Dutch family business Lely, the international market leader in the development and manufacture of robots for cattle farming, has been named ‘Family Business of the Year 2019’. The company’s CEO, Alexander van der Lely, was presented with the award by former Dutch political leader Hans Wiegel during a ceremony held at The Hague’s Nieuwspoort venue. Lely’s knack for innovation and its efforts to promote an interest in technology among young people were cited as the decisive factors.
The driving force behind the Family Business of the Year Award is Stichting Familie Onderneming (Family Business Foundation). Established in 2012 by entrepreneur John Fentener van Vlissingen (who also served on the Supervisory Board of SHV Holdings, NPM Capital’s parent company), the foundation is dedicated to supporting Dutch family businesses. It presents the annual Family Business Award to a Dutch family business which has achieved an unparalleled level of excellence in its field. To be eligible for the award, companies must qualify as an ‘authentic’ family business as defined by the European Commission and satisfy a number of strict criteria monitored by KPMG.
The judging committee stated in its evaluation that Lely’s unrelenting drive for innovation has propelled it towards global leadership, while these new technologies also “provide a solid basis for future growth and an exciting challenge for the third generation to allow the family business to grow and flourish.” The company contributes significantly to fair and sustainable food production, offering high quality levels and maintaining high environmental standards. “In both making life easier for farmers and contributing to a more sustainable world, Lely is a true paragon of Dutch enterprise,” the judging committee’s report states.
The report also praised Lely’s campaign to get more young people interested in technology through education and information, as part of its strategy for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Abandoning traditional farming practices
Lely CEO Alexander van der Lely called the award “high recognition for the work started by my father and uncle back in 1948 to do away with traditional farming practices. I am particularly proud that I, as the second generation, have the honour of leading this wonderful company, where we work every day on creating ground-breaking innovations that make the lives of cattle farmers worldwide easier.”
Other companies nominated for the Family Business Award 2019 included Koninklijke Otolift from Bergambacht and Koppert Biological Systems from Berkel en Rodenrijs. Previous award winners include Enza Zaden (2016), Terberg Groep (2017) and Dutch Flower Group (2018).
Also read: ‘Higher family factor drives results’
