About us
Yellow Diamond, Zanella and White Spear are well-known DJL cultivars.
Experiment with the possibilities
Mr. Klaas de Jong a pioneer in the field of lilies in the Netherlands
In the late 1960’s Mr Klaas de Jong (24 June 1925 – 15 June 2007) was a pioneer in Holland in the field of lilies. He experimented with the possibilities of lilies: how to grow a good quality bulb, how to harvest, treat and store them and how to produce a good flower from it.
From the small town of Andijk, Holland, Mr de Jong travelled to Gresham, Oregon where he met lily-expert Jan de Graaff, from Oregon Bulb Farm. It led to a successful co-operation: the exclusive import of lily-bulbs from Oregon to Holland. After receiving the bulbs in Andijk, Mr de Jong sold and distributed these exclusive bulbs to flower growers in Holland and also started exporting to other countries in Europe.
De Jong Lelies
Specialist in everything to do with lilies.
In the meantime he started growing bulbs by himself and took up the first initiatives to set up a breeding program. Cultivars as Mona and Sarina (Asiatics) and Lorina (Longiflorum) are well-known from Mr de Jong’s breeding program.
From then he did what De Jong Lelies Holland B.V. still does: from breeding and bulb-production to long-term cold storage and international trade of lily-bulbs. In short, a specialist in everything that has to do with lilies.
Take-over
The company was further developed.
As there was no successor in the family, two employees took over the business from Mr de Jong. Mr Marcel Kroezen (Commercial Director) and Mr Wijnand van der Kooij (Technical Director) took over the business in 1987. Since then the company has been developed; new cold storage, greenhouses, laboratory and processing-/packing-lines were realized.
In 1995 De Jong Lelies started their own production facilities in New Zealand and founded De Jong Lelies Australia Pty. Ltd. In 2003. Besides, in 2011 the company have built a second facility in Andijk.
On January 5, 2014, mr. Kroezen passed away. He has meant a lot for the current form of the company and the growth of recent years is largely due to his efforts. The position of commercial director has been taken over by Michiel Ruiter. At the moment, the current management is conducted by Wijnand van der Kooij, Remco van der Kooij and Michiel Ruiter.
Success factors which De Jong Lelies Holland B.V. developed through the years are quality, service, flexibility and a good management: A good foundation for your success!