Decades of Dedication

This year, at Rijk Zwaan UK, we have the honour of celebrating the 30th and 35th work anniversaries of two remarkable colleagues, Keith Stephen and Martin Kyte. These impressive milestones are a testament to their unwavering commitment to the company.

Keith, our resident brassica expert, is marking his 30th anniversary this year. As he takes a nostalgic trip down memory lane, he marvels at the incredible technological leaps of the past three decades. Can you imagine a world without mobile phones? That’s where Keith’s journey began. He fondly remembers, “On starting at Rijk Zwaan, I was given a BT charge card to call from telephone boxes. I knew the whereabouts of every telephone box in my area - some were more hygienic than others!”

Fast forward to today, where we can connect with anyone in a matter of seconds with a few taps on our smartphones. Back then, Keith relied on a pager to receive urgent alerts from the office, like when his wife was about to go into labour. How times have changed! While he may fondly reminisce about the ‘good old days’, there’s one thing Keith won’t miss - the obligatory sports jacket and tie. Don’t worry, we’re working on digging up some images for evidence!

Martin, our indoor leafies specialist, is celebrating a whopping 35 years with Rijk Zwaan this year, a testament to his dedication to learning and growing with our company.

Martin is equally in awe of the many advancements since he started with Rijk Zwaan. He fondly recalls the times when our ‘warehouse’ was nothing more than an old wardrobe, SatNavs were a foreign concept and the arrival of a home fax machine was a groundbreaking technological advancement. He’s witnessed the remarkable transformation of our industry and the world at large and notes that ‘Rijk Zwaan has never stood still’.

Martin’s role has taken him to every corner of the UK, connecting with our customers and growing our business. This is one thing that hasn’t changed. Our team are as busy as ever, visiting customers and Martin works out that he has covered a staggering 1,225,000 miles on average!

So, as we celebrate the remarkable journeys of Keith and Martin, amongst many of our other colleagues across the globe, we are thrilled to be celebrating the 100 year anniversary of Rijk Zwaan next year. Here’s to a rich history and a promising future for Rijk Zwaan!