With great interest, the 'first' stake was put in place for the new premises of Nature's Pride at the Honderdland phase II business park in Maasdijk. The importer & exporter of exotic fruit and vegetables becomes the first company to occupy a building in this Westland business park. The mayor of Westland, J. van der Tak, said in a speech to be proud of Nature's Pride because the company gives a major boost to Greenport Westland in this time of crisis. The aim of Nature's Pride to build one of the most sustainable buildings in Western Europe also ties in with the ambitions of the municipality, according to van der Tak.
During the festive ceremony, founder and director of Nature's Pride, Shawn Harris, recalled that it was only 6 years ago that the company moved into a new building at Honderdland business park. Due to the growing popularity of ripe-to-eat mangoes and avocados, the company has already outgrown that location and it became necessary to expand. They also reported to the audience that, almost at the same time the first stake disappeared into the ground in Maasdijk, they also started the construction of a nursery in Peru. The nursery in Peru is fully funded by the Fair for Life, Fair Trade premium last year saved up by selling mangoes. This is the first social project in a series to come since starting with social certification through Fair for Life in 2012. This was symbolized by the flag of Peru artist Maurice van den Berg had painted on the stake.
The building (37,000 m2 in size) promises to be an iconic landmark along the A20 highway. Paul de Ruiter Architects has designed a building that has maximum efficiency in a logistical sense, and where man and sustainability take a central role. An important principle of the new premises is that it is energy neutral and that it will have greatly reduced CO2 emissions. They aim for a BREEAM-NL Outstanding certification and with that, it will become one of the most sustainable company buildings in Western Europe. The underlying philosophy of the design is based on openness and transparency: the product can be followed from anywhere in the building. This is in a sense a model for how Nature's Pride wants transparency throughout the supply chain for both the employees and the consumer, so that people become more and more conscious about where our food comes from.
An integral team of architects with Paul de Ruiter (known from such buildings as the TNT headquarters), advisor DWA and constructor IMD give advise on the sustainable construction. De Vries and Verburg, Van Kempen refrigeration, climate service and BAM, the other parties involved, ensure implementation. Completion is scheduled for November 2013.
