An iconic brand story
History of Surfinia®
Breeding Surfinia®
Japan, 1987, Suntory®, a Japanese company famous for its whisky’s, beers and wines, decides to set up a flower division: Suntory® Flowers Ltd. The reason is their discovery of a new Petunia variety with great growing and flowering characteristics.
How it all began…
At the same time, MNP, what was then known as Moerheim New Plant BV, is busy making professional connections with foreign companies. Through these connections, they hear about the steps that Suntory® is taking into the horticultural market. MNP sees potential in the new Petunia that they have created and soon the first conversations between MNP and the breeders of Suntory® start.
Marketing Surfinia®
MNP pitches its marketing plans for Surfinia® in Europe at Suntory® in Japan. MNP receives the first Surfinia® cuttings from breeding to test and select in The Netherlands. The marketing plan is approved and the introduction of Surfinia® in Europe could be prepared. The rest is history!
Surfinia® Purple
The result is a unique cooperation between Suntory® Flowers Ltd. and MNP, in which MNP obtained the rights for all Suntory® genetics in Europe, Middle-East and Africa. Together, they introduce Surfinia®: the first trailing Petunia produced from cuttings. The Surfinia® Purple.
Consumers meet Surfinia®
“At this point in time the first 800 cuttings from Surfinia® Purple, Purple Mini and Purple Brilliant were planted at grower Aartsen in The Netherlands. This is also when the promotion for growers and consumers starts.
A million Surfinia®’s sold
The introduction of Surfinia® in Europe is a big success and soon other European licensees like Kientzler, Lazzeri, Boyard, Muller, Four Oaks and Hanson are welcomed. Surfinia® gets its official plant breeders rights and Surfinia’s are planted at the Floriade in Zoetermeer (The Netherlands). At the end of this year there are more than a million Surfinia’s sold in Europe, a real milestone.
Joined promotion
The first European Surfinia® meeting takes place at MNP in The Netherlands, together with all Surfinia® licensees.
25 million Surfinia’s sold
More than over 25 million Surfinia’s are sold during this year.
50 milion anniversary
More over than 5o million Surfinia’s are sold in Europe this year alone.
Sales record of 65 million
All sales record are broken. This year there were more than 65 million Surfinia® sold in Europe.
Second generation Surfinia®
Sales is steady around 50 million Surfinia’s each year. Intro second generation of Surfinia® Trailing Red and Surfinia® Trailing Ocean Blue, with the most early flowering of all Surfinia® varieties. They flower 1 week earlier than Surfinia® Deep Red and 2 weeks earlier than all classic types!
# Suntory Flowers Ltd. receives Horticulture Innovation Award from International Society of Horticultural Science.
– ishs.org
– gpnmag.com
– nurserymag.com
Re-branding Surfinia®
Kick-off Surfinia® 30 years anniversary! Surfinia®, market leader for almost 30 years. In 2019, additional promotions will follow for license holders and gardeners. In 2020, special promotions for consumers will follow.
# Surfinia® Deep Red receives Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit.
Guinness World Record
Surfinia® wins Guinness World Record for tallest Topiary sculpture in Dubai.
30th anniversary for licensees
Beekenkamp (Ann Beekenkamp, Jeroen Egtberts & Marc Driessen)
Florensis (Leo Hoogendoorn & Jeroen Egtberts)
G3 Ungplanter (v? & Klaas Droog)
Haberschill Végétal (Pierre Haberschill, Cyril Haberschill & Klaas Droog)
Plantpol Sp. z o. o. (Klaas Droog & Jerzy Starzyński)
Store actions for consumers
Coming soon…
MNP / Suntory from the Netherlands is the company behind this successful brand. At this “house of brands” in Leimuiderbrug is where the magic happens: powerful brands are created after extensive tests and accurate selections of the highest quality genetics of indoor & outdoor plants coming from Suntory Flowers Ltd. (breeder) in Japan. MNP / Suntory gives custody for production of our products to carefully selected growers (propagators) in Europe, which we call our licensees; meanwhile, innovative stories are written. For this reason, we are the plant pioneers! “Pioneers & trendsetters in breeding, selecting, marketing and licensing of innovative and superior quality (bedding) plants.”
To experience what characterises our unique products, you cannot miss a single one of “the plant pioneers” brands, click on the logos to discover them!
