Pensioners drive between auctions

As our business grew, so did the demand for drivers. Many purchases are made in Aalsmeer and Naaldwijk. These flowers and plants have to be transported to the main location in Rijnsburg as quickly as possible. This work, which we call auction driving, is just short of a full-day job. This made it extra difficult to find drivers. The solution was found in retired people in possession of a large driving licence.

This proved to be a great success. More and more men signed up and soon we were able to man every trip to one of the outdoor auctions with a pensioner. And that they felt like it was evident from the fact that arguments almost broke out whenever one would get a ride more than another.

Whereas in the beginning most of them were between 65 and 70, the group is now getting older and older, as quitting is not an option for them. The first three staff members who started running this auction ride are: Dirk van Delft (de Keul ), 77 years old, was the first older person to start driving for us in 1996 and he is still walking around. Piet Roerade, 84, started in 1998 stopped driving the truck last year, but is still active on the spijkstaal. Kees Guijt, 85, is currently our oldest employee. We still see him riding a spijkstaal in the auction.