The history of Rijk Zwaan

Highly motivated people

Rijk Zwaan is one of the largest remaining family owned companies in the seed sector. Ninety percent of the shares are owned by three families who are all still active in the company, and the remaining shares are held by a large group of employees. Rijk Zwaan was, is and always will be an independent enterprise. We are convinced that this form of enterprise offers the best starting point for success in the short and long term. The determination of the shareholders to continue as an autonomous company, together with our specific company culture, forms a strong motivation for more than 3600 Rijk Zwaan employees around the world.

Close to the market

Rijk Zwaan invests around 30% of our turnover in R&D every year, and we sell our vegetable seeds in more than 100 countries. We believe in a local approach, and in each case our subsidiary companies and distributors work in the heart of their particular market and take account of local conditions and needs.

History

Curious how Rijk Zwaan arrived at this point, since Mr Rijk Zwaan founded the company nearly 100 years ago in 1924? Then please view this short video to learn about our journey.