Royal FloraHolland will cease operations at the Eelde hub in 2026

Royal FloraHolland (RFH) intends to conclude all commercial, logistical and support activities at its Eelde hub in the second quarter of 2026, with a final closing date of 30 June 2026. This announcement was made today to employees, growers, and buyers at the Eelde hub.

The Eelde hub has experienced declining volumes and purchasing power for some time. In recent years, new commercial services have been introduced, and various cost-cutting measures implemented to strengthen its financial position. For instance, the number of auction days at Eelde was reduced from four to three starting in early 2025, and the organisation underwent reorganisation and restructuring. Despite these efforts, by mid-2025, it became clear that the financial results were falling short of expectations. The ongoing decline in purchasing power meant that the measures taken were insufficient to achieve a satisfactory financial outcome.

Intended decision

After examining options to continue as a logistics hub, it has become clear that it is not financially feasible to proceed other activities without clock activities. David van Mechelen, acting CEO, states: “Therefore, the management has decided to cease all activities at Eelde. This is a difficult decision that has been made after very careful consideration. Maintaining Eelde without clock activities, but solely as a logistics hub, does not lead to a sustainable financial outcome. This is particularly unfortunate and regrettable, especially for our employees who have a close and often long-standing connection with our company and our cooperative.”  

Eelde has played a significant role in recent years in practically testing new logistical and technical projects. Van Mechelen continues: “I am thinking of complex trajectories where Eelde served as a pilot location. The rollout and refinement of the transition from distribution to order picking a few years ago, but also recently the migration of old techniques such as KOA to the new RFH Pre-Auction app. And even now, the new digital clock RFH Auction. The role that Eelde has played in this has been significant. We are very grateful to the staff, growers, and buyers at this hub for that.” The strategic value of Eelde as a test and pilot location is decreasing now that the projects have been rolled out to other locations and the digital clock, RFH Auction, is also in a subsequent test phase where more clocks and scale are needed. Van Mechelen continues: “We do see that there is indeed a societal and regional value of Eelde as a hub in the north of the Netherlands, but this has declined in recent years and is unfortunately no longer proportionate to the costs. The operations cannot be made cost-effective, even when new tenants are found for the partly vacant property.”  

Impact on employees and region

The decision has serious consequences for the staff at the Eelde hub. Nearly all roles will be eliminated. Anita Bonder, Chief Human Resources Officer: “We feel a strong connection with our employees. We are about to enter an intensive period during which we will support our staff as best as we can. This will include various workshops and assistance from a specialised agency that will help our colleagues with outplacement on their way to new employment.” The employees will be personally informed about their specific situations in the coming period.  

Transparency and clarity, time and space for transition

Royal FloraHolland regrets that a closure must happen. Van Mechelen: “With this step, RFH is choosing clarity for employees, growers, buyers, and other stakeholders. There has been ongoing speculation about the feasibility of keeping the Eelde hub open. Now, the focus is on transparency and clarity, aiming to enter a good concluding trading period together with employees, growers, and buyers, even during the upcoming peak. At the same time, the closure deadline in the second quarter gives growers and buyers enough time to establish alternative buying and selling methods. RFH will support all parties during this transition phase.” The plan and goals is to close after a successful concluding peak period, with a final auction day on 30 June 2026. Adequate supply and purchasing power are prerequisites for this. In the coming weeks, we will also engage with growers and buyers to assess their commitment in the first half of the year, which will determine the final closing date.  

Future for tenants and real estate

At the hub in Eelde, various companies are based that rent property from Royal FloraHolland, and there are also residents who rent houses on the premises. The future of the Eelde property is being further developed, with the possibilities for sale being explored. As long as the property remains owned by RFH, a small team will oversee management and maintenance.

Next steps

The Works Council of Royal FloraHolland has been asked to give advice on the proposed decision. In the coming period, discussions will be held with buyers and growers about their plans for using Eelde as a sales and purchasing channel until the final closing date at the end of June 2026. As a trading platform, we need both our growers and buyers to stay responsibly open. Depending on trading forecasts, we will decide on a definitive closing date, which will be announced no later than the end of 2025.