Interview with Naktuinbouw – 25 Years of Partnership

Can you tell us some more about your company and why you started working with us 25 years ago? What were the most important considerations for you at the time?

Dutch horticulture leads the world. The Netherlands enjoys a national and international reputation for the quality of its seed and plant material. Growers and breeders create new varieties and provide reliable, healthy propagating material such as seeds, cuttings and young plants.

We test varieties, perform inspections of seed and plant material and test material for pests and diseases so that entrepreneurs in the horticultural sector can trade their plant material worldwide. Together with national and international companies, organisations and governments we share our knowledge and expertise to promote learning and innovation.

Providing the horticultural sector all over the world with good, healthy and reliable, high-quality propagating material and suitable varieties. That is what we stand for!

Over the years, Naktuinbouw started operating on an increasingly international scale. Firstly because we have employees from other parts of the world, and secondly because the companies that register with us also have branches worldwide. This meant that our communication was increasingly in English, but also in other languages.

We needed, and still need, professional support. We found the solution at AgroLingua.

How has the working partnership developed over the years in your experience?

Have you noticed any major changes or improvements?

It was very constructive to be able to work with the same contact person and a regular translator. Our interaction ensured we could make clear which things we consider important in our translations.

In fact, our cooperation was so close many years ago that we met occasionally. It was great for the translators to see the people behind the documents and learn more about our activities. To ensure consistency we created a glossary together for commonly used terms. It is regularly updated and expanded and we still use the glossary today!

Are there any specific moments or projects that stand out?

One project that stands out was translating the Naktuinbouw book – Dedicated to Quality – in 2010 and the English-language website. Another major project was translating our regulations. These texts had a legal character and required precise interpretation. Good input from both sides delivered the right results.

What are the most important benefits of our partnership for your business?

You have been a loyal client for many years.

The specialism and expertise in agrifood adds real value for us. And you are always open to suggestions for improvements. It doesn't happen much now, but in the past the translations were still critically reviewed. Any differing internal insights would then be sent back as feedback to AgroLingua. This was a very constructive form of working together.

Which aspects of our collaboration do you value most?

The quality of the translations is the most important aspect, otherwise we would be able to rely on modern tools.