BVB Substrates and Kekkilä join forces
On 9 October 2018, Vapo Oy announced that Vapo’s Grow and Care division and the Dutch company BVB Substrates B.V. will combine to form Kekkilä-BVB Oy, Europe’s leading and most versatile company in the market for professional growers and home gardeners. The combination was carried out by establishing a new company, Kekkilä-BVB Oy, to which Vapo Oy transferred all Kekkilä Oy shares and the Dutch company Nielson Belegging en Beheer B.B. all BVB Substrates B.V. shares. The transaction has been completed today, 4 January 2019.
Vapo Oy owns 70% of Kekkilä-BVB Oy’s shares and Nielson Belegging en Beheer B.V., the previous owner of BVB Substrates B.V., owns the remaining 30%. The newly established company’s domicile is Vantaa, Finland. At the General Meeting of BVB Substrates and Kekkilä held today the company’s Board of Directors was determined. The new Board of Directors consists of Mart van Buuren, Peter Jan Kuiper, Petri Järvinen, Jarmo Santala and Vesa Tempakka. The Board of Directors, in its turn, elected Vapo Oy’s CEO Vesa Tempakka as its Chairman.
The Board of Directors of Kekkilä-BVB Oy appointed Juha Mäkinen as the CEO of Kekkilä-BVB Oy. He will also continue as the Director of Vapo’s Grow&Care division. Kekkilä-BVB Oy’s business organisation was confirmed in conjunction with the appointment.
The business operations of Kekkilä-BVB Oy are divided into three areas. Guido Linders, who was previously the Commercial Director of BVB Substrates will lead the professional grower business. Tiia Kujanpää will lead the consumer and landscaping business. She used to be in charge of the Kekkilä Professional business. The business operations focused on procurement, raw material management, recycling solutions and bedding peat will be led by Jaco Dijkshoorn, who was previously the Materials Director of BVB Substrates.
Peter Jan Kuiper, the former CEO of BVB Substrates, will be in charge as CFO of finance, ICT and human resources. Nina Kinnunen, the former Brand and Communications Director of Kekkilä Group, will be in charge of brand and communications.
Click to read more about the professional growing brand from Kekkilä.
