Nurseryman from the Bottom of his Heart

Nurseryman from the Bottom of his Heart

The cards did not tell that Allan Bech Olesen after the years of training as nurseryman would be sales manager. But a traffic accident changed his course. Today it has been a profitable fact for more than 30 for GASA Young Plants, and Allan Bech Olesen is now giving away "his little baby" with a certain amount of melancholy, when very soon his early retirement starts.

TEXT: LOTTE BJARKE

When the doctors in 1978 passed the sentence his hip was ruined and his future occupation would have to be sedentary, Allan Bech Olesen did really not know what to do.
- I was working with Begonia at the Nursery Kvistgaarden, and one day when the young plant sales consultant from GASA Odense came by, I plucked up courage and asked if they weren't sometimes in the need for an extra man. As luck would have it, he had just quit. I was invited to an employment interview with Søren Bøgede Andersen and got the job. I have always been a lucky guy, despite the accident, because my job has always been my hobby, says Allan Bech Olesen, who has been the driving force in the creation of the well-run establishment, which is today widely well-known under the name of GASA Young Plants.

Has Never Experienced Downturn
Quite a lot has changed over the years. In the year 1981 the young plant department of GASA Odense counted four employees and customers and suppliers were mainly from Denmark.
1992 the sales staff had increased to 14 and we served customers too on export markets in Scandinavia.
In the year 2001 GASA Odense Blomster and GASA Aarhus merged, and GASA Young Plants was established on July 1, 20001 as a private limited company, which today is a division of GASA GROUP Denmark.
On the threshold of 2012 GASA Young Plants counts almost 30 employees, has customers worldwide - and suppliers too. Even though turnover has been stagnant these recent years, GASA Young Plants has never recorded any downturn.

We Supply Everything
The range of products has also increased over the years.
- In the beginning, Begonia and Dieffenbachia were important cultures. Later on Saintpaulia, Christmas Stars (Euphorb. pulcherrima) and ferns were added. One of the bees in my bonnet has for quite some time been Pelargonium. I wanted it to grow into an important culture, which it is now after having found the right supplier some years ago. At the same time we had the right sales consultants, who believed in the project and worked on it with commitment, says Allan Bech Olesen.
Today - in principle - there is nothing, you cannot buy from GASA Young Plants.
- Many have asked for a catalogue. We have to say no, but if a customer tells us about the culture, in which he is interested, we can send him an offer. Thanks to an immense and strong network, we can supply everything, stresses Allan Bech Olesen.

First Nurseryman then Salesman
Even though his card says sales manager - actually it is area manager - Allan Bech Olesen is and remains nurseryman from the bottom of his heart. First nurseryman, then salesman, he emphasises; a quality, which has marked and still marks the division, where all sales representatives are skilled nurserymen.
- I hold the opinion; you cannot sell young plants if you are not a trained nurseryman and can talk professionally with nurserymen. It makes me quite cross; when applications come from "great salesmen" who think they can cope with everything. Why do they think we have 4 years of training behind us? I'm quite sure the high professional skills among the employees are the reason for the positive development of GASA Young Plants, says Allan Bech Olesen. At the same time he emphasises the high degree of freedom, the different CEOs of GASA have granted him, making special mention of the present CEO, Cees Kuypers, who has been a great support and excellent to exchange ideas and discuss with.
- At least 80 % of the sales initiatives build on the fact that you are a trained nurseryman and are able to build confidence. Just to come out and have talks with the nurseryman, and he the knows, the sales consultant knows the difference between the different varieties. That plus frankness and honesty. These are the most important things, he stresses.

Global Network
The skills of a trained nurseryman are not failing him in his daily work.
- I have always spent a lot of time together with the sales consultants and it has been my priority to go together with the on visits to customers and suppliers - like a fly on the wall. If on day special challenges arise, it is important to know the customers and the suppliers in order to be able to discuss and exchanges ideas. This could be how to boost sales to a certain customer, says Allan Bech Olesen, who has become a widely travelled gentleman as the company grew in size, with a global, almost worldwide network.
The Seychelles, Costa Rica, Israel, Guatemala and the USA to mention only the more exotic destinations. And the 5 regular journeys every year to Holland during the late 33 years. Yes, it's a long time ago, the suppliers of GASA Young Plants were found only in Denmark.
- I made myself the start as sales representative in the field. At that time Begonia, Saintpaulia and ferns were my main cultures. When thing started to downhill for these cultures in Denmark, we contacted Dutch suppliers. Actually, I only moved with the times, and the network was growing by and by. It has been fantastic. Today most suppliers have outsourced their production to Asia, Africa and Central America, so even though the breeder - on paper - is Danish, German or Dutch, the cuttings may come from quite a different part of the world, Allan Bech Olesen emphasises.

Active Senior
Although he has chosen himself to start the early retirement on January 31, 2012, Allan Bech Olesen fears that very day a little.
- Every time we come to talk about it, I am close to tears. This is my little baby, all this. But I feel quite confident about handing over the apple of my eye to my successor, Claes Riber. First of all, I'm going to take my holidays. For the first time in my life I'm taking holidays in a row, and then I'm going to keep fit and get the regular exercise, which I have never had time to get. I intend to join the local Højby senior club, and plan to lead an active life as senior, says Allan Bech Olesen. He will end his many years of work at GASA Young Plants at the IPM in Essen and will have his last working day on January 31, 2012.