Specialized Washing Company Takes No Shortcuts

ARTICLE

Jan van Staalduinen, Monday 24 February 2025

154 sec

Marcel Helmus: 'Increasingly busy with washing plant stock'

For numerous export destinations, it is required that plant stock be healthy and free from soil and nematodes. A thorough wash, possibly followed by a hot water treatment, is then necessary. Washing company Helmus in Sassenheim is one of the very few specialists in this field. Its clientele among tree nurseries is growing, as even for domestic delivery, the importance of clean starting material is recognized.

Front view of the drive-in kettles

Marcel Helmus and Epco Schippers helm the first specialized washing company for plant-based starting materials. "As far as I know, there are only two companies that exclusively wash for third parties, and coincidentally, my grandfather was the first to start," Helmus explains. "He had taken over his father's nursery and built a dipping installation needed to clean and disinfect bulbs and plant stock. This was a requirement for exporting to distant destinations. A neighbor, who among other things exported dahlias to the United States, wanted to outsource the washing and disinfecting to my grandfather. It was mutually satisfactory. It wasn't long before more exporters approached, and thus Helmus Washing Company was born."

Marcel Helmus: 'Tree nurseries now represent twenty percent of our turnover'

Assurance about results

The current director and co-owner has now been working in the family business for 35 years, rooted in the Bulb Region. He notes that phytosanitary requirements, such as those imposed by countries like the United States, have steadily become stricter.
"Exporting companies want assurance of a good result. There are still companies that want to make their plant material soil-free themselves, and that is their right. With the knowledge and technology we possess as a specialized washing company, I think we can deliver better quality work, operate efficiently, and provide excellent support to growers. Moreover, our processes are designed for sustainability and almost complete reuse of process water. A bulb or tree nursery is not equipped for this, and with even stricter environmental legislation on the horizon, I wonder if they should strive for it. Outsourcing will often be a smarter choice, but that decision must be made by each entrepreneur themselves."

From dipping baths to drive-in kettles

In 2016, Helmus Washing Company underwent a major renovation and upgrade. The five traditional dipping tanks were replaced by brand-new, more efficient drive-in kettles. The pallet or cubic crate with plant material is driven into the front of the kettle, after which the kettle is hermetically sealed and filled with water heated to the desired temperature. After the treatment, the water is drained from below for disinfection and reuse, after which the front and back walls open and the pallet or cubic crate exits the kettle from the back. The treated batch then moves on to interim storage via a conveyor belt.

Hot water treatments

"Heating is necessary to neutralize nematodes and any other parasites," Helmus explains. "Depending on the organism, you need to immerse the product in water from 39 to 57 degrees Celsius for some time. We no longer use pesticides, but chlorine that we produce ourselves from pure kitchen salt. This is done through electrolysis. Fungicides or other chemicals do not fit in our closed water system and we have long since sworn them off. They are also not necessary if you perform the right treatments properly. We have an extensive database with specifications to treat each plant species for every export destination individually. Crates are routinely disinfected at 70 degrees Celsius."

Growth in tree nursery products

Helmus Washing Company serves clients throughout the Netherlands, Belgium, and even France. Initially, there were few tree nurseries among them, but their share of turnover has increased to about twenty percent over the past decade.
"We are getting busier with the washing of plant stock. Tree nurseries come to us for two different reasons," the entrepreneur continues. "The first is to make plant material soil-free for export, whether or not combined with a hot water treatment to kill nematodes. The second reason is to clean and free the root ball to better divide plants." Thus, it revolves around propagation. With a clean root ball, you can do this better, faster, and more accurately, thereby increasing the propagation yield.
Helmus: "We are now processing quite a few types of perennial plants, ranging from dahlias and peonies - which form a large product group - to Astilbe, Wisteria, and rose bushes. Bushes and rootstocks with clods up to about 25 centimeters in diameter are very well suited for washing. There is still capacity left, so new clients from the tree nursery sector are most welcome. Also, if you just want to see how we work here."

While Marcel Helmus leads the hot water treatments, his partner Epco Schippers is the experienced washing specialist. In a flash, he lays the plant material on the automated washing line so that they come out spotlessly clean.

This article was previously published on January 17, 2025, on the website of Boom In Business.

Helmus BV

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