages, and the lines of communication are short. But that doesn’t
mean that we’re always sweet and kind to each other. Sometimes we’ll have a
heated discussion, but once that’s over, we get on with the job together. And
since I’ve been working here - that’s five years now - things have only got better.’
‘NOT JUST SWEET
AND KIND’
‘YOU ARE
APPRECIATED’
Esther Roos,
Production Assistant
‘When I applied here three years
ago, my job didn’t exist yet.
Production was in need of support.
The foremen wanted to get rid
of their administrative duties,
someone was needed to receive
the drivers, and gradually there
was more and more to do, such
as the purchase of welding and
packaging materials. I also make
sure that the canteen stays clean.
And I do all that wearing safety
shoes. The nice thing about my work
is the variety and the appreciation
I get from my closest colleagues.’
‘THE MUTUAL
RELATIONSHIP HAS
REMAINED’
Chantal Vis, Hostess
‘In January 2020, I’ll have been working here for twelve and a half years.
During that time, I have seen the company professionalise: the jobs and
departments have become more and more specialised. That goes for me
too. I used to have administrative duties, now I’m all hostess. That’s nice,
because I can’t sit still. Despite the growth of the company, the mutual
relationship has remained. Management thinks it’s very important that
everyone feels at home here. That’s why they organise a lot of things,
like our monthly drinks. I realise that we’re doing well when I hear my
friends say, “You always talk about how fun things are at KUBO.”’

Marjo Bol, Administrative Assistant
‘On this very day I’ve been working for KUBO for exactly twenty years.
Before that, I worked in the garden (as we call the greenhouse). I started
as one of thirty employees; now there’s a hundred of us and I’m on to
my fourth computer program. Some work has become more fun, but
I do miss the contact with colleagues from other departments. I really
appreciate Ed and Wouter. I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes. So many
journeys, and the enormous responsibility... I think it’s clever of them.’
‘NOT GREENHOUSES
BUT DEPARTMENT
STORES’
Jessica Meulmeester,
HR Advisor and Recruiter
‘I moved from Rotterdam to the
Westland district and applied for a
job at KUBO without knowing them
at all. But when you come here,
you can see that this is a dynamic
company. I’ve been working here for
a year and a half, and the trust and
responsibility I get are much greater
than I thought. The company does
a lot for its employees, for example
by offering training courses and
the KUBO Topfit Programme, the
organisation’s vitality programme,
which contributes to your physical
and mental health. Everyone
is dedicated, and happy.’
‘FREEDOM AND
RESPONSIBILITY’
22
WHAT’S NEXT MAGAZINE KUBO 75 YEARS

THE ROAD IS LONG.
AND WE’RE DRIVING IT FOR DECADES.
1957

2020
24
WHAT’S NEXT MAGAZINE KUBO 75 YEARS

30 YEARS
OF CLEANING
Interview

They may have left KUBO 15 years ago, but cleaning ladies Joke van Bergen-Korteland and Nanda
Kool-Loof, also known as Toos Roddeldoos (Gossip Queen) and Bep Klep (Chatterbox), are still
remembered and loved by many employees. They kept KUBO clean and tidy for almost thirty years.
HOW DID YOU END UP AT KUBO?
Nanda: ‘Through my mother-in-law. I came back from
holiday and she said, “I’ve found you a job.” So I went
along but didn’t think much of it. You were all on your own.
That’s what I told Joke...’
Joke: ‘So I said, “Shall I go with you?” And that’s what we did.’
Nanda: ‘That made it a lot more fun, but it still wasn’t really
what I was looking for. So we figured we’d just do the
job up until Sinterklaas. Then we’d have some money for
presents, but we’d stop after that.’
IT DIDN’T WORK OUT THAT WAY?
Joke: ‘Well, when we wanted to quit just before
Sinterklaas, they gave us a Dutch almond letter cake. We
liked it so much, we no longer dared to quit. Then we
agreed to stop at Christmas.’
Nanda: ‘But at Christmas we got a Christmas gift and two
weeks off! So again we didn’t dare say anything. And we
decided to continue until the summer holidays.’
Joke: ‘So after six months we went back to Arie. Before
we could open our mouths, he asked, “Have you had any
holiday pay?” Again, we didn’t dare say anything.’
Nanda: ‘After that we didn’t try again.’
BUT EVENTUALLY YOU DID LEAVE, ALMOST
THIRTY YEARS LATER. WHAT WAS THE REASON?
Joke: ‘My husband retired, so I thought it would be nice to
stop working as well.’
Nanda: ‘That’s when I stopped too. I didn’t want to go on
with someone else. For me it was a case of: “If you go, I go.”’
BUT YOUR CONNECTION WITH KUBO REMAINED?
Joke: ‘Yes, because every year they organise something
for former employees and we always take part. We go to
visit growers or a private museum that someone has set
up on their farm.’
SO YOU’RE ONTO YOUR THIRD
GENERATION OF THE KUIPERS?
Joke: ‘Yes, we knew Wouter and his brother Casper when
they were kids. Wouter was always losing things. He would
come to us to borrow a key, or he would lose his bus pass
and Ed got him to sweep the factory for weeks to earn a
new one.’
Nanda: “I once cleaned the canteen windows with Ed. Ed
was driving around in a forklift truck and I was standing on
the platform. I was scared to death. I never did it again.’
Joke: ‘But we always enjoyed working here. We were
completely free to decide for ourselves when to do what.
And we did what we had to do. We started with five hours
a week and that grew into nine hours.’
YOU WERE ALREADY BEST MATES BEFORE YOU
STARTED AT KUBO, IS THAT STILL THE CASE?
Joke: ‘We got to know each other as neighbours. We
started talking — something we’re still good at — and
suddenly we noticed that both of our toddlers had
disappeared. We’d been chatting and hadn’t been paying
attention. Pretty soon the sexton from the church brought
them back. That’s how we became friends. And now we
still see each other every Sunday night and we talk on the
phone a lot.’
“I DIDN'T WANT TO GO ON
WITH SOMEONE ELSE.”
26
WHAT’S NEXT MAGAZINE KUBO 75 YEARS

Advertisement (1950)

28
WHAT’S NEXT MAGAZINE KUBO 75 YEARS

TURN THIS WORLD AROUND
AND GET A GLIMPSE
OF THE FUTURE

TURN THIS WORLD AROUND
AND LOOK BACK AT
KEY MILESTONES IN
75 YEARS OF KUBO

KUBO has been in existence for 75 years, so this is a good moment to
look ahead. Where are we now and where are we going? Developments in
greenhouse horticulture are occurring at a rapid pace. Artificial intelligence
is taking over. Big data determines our choices. Sustainability is becoming
the standard. In this magazine, we look forward to what is to come.
To what tomorrow has in store.
But a 75th anniversary is also a great opportunity to reflect - just for a moment - on what has
happened since the company was founded. That’s why we will be doing both in this magazine.
Turn the magazine around and look back at the key milestones in 75 years of KUBO.
The section you have in front of you now mainly focuses on the future. On tomorrow,
and the days after that. On the next 75 years of greenhouse horticulture.

CONTENTS
07
09
11
15
17
21
25
27
ON TO THE NEXT 75 YEARS
Wouter Kuiper on the future
IN THE PICTURE
This is KUBO
THE SOCIAL CHALLENGES ARE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE GROWER
Interview with trendwatcher Farid Tabarki
THE FUTURE OF GROWING
What does tomorrow have in store?
IN TOUCH WITH YOUR GREENHOUSE
The launch of PYLOT
OUR APPROACH
Full-Service Grow Concepts
IN THE PICTURE
This is KUBO
FAST FORWARD TO 2045!
How will greenhouse farming
look in the future?
KUBO
Vlotlaan 710
2681 TX Monster
The Netherlands
T. +31 174 286 161
info@kubo.nl
KUBO.nl
REALISATION
Wubbe Creative Agency
Delft, The Netherlands
Wubbe.nl
No part of this publication may, in whole or in part, be copied and/or
reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.
© 2020 KUBO

SAVE WATER,
CUT ENERGY,
REDUCE CO2

6
BLUE FUTURE MAGAZINE KUBO 75 YEARS

ON TO THE NEXT
75 YEARS
Interview
Doing more, with fewer resources and less effort. That’s what KUBO wants to continue to offer
its customers, by making large-scale growing simpler, more profitable and more sustainable.
Wouter Kuiper, Managing Director of KUBO, looks forward.
Wouter Kuiper: ‘Ten years ago, KUBO made the transition
from supplying hardware to offering turn-key solutions
such as the Ultra-Clima. That’s a proven standard. The
step we are taking now is to offer Full-Service Grow
Concepts. This means that we will be offering many more
services to make running the greenhouse easier and
increase the return on investment. So we are advising
customers on growing, how they can best use energy, how
to achieve their Global-GAP certification and more. You
don’t have to invent everything yourself. We can also help
our customers create the perfect organisational blueprint,
and to educate and train their staff. We can even provide
data to help them manage their business. We can also
help to get an investor who believes in greenhouse
cultivation, but has no experience with it, up and running.’
PYLOT, TOTAL SOFTWARE FOR THE GREENHOUSE
‘In addition, we will continue to focus on our highly
valued existing customers who know all the ins and
outs of horticulture better than anyone. They too will
benefit from the many possibilities offered by digitisation
and automation, especially in view of the scale of their
companies. At the moment, everyone connects their
information services to each other themselves, with such
things as Excel files, because there is no total solution yet.
That’s especially complex if you have many greenhouses
and multiple crops. But as a grower, you can’t have your own
software written – that would be far too expensive. That’s
why we have set up the software company PYLOT. This
summer we launched the first PYLOT software package that
gathers various data from sensors in the greenhouse and
presents these in an orderly manner. In our next version,
we’ll add intelligence. For example, take the number of
times you adjust the screens. PYLOT will keep track of that
and predict when the screen wires will break or the motor
will be worn out. We can then give advice on the optimal
number of screen adjustments and the precise need for
maintenance. We are also working on an application that
will predict when to harvest bell peppers.’
TESTING IN 53 GREENHOUSES AND
IN OUR TEST GREENHOUSE
‘This software is now being used in 53 greenhouses. It
will retrieve data from five types of climate computers
and is available for five languages and five crops. By
adding more and more intelligence, we ultimately
want to make the autonomously operating greenhouse
possible. That is a real necessity because there are too
few growers for all the greenhouses we will be building
in the coming years. So in order to allow existing growers
to scale up and give investors the opportunity to step
in, automation is essential. We are also starting with an
Ultra test greenhouse, giving us the opportunity to push
boundaries, further develop products and concepts, and
advise our customers even better on how to get more out
of our greenhouses.’
GETTING RID OF FOSSIL FUELS
‘Finally, we are going to focus on sustainability, because
we have to get rid of fossil fuels. There are plenty of
opportunities for using residual heat and CO2 in our
greenhouses. Soon we will see fully electric driven and
autonomously operating greenhouses in which the labour
is partly done by robots. And for all climates, from the
equator to the polar circle, we have solutions for profitable
and sustainable greenhouses. Ten years ago we said: The
Future of the Greenhouse is Blue. That slogan remains
equally relevant today.’
“THE STEP WE ARE
TAKING NOW IS TO
OFFER FULL-SERVICE
GROW CONCEPTS.”
8
BLUE FUTURE MAGAZINE KUBO 75 YEARS

01
03
02
04

05
08
07
06
01 All parts are made in-house
02 KUBO has many proud
employees
03 Innovative departments
need an innovative interior
04 View of the reception
area and the canteen
05 We continuously work
on innovations in the
R&D department
06 A KUBO truck ready for
transport around the world
07 Automation is part
of KUBO’s DNA
08 Departments are
connected by voids
10
BLUE FUTURE MAGAZINE KUBO 75 YEARS

‘THE SOCIAL
CHALLENGES ARE
OPPORTUNITIES
FOR THE GROWER’
Interview
Farid Tabarki is a trend-watcher and identifier. As a founding director of Studio Zeitgeist, he
investigates the European zeitgeist and advises international organisations. Farid has presented
TV programmes, is a popular keynote speaker and, according to the Volkskrant newspaper, is one
of the two hundred most influential Dutch people. We asked him what social developments will
affect horticulture in the coming years.
‘The biggest challenges facing the world are managing
the climate crisis and feeding the growing population.
The climate crisis is forcing us to move towards the
energy transition and to pay much more attention to
sustainability. Population growth requires even more
efficient methods of producing healthy food. Horticulture
has a lot of experience in both areas and is a source of
inspiration for the world. Thirdly, there is a logistical
challenge: how do we ensure that food is distributed
without affecting the climate? This is a global challenge
because there is still considerable migration to cities,
especially in economically emerging countries.’
CLIMATE CRISIS
‘Let’s start with the climate crisis. I expect that between
now and twenty years in the future, we will generate
more than enough green electricity in many countries. A
country like Denmark already has a surplus of wind energy
at times, which they sell. There are many opportunities in
this area, and this also applies specifically to horticultural
companies. I recently visited a Dutch grower who was
making good money selling his residual heat, in addition
to his tomato sales. Greenhouses are increasingly playing
a role in the energy supply through exchanging heat.
In the Netherlands, we have the problem of excessive

nitrogen emissions. The difficult thing is that we are trying
to tackle this problem with national standards, while we
produce to a large extent abroad. For the grower, this
means that it may make sense to start growing abroad,
or to enter into cross-border partnerships, but using
our cleaner technologies so that we don’t just shift the
problem elsewhere.’
THE DEMAND FOR FOOD
‘The other great challenge is feeding the world. More
food is needed and, at the same time, a better-off group
of people is emerging who are demanding more of their
food. They want to know if it is healthy, where it comes
from, and whether it was produced under humane
conditions. The Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn
was so transparent that consumers discovered that certain
oranges came from a Brazilian producer where working
conditions were poor. They were quickly changed.
Consumers also get an insight into food quality. This
poses threats, but also presents opportunities for those
who have their affairs in order. Another trend is the
emergence of a group that has less than its fair share of
prosperity. In addition to the traditionally vulnerable
groups, this increasingly refers to the middle class, a
group in which diabetes and obesity are on the increase.
They don’t have the luxury of paying more for food that
meets higher standards. So how do we provide them with
healthy food? Governments and insurers want to steer
customers in the direction of healthy nutrition. Growers
can contribute to this with innovative, cheaper production
methods, for example by reducing energy and water
demand. Because vegetables are healthy, growers can
make a difference here.’
TRANSPORT
‘The transport of food places a burden on the
environment. Here too, there is a big risk that measures
to combat the climate crisis will increase costs. This fact,
and the critical consumer’s wish for “local for local”, calls
for production that is closer to the customer. And the
customer will more often be a restaurant or food stall,
because the global trend is towards having others cook
for us. This will increase the demand for more varied
ingredients.’
THE NEXT STEP
‘Greenhouse horticulture is a high-quality industry and
has many rules. It is not enough just to comply with the
rules in order to take the next step. Every entrepreneur
must put out feelers and ask him or herself what the
consumer wants now, and will want tomorrow. In addition,
every entrepreneur must realise that you cannot innovate
on your own. They must bring in science, social networks,
and citizen and consumer participation.’
12
BLUE FUTURE MAGAZINE KUBO 75 YEARS

FEEDING
THE
WORLD

14
BLUE FUTURE MAGAZINE KUBO 75 YEARS

What will the future bring for greenhouse horticulture? Of course, nobody can exactly predict the
future, but careful monitoring and analysis can help you to recognise inevitable developments.
Challenges we are certain to face. What awaits us? We see two main themes: the technical
opportunities of big data (artificial intelligence) and the need for sustainability. These two major
developments are directly linked and will result in drastic changes in greenhouse horticulture.
At KUBO we are working hard every day to integrate new technologies to increase efficiency
and make growing easier. In our own test greenhouse, we compare all the standard and ‘normal’
processes using tests and experimental conditions, growing techniques and non-standard
processes. This enables us to improve hardware, develop the right software and optimise results.
And to anticipate what awaits us.

BIG DATA, BIG OPPORTUNITIES
This is the start of the era of big data and artificial
intelligence. And it will help you optimise your growing
processes, your hardware and techniques. Artificial
intelligence is about using computers to imitate
human actions and thinking. Programs that learn
from their experiences and adapt to new input. In
greenhouse horticulture this could include the automatic
collection and control of all data that influence the
entire growing process. Or using big data to make
benchmarking easier so that organisations, growing
processes, hardware, performance, employment and
climate conditions can be researched and compared.
Artificial intelligence will enable fully autonomous
growing, in which everything – climate, process and
management – is controlled. We are preparing for
this with our sister company, PYLOT (see page 18).
SUSTAINABILITY FOR TOMORROW
Of course, we also need to address sustainability. Our
planet is crying out for this. It is expected and demanded
of us. In time fossil fuels will need to be replaced. Not
only by wind and solar power, but also by hydrogen,
geothermal energy and the next generation of nuclear
power. The gas-free greenhouse is on its way and we’re
committed to taking the lead in this. Greenhouses are
also increasingly being used as an energy source to
heat residential areas. And residual heat, for instance
from data centres, is being used to heat greenhouses.
Geothermics and aquathermics are developments that
are already in full flow. The capture of excess CO2 will
become an issue: in order to grow, plants actually need
CO2, which they convert into oxygen. To prevent excess
CO2 emissions, greenhouses need to be semi closed.
Sustainability is therefore about new technological
solutions for the most diverse and challenging climates.
This includes such things as daylight-free greenhouses or
hybrid forms of daylight-free and standard greenhouses,
to enable fully-conditioned growing and to block out
extreme climate conditions using insulation. As far
as technology is concerned we are certainly ready
for this. KUBO is focusing on making growing easier
and on sustainability. More output and less input,
fewer food miles and a smaller ecological footprint.
16
BLUE FUTURE MAGAZINE KUBO 75 YEARS

IN TOUCH
WITH YOUR
GREENHOUSE

KUBO believes that greenhouse horticulture can make a major contribution to the challenges
facing the world. That’s why KUBO is committed to developing innovations and technology
that break with all existing conventions and are revolutionary in concept and execution.
The biggest challenge is to ensure that these technologies are as easy to use as possible.
The latest development in this area is PYLOT.
Growing in a high-tech greenhouse is a complicated
process that involves big challenges and crucial
decisions. These decisions can only be made
properly if you, as a grower, entrepreneur or investor,
know exactly what is happening in the greenhouse.
That’s the idea behind PYLOT, a new, innovative
management system developed from years of
experience in horticulture. It has been created to
make growing in high-tech greenhouses as easy as
possible. PYLOT collects all relevant data from the
greenhouse and displays them clearly on a platform
that understands what the user is doing. It makes
all the data from the greenhouse transparent, easy
to follow and available on all possible devices.
PYLOT IS BASED ON THREE
CLEAR PRINCIPLES:
Simplify
All data are collected on an easy-to-understand
dashboard, giving a 24/7 real-time overview
that allows users to analyse and make better
decisions, manage predictable growth, and gain
more control. On desktop, tablet or smartphone.
Optimise
Smart recommendations help users to improve their
strategy to optimise crop growth and greenhouse
management. And ultimately to optimise their business.
Accelerate
Once users discover how easy PYLOT is to use,
they’ll have more time to do what they love most
and accelerate their business to the next level.
PYLOT makes it possible to adjust, make decisions
and get the maximum out of the greenhouse
anytime, anywhere. PYLOT puts you in control.
Whether you are a grower, entrepreneur or investor.
18
BLUE FUTURE MAGAZINE KUBO 75 YEARS

KUBO HEADQUARTERS
In 2014 KUBO opened a brand new, specially designed office called ‘Vlothove’.
This futuristic building covers 3,000 m 2 . Its architecture interlinks the production
hall, various departments, the main entrance and the water feature.

20
BLUE FUTURE MAGAZINE KUBO 75 YEARS

OUR APPROACH
At KUBO we want to make growing as simple as possible and maximise yields. We do this
through Full-Service Grow Concepts - a 360º approach for a sustainable, structural, long-term
greenhouse farming strategy. Working step by step towards your ideal situation.
STEP #1
Analysing
your wishes
and issues.
STEP #2
Making an
inventory of
all your local
conditions.
STEP #4
Drawing up a tailor-made
plan for the situation.
STEP #6
24
%
Project production.
Everything produced
in-house. Production
schedule, purchasing,
supervision and building
preparation. Building and
realisation. Building with
local people and
permanent subcontractors.
STEP #5
Calculation and quote.

STEP #3
Presenting a business model
consisting of multiple
scenarios with clear insight
into possibilities,
greenhouses and future
yield, while taking into
account the market situation,
climate, energy sources, CO2
emissions, labour, water,
logistics and ROI.
STEP #7
Full support through the
full-service grow concept: training
your team, quality management,
monitoring crucial processes,
data analysis, advising, making
adjustments and improving.

MORE
OUTPUT
WITH LESS
INPUT FROM
NATURAL
RESOURCES
24
BLUE FUTURE MAGAZINE KUBO 75 YEARS

01
02
03
01 Boardroom surrounded
by greenhouses
02 All under control thanks to
in-house manufacturing
03 Craftsmen at work in the
welding department
04 Precision welding by robot
05 Semi-finished products
ready for transport
06 KUBO headquarters on Vlotlaan
in Monster (Netherlands)
07 Internal transport with
KUBO’s Terminal Tractor
08 Meeting on the work floor
04

05
07
08
06
26
BLUE FUTURE MAGAZINE KUBO 75 YEARS

How will greenhouse farming look in the future? It’s food for futurologists. A script for a science
fiction movie. But there are already enough indications of what may lie ahead. In fact, many
techniques and technologies already exist. 75-year-old KUBO is looking ahead to 2045,
the year of - if all goes well - our 100th anniversary.
WHERE ARE THE GROWERS?
The first requirement on a greenhouse farm is currently the grower. But with the
advent of autonomous growing, it will no longer be necessary for each company
to have its own growing specialist. Very large greenhouse complexes, spanning
many tens of hectares, will be able to manage with the expertise of just a few
growers. They will be able to rely on the support of smart computer systems
that respond to changes faster, better and in a more energy-efficient way. And
what seems unthinkable now will soon be reality: thanks to real-time information
from computers, companies will achieve record yields. Exit green fingers.
THE ‘SMART’ GREENHOUSE IS HERE
The invention that sounds most like something out of science fiction is
probably the tomato-picking robot. They’ve already been working on it for
twenty years, and the first prototypes are now being tested in countries
such as Japan, China and Israel. Large corporations are also interested in
this development. It’s not quite moving fast enough yet, but the picking
robot is on its way. In 2045, it will take up work alongside the leaf-picking
robot, which already exists. This will relieve labour-intensive greenhouse
horticulture of a major problem: the ever-increasing shortage of people.
BUYING VEGETABLES AT... THE MARKETPLACE
The consumer and grower will join forces. Consumers will take out a subscription
with a vegetable supplier and get their stuff fresh from the greenhouse. This
vegetable supplier will be a marketplace in which many small growers offer their
products online. Thanks to short lines of communication, growers will receive
immediate feedback from consumers about what is tasty and what is not. As
a result, product development will shift into top gear. The concept is already
viable in Montreal, where the Canadian company Lufa Farms supplies 10,000
consumers with fresh food every week. Grown in a KUBO greenhouse, of course.

STAR WARS IN THE GREENHOUSE
Greenhouse horticulture is already on its way to becoming chemicalfree.
Drones could be the final step. The first drone capable of detecting
diseases and pests is already with us. Once pests have been discovered,
a drone can be used as a spraying robot. ‘Precision bombing’ is also
possible: mini-drones can detect insects effectively and render them
harmless with their propellers. May the Force be with you. Always.
HORTICULTURE WILL BE CIRCULAR
Water containing nutrients will be reused. Excess CO2 from industry
will be pumped into greenhouses. Heat will come from the ground.
The greenhouse will be 100 per cent circular. Even waste from the
greenhouse, such as leaves and stems, will be put to new use as a raw
material for packaging or as green fuel. All the materials used in the
greenhouse and installations will also be given a new lease of life.
NOT JUST VEGETABLES AND FLOWERS
Westland, the home of KUBO, has been growing tomatoes on a large scale for
three-quarters of a century. In 2045, the same Westland tomato grower may
well be a producer of medicines. Using high-tech greenhouses (such as KUBO’s
Ultra-Clima), growing cannabis may be a solution for the pharmaceutical
sector. Or the grower may become a supplier to the cosmetics sector
(fragrances for perfumes) or the packaging industry (packaging from waste).
WE’LL BE GROWING ON MARS
There are still some challenges to overcome: the temperature can fall to
-140 degrees on Mars. But experiments with growing on ‘the new Earth’ are
already underway. NASA has taken seeds into space to see what happens to
them. Tests are underway to monitor the effects of gravity on plant growth.
And absolutely nothing can be lost on Mars. A greenhouse on Mars is an
ecosystem in miniature. Even the human waste of the new residents will
be used as manure. But, um... will we still want to eat those tomatoes?
IS THIS WESTLAND?
Once the world’s largest interconnected greenhouse farming area. Soon
to be Silicon Valley, Westland style. A breeding ground for innovative
entrepreneurs. And for world-conquering concepts. A pressure cooker
for suppliers and researchers from TNO, TU and WUR who are closely
interlinked, and who allow Westland to excel through a continuous stream
of innovative ideas. It will turn the familiar image of Westland - greenhouses,
greenhouses, and more greenhouses - completely upside down. But
it will also make the region more modern and relevant than ever.
28
BLUE FUTURE MAGAZINE KUBO 75 YEARS

TURN THIS WORLD AROUND
AND LOOK BACK AT
KEY MILESTONES IN
75 YEARS OF KUBO

TURN THIS WORLD AROUND
AND GET A GLIMPSE
OF THE FUTURE