Hardeman Egg Group’s passion for egg-cellence extends to making a positive impact on people and planet
Processing an incredible two billion eggs and counting every single year, Hardeman Egg Group (Hardeman) is one cracking company. With a remarkable legacy spanning over 250 years, Hardeman operates around a single core principle: “if you give others the space and opportunity, they will make a success of it” (Arend Hardeman, owner of Hardeman). Headquartered in The Netherlands, Hardeman is one of Europe’s leading egg suppliers, providing a wide assortment of eggs and egg products across the food sector. The Hardeman Group comprises eight companies across Europe and Ethiopia – Kwetters, Adriaan Goede, Bumble Hole Foods, Egga Foods, Eivo, Ethiopia Poultry, Frisian Egg, and Hardeman Egg Farms – each working in harmony to drive Hardeman’s operational excellence.
The company’s impact goes beyond providing nutritious, quality egg products that improve consumer health. Indeed, its commitment to being ‘better by nature’
epitomizes the importance of taking care of each other, of farmers and of the environment, and, with its ambitious growth plans in place, its positive impact is sure to grow. As the company embarks on its UK expansion, Food Chain sits down with Ton Gielen, Chief Executive Officer at Hardeman, to learn more about how the business continues to produce delicious eggs that contribute to a greater good. Ton starts by introducing the business and providing some insight into its sustainable, circular approach to egg production.
“The Hardeman Egg Group has six process locations and multiple farms across Germany and The Netherlands,” Ton begins. “In April of this year, we expanded to the UK by acquiring Bumble Hole Foods. The company processes liquid egg and boiled eggs, and marks our first step onto English soil. We already supply eggs to the UK market from The Netherlands, so we wanted to have a presence within England itself. We don’t only want to be a supplier to our main markets, but also a producer within the countries themselves. We have a kind of horizontal integration where we have our own supply of eggs, we process them, and we sell them. We’re growing quickly; around 50 percent of our raw material now comes from our own flocks.
“The way we see it, you need a passion for eggs. If you understand the importance of eggs in many food products, you are motivated to bring good things to our society. Therefore you need this passion to come to the best result,” Ton continues. “Eggs are an animal product, but they’re very healthy and very sustainable to produce. Today, people don’t really know where their food is coming from anymore, but with eggs, you cannot hide it. You break the shell; you know what’s in there.
“Hardeman attaches great importance to animal welfare and sustainability. We plan to operate in a circular system with the lowest carbon footprint. At our production sites, we are also constantly looking to optimize our use of electricity and gas. All sites are largely equipped with solar panels, and within the group we also have the knowledge and experience to generate, store, consume and trade energy in the most cost-effective way.”
Growth generation
One thing that makes Hardeman truly unique is its passion for good – not merely in terms of commitment to quality but also in uplifting and empowering its farmers. This quality has been integral to the company’s strategic expansion, exemplifying its core values of offering a sustainable, reliable future for all, together with its poultry farmers, own workforce and customers.
“Our goal is to be one of the prominent players in the European market. We’re seeing continual growth in both our processing and farming operations; having more plants, for instance, has given us greater processing capacity,” Ton shares. “On the farming side, we have farms that are 100 percent owned by our own people, but we also form partnerships with farmers who are external to the business. We invest in young farmers who might not be able to afford their own farm, and we form co-ownership deals over time. We also have two farms in Ethiopia, which is great because it generates money for the farmers, creates jobs for the communities and provides a sufficient food supply for them. In this way, we give people opportunities to take advantage of possibilities that would be almost impossible for them to achieve without outside help.
“Without farmers, you don’t have eggs; it’s very simple. We’re always looking into market areas where there are opportunities for us to grow. Advantageously, our owner is a multi-entrepreneur, so he constantly reinvests profits across his companies to generate growth.”
Robust relationships
As Hardeman continues to grow and prosper, it proceeds to nurture the working relationships it holds dear. The company views its partners as essential shareholders in many ways, extending appreciation to all those who help make Hardeman an industry leader – from its owner who reinvests in the business to the farmers that make it all happen.
“Our company has several shareholders in many ways. One of our most important shareholders is the company owner of course, but our farmers are also essential shareholders. We have our own farms, but we also have relationships with farmers who work independently from us. It’s important to maintain good relationships with farmers because they are the ones who can contribute to better animal welfare, as well as our own sustainability goals,” Ton explains.
One of the company’s more recent partnerships has had a significant impact on its overall efficiency, completely transforming the business’ internal operations. Over the last twelve months, Hardeman has entrusted software company, Q3 Concept B.V., to provide cutting-edge programs to assist in the management of its maintenance processes, and the result? True innovation for the company.
Ton elaborates: “We’ve worked with Q3 Concept for about a year now. Maintenance is a very important part of our company, and so we wanted to improve the way in which manage our budgets; we had many new machines and technical installations that didn’t quite go to plan, so it was essential for us to find a great partner to help us with this. Albeit a small company, Q3 is key to our efficiency; the team knows the industry inside and out and is very close with its customers.”
Sustainable solutions
Despite market challenges, Hardeman’s future looks promising. Equipped with a robust network and an unbreakable passion, the company is well-positioned to remain on its current trajectory and continue to delight egg-lovers across the continent.
“In both the UK and European markets, it’s getting harder to grow your production capacities, particularly in the production of eggs. In particular, the breadth of available farming space in the North is getting smaller; because of that, we’re investing in Eastern Europe and our own flocks,” Ton reveals. “We don’t want to be dependent on Eastern European farmers as we won’t know exactly how the supply chain is being managed, but food protection is our absolute priority. However, we will continue to buy farms when the opportunities arise. For example, we don’t have any farms in the UK now, but we are certainly looking into it, and of course, we are open to collaborations with farmers across the UK who want to sell their eggs and form partnerships. We also want to grow in Europe and the UK in the processing of eggs. Discussions are currently underway with various parties, and we hope to be able to announce in due course that we will be further strengthening our activities in the UK.
“We see many opportunities for the future. We are a commercial company, but we have a responsibility to do good for our society and our environment, particularly in terms of animal welfare and sustainability,” he affirms. “The two usually come as opposites, because it’s better for the environment to keep the animals in small cages, but terrible for the animals, and so we’ve perfected a way of producing where the animals can live in a safe, spacious environment using recycled, environmentally-friendly feed. Our dream for the future is to have 70 percent of our eggs produced on our own farms, and that’s very much our goal for the UK market.”
With further growth on the horizon, it’s clear that Hardeman has no intentions of slowing down. Whatever lies ahead, one thing remains certain: a constant pursuit of egg-cellence.