Building a Competitive and Sustainable Horticulture Business Model for “tHuismerk”

The greenhouse horticulture sector in the Netherlands is experiencing serious competitive issues. A combination of factors such as excess production, insufficient local demand, declining exports and retail price pressure has made it impossible for growers to make any profits. In response to this situation, a group of 10 green house vegetable (tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants and bell peppers) growers has agreed to join hands and work towards creating a new business model. To formalize this cooperation they have agreed to work on creating a joint brand and named it “tHuismerk” At this stage they need help in developing a differentiating and profitable business model for “tHuismerk”. To assist in this, the authors have developed a theoretical framework and have explained how the components of the theoretical framework can be used to develop an executable business model. The application of this framework is presented in the context of a real case study. Participating students are tasked with developing the business model using this background information and the theoretical framework presented in this paper. Four concrete questions have been provided to provide guidance.