In this newsletter:

– Where to meet ABS during the coming period?
– ABS 25 Years, Part II: From 1999 to 2006… Growth, Expansion, and a “Real” Office!
– ABS Celebrates 25 Years with a memorable Borrelboat Party
– Worldseed Congress in Rotterdam: Cultivating Global Agricultural Futures
– Introducing the New Offline App for ABS Breeding, Trial and Production
– Introducing ABS newest employees
– ABS Seed Userday 2024

Where to meet ABS during the coming period?

• ABS Seed userday, September 12
• Seed Meets Technology in Zwaagdijk, September 24-26
• Euroseeds Congress In Copenhagen, October 13-16

ABS 25 Years, Part II: From 1999 to 2006… Growth, Expansion, and a “Real” Office!

Benefiting from Seminis’ full cooperation, our founders successfully migrated the application designed for the subsidiaries to their independent company. Following the typical trajectory of startups, the initial operations were conducted from a residential house in an improvised office. To this day, we still believe that sharing an office strengthens a team and facilitates the sharing of knowledge and good times!

Piet programming on ABS in the first office of HAPit in the early days

The original brand name, HAPit, was based on the initials of the founders’ first names: Hans, Andre, and Piet. Development kicked off promptly, facilitated by our much-appreciated first customer!

Subsequently, the expansion of the team became necessary, and we welcomed an additional developer Peter in 2000! Peter was the first employee of HAPit and is still with the company today. A consultant was also hired shortly after Peter.

ABS is proud that André, Piet, and Peter are still valuable members of our ABS team! As the team grew, the residential space proved inadequate, prompting the search for a more suitable location for the company. In 2003, new office spaces were acquired in Grootebroek, which still serve as the headquarters of ABS.

Thanks to everyone’s efforts and an increase in clientele, an additional consultant, Paul, and a Sales Representative (former Seminis director) were brought on board in 2004. Over the following years, as the customer base continued to grow, the staff expanded as well. Not only did our clientele and team grow, but so did Paul, who is now our much-appreciated COO! (photo: Peter in the early days)

In 2006, a decision was made to bring in new and more strategic knowledge for company growth. The search began for an individual or company to oversee Business Management. This responsibility was taken on—and is still assumed by—our current CEO, Wouter van Stuyvesant Meijen.

Thank you for celebrating 25 years of innovation, growth, and success at ABS. Discover ABS’ further history in the upcoming newsletters.

ABS Helping you grow!

ABS Celebrates 25 Years with a memorable Borrelboat Party 

Just before the Worldseed Congress kicked off on Friday afternoon, ABS organized a borrelboat party, to celebrate her milestone: 25 years of excellence in the industry. Together customers, colleagues and prospects we all enjoyed an unforgettable afternoon.

Outside the borrelboat: beautiful views and stormy weather

Despite the rain, the spirits of the attendees were not dampened. ABS provided umbrellas with our 25 year logo for the occasion, to ensure everyone stayed dry. The weather may have been gloomy, but the atmosphere on the Borrelboat was vibrant and warm. The evening was filled with engaging conversations and networking opportunities, allowing guests to connect and share insights in a relaxed setting. Attendees enjoyed a variety of complimentary drinks, along with classic Dutch snacks like bitterballen and cheese, which added a delightful touch to the festivities.

Inside the borrelboat: warm welcome and nice conversations

Reflecting on the event, ABS is grateful to all who attended and contributed to the special day. The Borrelboat party was not just a celebration of the past 25 years but also a toast to the future and the strong relationships that have been built along the way.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this memorable occasion. Here’s to many more years of success and collaboration!

Worldseed Congress in Rotterdam: Cultivating Global Agricultural Futures

Rotterdam recently hosted the prestigious Worldseed Congress, organized by the International Seed Federation (ISF). This event gathered over 1,500 participants from more than 70 countries, including industry leaders, scientists, and policymakers, to address the critical challenges in the seed industry and promote sustainable agricultural practices.

King Willem Alexander visits the Plantum Pavilion

ABS was showcasing their expertise in software solutions for seed production and distribution. This time the ABS booth was located in the Dutch Pavilion, together with colleagues in the seed business.

ABS innovative platforms for seed traceability and digital analytics were highlighted as key contributors to the industry’s modernization. ABS is helping to streamline operations, enhance seed quality, and ensure sustainable practices across the global seed industry

(photo: Ineke and Dorien in the ABS Booth)

The congress also facilitated extensive networking opportunities, allowing participants to build relationships and explore Dutch agricultural innovations.

Welcome party at the SS Rotterdam

The Worldseed Congress in Rotterdam was a resounding success, highlighting the seed industry’s crucial role in global agriculture. With the contributions of organizations like Agro Business Solutions, the congress demonstrated that through innovation and collaboration, the seed industry can lead the way in ensuring a sustainable and secure food future.

Introducing the New Offline App for ABS Breeding, Trial and Production

We are excited to announce the development of a new Offline App specifically designed for ABS on-line software solutions. This app will be mobile-friendly while providing an excellent experience for tablet users. Along with a fresh new look, our focus is on enhancing user-friendliness.
The old Offline App was to be used on tablets only:

Screen print of the old off-line App on a tablet

Key Features of the new Off-line App

Mobile-First Design: Optimized for smartphones, the app ensures full functionality on the go, while also offering an excellent experience on tablets with a dynamically adjusting interface.

User-Friendly Interface: Extensive user research has led to an intuitive, easy-to-navigate design.

Offline Functionality: Perform essential tasks without internet connectivity. You can sync data entered offline once an internet connection is available, keeping information up-to-date and secure.

Fresh New Look: A modern design enhances usability and aesthetics, creating a streamlined environment for productive work.

Secure Data Handling: Advanced security measures, including encryption and secure login protocols, protect sensitive breeding data.

Early Development and Future Enhancements

Though still in the early stages, the Offline App promises significant improvements to your data collection. Continuous updates and user feedback will drive future enhancements, ensuring the app remains up to date.

Introducing ABS newest employees

Olav Hansen

Hello everyone, my name is Olav Hansen. I recently joined the ABS Breeding team as an analyst, starting on March 18, 2024. I am 26 years old and studied Plant Sciences at Wageningen University & Research. For over a decade, I’ve had a casual interest in computers and technology. To be honest, I hadn’t considered joining a software company until I crossed paths with ABS.

My introduction to ABS was a chance encounter while I was on a temporary mission at an ABS Breeding prospect. As my mission concluded and my contract was ending, I maintained contact with ABS, which led me to where I am now!

Based on the last couple of months, I can already tell that this is the right environment for me to thrive. The colleagues are friendly, and I have the opportunity to develop and challenge myself. I also get to interact with many existing and potential customers, all of whom, like me, have a special place in their hearts for plants. Some ABS Breeding customers might have noticed that I’ve started picking up calls recently. I plan to continue this, improving the quality of my responses as I learn more.

Coming from a prospect, I have seen both the strengths and potential areas for improvement in ABS Breeding. My vision for the Breeding software is to retain its flexibility, optimize and streamline workflows, and make the system more intuitive. Thank you for welcoming me to the team, and I look forward to contributing to our shared success!

Mauritz Geldenhuys

My name is Mauritz Geldenhuys. I’m thrilled to join the Agro Business Solutions (ABS) team as an international sales!

Recently, my family and I relocated from South Africa to the Netherlands, and we have been warmly welcomed in North Holland. My passion for helping businesses thrive is what drew me to ABS.
With over 15 years of experience in commercial banking, I have dedicated my career as an account manager to advising clients from various fields, including agro business. My expertise extends beyond advising to include follow-ups on strategic investments, business processes, and growth strategies. Throughout my career, I have seen firsthand the value of strategic guidance and support.

ABS provides unparalleled software solutions for the seed industry, offering unmatched capabilities for organizing and planning operational demands with excellent customization options. ERP systems are becoming increasingly crucial for business growth, and I’m excited to leverage my experience to help you unlock your potential.

I look forward to partnering with your business! (photo: Mauritz with Ineke and Dorien at the Worldseed congress)

ABS Seed Userday 2024

Last year in September 2023 we organized our first ABS Userday. That Userday proved to be a well-attended and appreciated event by our users on-site as well as users that remotely joined our presentations during that day. We are happy to announce that we have our second Userday scheduled for :

Thursday September 12, 2024 in the afternoon

The invitations for this event will be sent shortly. The presentations will be addressing the management of the respective departments of our users as well as the actual users of the functionality. Most presentations provide the opportunity to discuss the actual use, meet other users, discuss on any future functionality and to answer questions in general.

During the event you’ll enjoy coffee, tea and cookies.

And after the official part of the event, everyone’s invited to share some drinks and have a chat with other ABS users and more members of our ABS team.