Major Dutch Grower Closing Down

Chris Beytes

Bunnik Group, the parent company of Bunnik Plants, one of the Netherlands’ largest and best-known potted plant and foliage producers, has announced it’s closing its doors as of March 31, 2026. The shutdown includes Bunnik Creations, their ceramics, decoration and packaging division, and their trucking and distribution division, Bunnik Logistics.

The third-generation business has seven growing locations in Bleiswijk, a ceramics factory in China and a Bunnik Creations USA sales office with a warehouse in New Jersey, plus a sales office in Orlando. They employ about 160 people and in 2024 had sales of nearly $120 million. They produce anywhere from 600,000 to 1 million plants per week, depending on which source you believe.

The reason for the decision wasn’t specified in the company’s announcement, which stated, “Bunnik Group has faced disappointing sales results for years since the post-COVID period. Since then, margins on plants have been under severe pressure due to a combination of reduced demand and oversupply in the market. In addition to lower demand, Bunnik also deals with sharply increased costs for energy, sea transport and higher import tariffs.”

It went on to say that cost-cutting measures, and even an increase in market share via distinctive plant varieties, have not been sufficient.

Third-generation owner Dennis Bunnik said via email: “The decision was not easy, but the most important thing is that we, as a family, want to exit the stage with dignity, free of debt and with a solid reputation.”

It’s not easy closing a Dutch business due to strict worker rights protections, so Bunnik is doing a “controlled wind-down” of the company in conjunction with their banks to avoid bankruptcy. A controlled wind-down, says Google, is a “strategic and organized process for a company to cease operations, settle its financial obligations and liquidate assets … with the goal of maximizing value for stakeholders and minimizing disruption and financial losses.” To that end, they’ve stopped accepting orders and final deliveries will be in mid-2026.

As mentioned, Bunnik is a third-generation business founded by Ferd Bunnik in 1945 growing vegetables under glass. Like many, he switched to floriculture in 1967, starting with aechmea bromeliads. Ferd’s three sons joined the business in 1981, and Dennis and his brother, Thomas, took the leadership reins in 2019. GT