Wichert van den Berg - Director, Berg Agri
As a 16-year-old, farmer's son Wichert van den Berg started trading in grass and straw. What began as a small company in 2012 quickly grew into a leading trading office. Now, 12 years later, Berg Agri is among the top 5 largest and fastest-growing forage and bedding material companies in the Netherlands. Wichert's entrepreneurship and great ambition promise much more.
Wichert van den Berg - Director
Summer vacation or not, the trade in forage, bedding materials and roughage, by-products and soil improvement products never stops. Sales advisors walk around Berg Agri in Nunspeet, making calls. "That's how it always goes," says Director Wichert van den Berg. "You hear English and German all day here. In this business, you have to be quick on your feet. We don't know in the morning at 8 o'clock what we'll be doing later that afternoon."
You are the prototype of a young, successful entrepreneur. Does everyone here have that entrepreneurial spirit?
"Some have it more than others, but if you work here, you naturally learn to think that way. The most important thing is not to give up at the first setback, that won't help you move forward."
What is your strategy or added value?
"In addition to hard work and dedication, we always look for transport in buying and selling, throughout Europe. With that flexibility and our price-quality ratio, growth has come along nicely. In addition, we continue to innovate constantly and focus strongly on transparency by sharing farmers' stories and experiences through videos, interviews, research, and photoshoots. It's important for us to tell an honest story, something our team is proud of."
Innovation, tell us more?
"I always look ahead; where else can we invest? In 2021, we set up our own mixing location in Kampen for unique bedding materials. This concept, aimed at better stall and box hygiene for dairy farmers, beef farmers, and goat farmers, is entirely our own and is growing rapidly. We can barely keep up with the demand and even receive inquiries from Denmark and Switzerland. The beauty of this product is that it often opens the door and then we get to deliver the rest as well. Another great step is the establishment in Germany that opened in 2023: Berg Agrar in Lähden."
The bedding materials are a great success. How did you manage that?
"Mainly through the innovative ability of the box hygiene specialists we have on staff. We can deliver exactly what each farmer in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg wants in terms of the amount of lime, straw, or flax. Our bedding material ensures healthy hooves and teats, lower somatic cell counts, is good for the stable climate, and produces rich manure. This is recognized because veterinary and animal practices and milking robot suppliers from Western Europe ask us for advice."
Imagine a colleague comes up with such an idea. How is it received?
"The inspiration comes from the market, but you have to see the opportunities and come up with a quality solution. Listening well is essential, something I've learned in 12 years of entrepreneurship. Because we have a flat organization with a lot of knowledge, we try to respond as much as possible to what happens in practice. I find that more important than planning everything out in detail beforehand. Just using common sense. We go for the long term, not for quick profits."
What new products or services will you introduce to support growth?
“We are bursting with ambition and never shy away from challenges. Whenever customers encounter obstacles, we always look for ways to solve them. Aligned with our ambition to continuously innovate, our focus this year is on the forage market for pigs and wet byproducts from industries such as fruit presses and potato processing companies. We also aim to diversify, particularly in fertilizers and types of lime for arable farming. Additionally, we aim to expand our European market. Currently, we are in the process of establishing a second location in Germany and shifting our focus even more towards Luxembourg, France, and Belgium, where a new colleague has recently started. Our goal is to grow our revenue from 40 million euros this year to 90 million euros in 2028.”
But that's more than doubling.
“That's correct, but we've accomplished it six times before, so the seventh time shouldn't be a problem. However, this time we are doing it with a larger team, supplemented with brainpower. I myself am a real doer and love hands-on work, whether in the barn or in the field. For example, on my own arable and rearing farm with 500 water buffaloes. Next year, I plan to start milking them and processing the milk into mozzarella, burrata, halloumi, and yogurts together with a partner.”
Now, talking about people, what works at Berg AGRI?
“Currently, we work with a diverse team of 40 colleagues, some with agricultural backgrounds. We have consultants on the farm, real traders, and salespeople. This combination makes it beautiful. We are in contact with each other all day to stay informed. After work, there are regular parties or drinks. I believe it's important for people to know each other outside of work because then they are more supportive of each other when it comes to work and customers.”
Why is it more enjoyable to work here than at a competitor?
“If you enjoy dynamics and something different every day, you should be with us. You must find the market with its ups and downs enjoyable. Aligning, keeping a level head, and thinking ahead are important in trading, but then you can really bring forth and implement your ideas. That freedom exists. Take initiative, think like an entrepreneur, and don't settle for less.”
Do you want to take that next step? Then get in touch with us.
Photographer: Berg Agri
[Published: August 2024]
