2023-08-08 17:43:56
August 08, 2023 Today at 7:42 PM
After having already ceded control, the founder of the 1st Walloon producer of Christmas trees and 3rd European player is now withdrawing completely in favor of two managers.
With its two million fir trees produced per yearfor the vast majority (85%) intended for export, the Belgium – and therefore Wallonia – is the second European country exporting Christmas trees following Denmarkaccording to the Walloon Agency for the Promotion of Quality Agriculture (Apaq-W).
Nestled a stone’s throw from the Euro Space Centerin Libin (province of Luxembourg), Greencap is carving out an important place for itself in this market. The company can indeed pride itself on producing most of the conifers decorating our cottages during the end-of-year celebrations and occupying more than half of the areas intended for their cultivation in the south of the country. better with one million trees produced per year to its credit (including 650,000 in Belgium and the balance in Brittany), the company is number three in production at European level.
“It’s a fairly specific job, which did not interest Mr. Greindl’s children.”
Gerald de Wouters
CEO of Green Cap
So far, the company supplying garden centers (Jardiland, Botanic, Gamm vert, Oh’Green, etc.) and other DIY stores (Brico-Mr DIY, Leroy Merlin, etc.) was in the hands of a trio of shareholders, gathered around the emblematic founder, Louis Greindl, who planted his first tree in 1989 at the request of a friend. But this situation has just changed, we learned. As part of a management buy-out (MBO), its two partners have just bought out a third of the shares they did not have been able to resume during a first operation, which took place seven years ago with the help of the Walloon economic and financial tool WE (ex-SRIW).
“It was written that it was going to happen“, indicates Gérald de Wouters (41), manager for Belgium and buyer alongside the manager for France, Gildas Le Foll (42). Mr. Greindl (64 years old, editor’s note); himself was the rest somewhat set back in recent years and was thinking regarding reorganizing its heritage.”
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Transmission
As in agriculture in the broad sensethe question of transmission is now a major issue. Given the advanced age of operators, there will be a card to play for Greencap. And this, especially since despite its size, the Walloon champion remains far from dominating a total market of some 65 million Christmas trees produced each year on the Old Continent.
In this project, the company will be able to rely on his advicewhere will sit Louis Greindl and his brotheras well as the founder and new owner d’Upignac (foie gras, poultry, juice, etc.), Michel Petit. until recentlyvarious leading personalities were also to be found there, such as the president of the Compagnie Maritime Belge (CMB), Marc Saverysthe former owner of the famous jeweler Wolfers et forestier, Paul-Emmanuel De Becker-Remyor the CEO of the industrial and domestic services group XLG, Xavier Laloux.
In Belgium, the production of Christmas trees is mainly concentrated in Wallonia, and more particularly in the provinces of Luxembourg, Namur and Liège. It occupies regarding 3,100 hectares and represents around 1,000 jobs (direct and indirect), through around fifty forest nurseries and conifer producers, indicated in 2021 the Apaq-W. Nevertheless, no agricultural subsidies are grantedlack of edibility of production and because of trees sold “dead”, summarizes Gérald de Wouters.
Greencap recorded a turnover of nearly 20 million euros last year, for an operating profit of 1.6 million, thanks to 250 FTEs, including 150 in Belgium.
Greencap
Founded in the late 80s by Louis Greindl.Produced on some 2,000 ha of the order ofone million Christmas trees per yearfrom Belgium and Brittany.Leader wallon et number three European market. Its customers are garden centers and the DIY stores notably.Turnover (2022): almost 20 million euros.Operating profit: 1,6 million d’euros.Ownership: Gérald de Wouters and Gildas Le Foll, alongside WE.Jobs: 250 ETP.
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