Full focus on machinery for horticulture after new owners step in

The machines Ideaal Machinebouw has been building for ninety years were once green. Nowadays, they are orange. Orange is a better signal color as a warning on the shop floor, but who knows, it might also come in handy for the Horst-based machine builder's international expansion. Just before its second participation in a trade fair, IPM Essen, new steps were taken in this respect. At the last trade fair participation, the Limburgers also presented a new machine.

About that latest machine, Technical Commercial Manager Koen Lemmen cannot yet reveal too much in early April 2023. Since 2019, he and partner Pascal Maes have owned the company, which builds machines to make life easier for growers. The latest machine should also take another step in this, just as other recent developments are already doing. "Labor is expensive and thus, as a company, we want to do our bit in automating labor-intensive processes," Koen points out.

Ideal on IPM Essen 2024

Ornamental cultivation and propagation of vegetable plantsThe full focus these days is on machinery for horticulture. With this, Ideaal serves two branches, vegetable propagation on the one hand and pot plant cultivation in ornamental horticulture on the other.

The Limburg-based company's machines are designed to quickly, efficiently, and ergonomically pick up, move, or spread potted plants. With the advance of rock wool in vegetable plant propagation in the 1980s, this was added. Koen sees opportunities to serve companies active in both branches with special machines for both vegetable plants and potted plants. Steps have already been taken in this regard in recent years.

New is a special fork for potted plants. "We work head-to-head," says the Technical Commercial Manager. "That means so much that we devise and develop the machines ourselves and also do final assembly and service. The production of parts, we outsource that."

Heart-to-heart spreadWhat is unique about the machines from Horst, where new premises have been occupied since 2020, is that multiple pot sizes can be processed with one fork. "Moreover, with our machines we are also able to spread plants lengthwise and widthwise heart on heart. We do that differently from other providers."

Ideaal's machines are self-propelled, but not (yet) autonomous. "Of course, we are looking at this," he says. At the factory hall in Horst, the forks and forklifts are linked together. "This makes us flexible and independent of the type of forklift. We supply our own battery pack with the forks, so they can also be coupled to a diesel forklift, for example."

First machine in Mexico

Linking to forklift truckKoen sees that usually, Ideal's self-propelled machines end up at the larger farms, where they have enough work throughout the year to keep the machine working. Growers who need the machine to work at certain times of the year are more likely to choose to have it linked to an existing forklift. "This allows them to continue using the forklift for other work outside the peaks." Leasing is also possible. For this, the machine manufacturer works with De Lage Landen Leasing.

About two-thirds of Ideaal's machines are now for export. Yet Koen still sees growth opportunities, especially internationally. In 2022, for example, a machine was delivered to Mexico for the first time. In the years before the COVID-19 pandemic, the company received many inquiries from the cannabis market. Now that that market has gone through its big growth spurt, demand has subsided.

However, the market is far from saturated, while Koen also sees opportunities closer to home. "With a new fork that growers with potted plants can connect to existing forklifts, for example."

For more information:Koen LemmenIdeaal MachinebouwExpeditiestraat 215961 PX Horst[email protected]www.ideaal.eu