This is Enza Zaden

Enza Zaden is an international vegetable-breeding company. So what does that entail? In a nutshell, our company develops new vegetable varieties. We do this for more than 30 different vegetable crops, among which are lettuce, sweet peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. Enza Zaden produces and sells the seeds of these crops all over the world. To give you an example: every year, around twenty billion heads of lettuce are grown from our lettuce seed.

Who we are

Enza Zaden develops new vegetable varieties that are grown, sold and consumed all over the world. So it’s very likely that you’ll often find our tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, lettuce or other vegetables developed by us on your plate. We produce and sell the seeds of those vegetables worldwide.

Independent family business

Besides an international vegetable-breeding company, Enza Zaden is also an independent family business. For three generations, an entrepreneurial spirit, long-term vision and focus on innovation have characterised our company’s distinctive features and healthy growth.

Company culture

It all starts with cooperation

Entrepreneurship, cooperation and shouldering responsibilities are key concerns at our company. And above all also enjoying your work. More than 2,000 employees of around forty nationalities work together to develop healthy vegetable varieties. With respect for one another and for our living environment. Teamwork is the foundation of our success.

Enthusiastic, inspired stories

Everyone at Enza Zaden contributes to our success. No matter what their job involves, or their experience. We all make concerted efforts. We can confidently state that our employees are competent, committed and enthusiastic. What makes the greatest impression on people visiting our company? “The enthusiasm with which your employees talk about the company and what they do. Their professional expertise and their genuine pride in Enza Zaden”, are the kind of comments we hear from visitors.

Enza Zaden’s heart

“Our employees are our organisation’s beating heart” says Jaap Mazereeuw, Managing Director.

“Our employees are our organisation’s beating heart,” Jaap Mazereeuw, Managing Director and grandson of the founder Jacob Mazereeuw confirms. “As a family business, Enza Zaden has a strong focus on people. We have developed a social, sustainable personnel policy for our employees. We offer our people opportunities and encourage them to advance their personal development.”

Thinking out of the box

Have you heard of ‘Friday afternoon projects’? At Enza Zaden they really exist. Researchers and breeders are offered the opportunity to spend time on their own pilot projects in order to boost innovation and promote more thinking out of the box. As a result of one of these projects, we became involved in breeding fennel, and our efforts in this field have been successful.

Innovative ideas, anyone?

We also present an annual Innovation Award to employees who propose innovative ways of improving products or processes. A professional jury evaluates the suggestions that are submitted from all over the world every year. The winner is presented the award, but on top of that, his or her suggestion is actually implemented at our company.

Enza Academy

Enza Zaden is a healthy company. We note annual growth of 9%. That is a considerable figure. That entails plenty of dynamics and new challenges. Enza Academy, our international internal training institute, ensures we are equipped to meet those challenges.

Tailor made training courses

Talented young employees and managers are offered tailor-made training courses to promote their further development and international cooperation. In addition to leadership and management training provided by teaching professionals from institutes including INSEAD, so-called master classes are developed based on specific themes such as breeding techniques.

Mathieu Pel, Senior Researcher/Biotech Breeder, about the Project Management masterclass:  “This course enabled me to better explore my role within a project and pinpoint improvements to be achieved.”

enzActive

Enza Zaden supports global projects that promote a healthy eating pattern and a healthy lifestyle. Under the banner enzActive we develop and sponsor healthy, sporting activities.