DENSO and Certhon hold a ceremony, celebrating DENSO’s acquisition of Certhon and continued a ground-braking partnership
DENSO has successfully acquired full ownership of Certhon Group, a distinguished Dutch enterprise specializing in horticultural facility management. This strategic acquisition aligns with DENSO's overarching objective of expediting the worldwide augmentation of its agricultural production business. The official ceremony took place on August 24th at Certhon's headquarters in Poeldijk, Netherlands, commemorating a transformative partnership.
Dignitaries present at the event included prominent figures such as Senior Executive Officer of DENSO, Hidehiro Yokoo; CEO of DENSO in Europe, Yasushi Mukai; CEO of Certhon, Lotte van Rijn; Strategic Advisor of Certhon, Hein van der Sande; Special Envoy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Frederik Vossenaar; Ambassador of the Japanese Embassy, Hiroshi Minami; and Investment Director from the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency, Hans Kuipers.
A symbolic act of collaboration was enacted during the ceremony: the planting of a specialized cherry tomato seed, tailored for the Gronos project. This gesture embodied the commencement of the partnership and the shared journey ahead.
“I would like to congratulate the integration of Certhon and DENSO, as well as the start of the “New Certhon,” said Hidehiro Yoko, Senior Executive Officer of DENSO. “Certhon is a leading company for its world-class advanced technologies in horticulture with more than 125 years of history. I believe we can contribute to innovate Certhon’s greenhouse solution by adding DENSO capabilities. We will tackle global food challenges by leveraging the strengths of both companies.”
Lotte van Rijn, CEO of Certhon, also chimed in, saying, “It’s a special day for Certhon. In order to be innovative and deliver a good product as well as being successful, ‘Monozukuri” is an important factor. It has always been the driving force within our company, and it is perhaps for this reason that two worlds seemingly far apart have nevertheless come together. DENSO can help us to develop a good product, high quality, continuous innovation. In the combination with DENSO, we will realize the future even better.”
The partnership between DENSO and Certhon is poised to cultivate enduring growth by furnishing global solutions, upholding the credo of providing sustenance "anytime, anywhere, and to anyone indefinitely." In doing so, both entities contribute significantly to the realms of food safety and security.
Planting a Bonsai Tomato seed (Gronos) as a symbol of collaboration
From left to right, Sales Director of Certhon, Richard van der Sande; Strategic Advisor of Certhon, Hein van der Sande; Operational Advisor of Certhon, Klaas van der Sande; Business Development Manager of Certhon, John van der Sande; Senior Executive Officer of DENSO, Hidehiro Yokoo; CEO of Certhon, Lotte van Rijn; CEO of DENSO in Europe, Yasushi Mukai