“The machine is much quieter, which makes communicating with each other much easier.”
Potato breeding company D. Biemond BV is located in Eenrum, a picturesque village in the north of Groningen. Using traditional breeding methods, the company works daily to develop new potato varieties. The company is run by Hans and Elly Biemond, their father and mother, their son Karel Biemond, and two other employees. The company's origins date back to 1957, when Hans's brother started breeding potatoes.
The company is the proud owner of a Selectron selection trolley!
There's a strong ambition within the breeding company, where caring for each other is paramount. As Karel Biemond explains:
“I have to want to work for myself. That means I want to create a safe work environment where everyone feels comfortable. And where our breeding work develops strong, future-proof varieties that find their way into major processing chains.
Caring for people is not limited to its own organization; the company also wants to make a difference worldwide:
“We want to develop varieties that are also accessible to people in poorer countries. A bag of potatoes should be affordable, grown with minimal resources. It's already an expensive product, so there shouldn't be any additional costs.”
Before purchasing the current Selectron, Biemond worked with a Selecto for years, a machine that functioned satisfactorily, but it was developing some minor issues. The company became interested in the Vegniek Selectron through a demonstration by a dealer. Thanks to an attractive subsidy program, the decision to switch to a Selectron became easier, and they decided to purchase one. For selection work, particularly in trial fields, the Selectron's electric drive offers clear advantages, as Karel Biemond explains:
“The machine is much quieter, which makes communicating with each other much easier, and it also makes it easier to focus on other things.”
Biemond had no doubts about the capacity and operation of an electric machine. They had previously had positive experiences with another electric machine, which had proven to perform perfectly in practice. During the selection process in the test fields, short stops are made regularly. With the Selectron, the Biemond team finds this much more comfortable. The battery capacity also presents no problem.
“"The battery is recharged while driving by the solar panels on the machine. We even once found ourselves returning with more battery capacity than when we left," they say with a smile.
Read more about the Vegniek Selectron
