Quintín, tell us about the evolution that Barnaplant has made since its creation back in 1988.
“Barnaplant was born with a 100% commercial vocation. Although, at present, both Barnaplant and our other company, Arribas Center, have incorporated a production activity in a very important way.”
“The factors that motivated this decision are varied: The experience acquired over time, the needs of the market that requests a wide range of products, the scarcity of many species or the lack of a finished product. And, perhaps most importantly, our desire to make work easier for the client, so that we can manage important global supplies. This effort led us to make the decision to produce a part of the product that our client requested, in order to improve the service.”
At what point is the company now and what would be the qualities that the client values the most?
“Almost 35 years have passed, in which we have made a multitude of supplies, the truth is that significant experience has been accumulated. We understand that this is one of the reasons why we enjoy the trust of our clients, who find in us the qualities they value most: Quality, seriousness and service.”
Are we talking about a very specific profile or, on the contrary, does your portfolio include all kinds of professional buyers?
“Offering an important diversity of species allows us to serve all potential customers of ornamental plants.
We try to supply all the species of a projet, although, for this, it is very important to manage the location and knowledge of national and international nurseries, their specialties, stocks, prices and even productions for the future. More than a ‘typical client’, our portfolio includes the entire possible spectrum of professionals in the sector.”
Could you explain how the usual procedure takes place in your day to day, from contact with the client, the formalization of the order, the sup-ply, etc.
“As a general rule, the client consults us, even already in the project phase, about the global or partial requirements of a supply. Once this list of needs has been analyzed, we value all the species: First, those of our own production, as well as those from external national nurseries and, finally, we complete with international nurseries. Once assessed, we provide a comprehensive offer, including some other plant or tree at the request of the client, so that they have different alternatives.”
“In general, we speak of a global supply, of all species, since the management we offer is also global and includes location, reservation, groupage and supply according to time and hour needs.”
We like to highlight some terms such as: Good quality, logistics management, competitive price… All this greatly facilitates the work of our client who, thanks to the relationship with our company, has the full support of an external professional purchasing department, which allows to save time by minimizing efforts.
Today more than ever, time is money.”
Quintín, one of the pillars on which Barnaplant has based its strength, like its sister company Arribas Center, has been to constantly allocate a significant part of its profits to the acquisition and improvement of facilities. As a result of these invest-ments, its new production nursery is born. Please, explain your philosophy regarding these actions.
“I believe that companies today, in order to survive, must take steps forward using their own means, not depending on third parties and expanding with investments that later have to be financed. Therefore, little by little, year after year, we have been growing. And this year we have undertaken an expansion of more than three hectares, specifically in our Barnaplant facilities. The needs of the market have meant that, in recent years, we have focused on expanding the production nurseries.”
“Currently, between points of sale, warehouses and production sites, both Barnaplant and Arribas Center, we reach around 18 Ha. This area includes dif-ferent facilities. Two wholesale outlets. One for direct sales in Vilassar de Mar (Arribas Center Cash) with a wide range of species in continuous rotation of plants with flowers, perennials, bushes and a long etcetera.
Then, our central nursery with a large stock and exhibition of exemplary plants of palms, trees, shrubs and large specimens; Finally, at the Barnaplant headquarters, we have three hectares of production and storage, with a logistics center of more than 3,000 square meters where orders are prepared for shipment to the national and international markets.”
“Another novelty in production and stocking has been the incorporation of large specimens of Quercus ilex, Quercus suber or Arbutus unedo, as well as other Mediterranean and subtropical species in formats from 130 to 1,500 litres. As well as new site for bush production, from 3 to 130 liters.”
I understand that it will not be easy for you to highlight a few species from the rest within your wide assortment. Perhaps, you could mention some of the items which are fashionable and whose sales are clearly ascending.
“It is difficult to point out some characteristic species, since at the moment, we produce more than 150 dif-ferent ones, due to our commitment to offering a global offer and the wide spectrum of clients, each with their own needs.”
“A trend in the supply for public and private projects is the demand for larger sizes, calibers and presentations. The problem is their limited availability, since they require time, a sometimes very long production period, especially if we talk about trees. This circumstance and an economic crisis that comes from behind, are factors that break the production chains.”
“Currently, we observe shortages in the market, especially large caliber trees (between 16/18 and 20/25), which need 4 to 8 years of production. We are talking about a problem that will take time to solve, given that the scarcity begins in the young plant link for the plantation.”
“A new trend in gardening should be noted: It is the use of shrubby trees. Increasingly, landscapers and other professionals include it in important projects.”
If we talk about exports, what would be the main countries where Barnaplant currently sells its products?
“In principle, we sell to all the countries of the European Union, especially France, Germany, Italy, Holland… In
addition, given our specialization in exemplary plants, palm trees and Mediterranean plants, exporting to third
countries in the Middle East is important, which is the case of Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Lebanon and others.”
In your opinion, what are the growth prospects for the green sector in Spain and in other countries
with which you have commercial relations?
“Our prospects in the national and international market at the moment are very good in the short term.
There are greater doubts, if we think in the medium and long term, always maintaining trust and hope. We must believe that, despite the current problems, whether there are market fluctuations, energy crises, pandemics, climate changes and other phenomenons…, we must continue to fight and we must take a step forward.”
About the near future, are there many plans for Barnaplant for the times to come and those of Quintín Arribas?
“In the future, we want to maintain the challenge on improving and continuing to grow little by little, but changing the chip and now understanding the word ‘improve’ for ‘consolidate’.
Our future advances must be aimed at consolidating all the work done to date, perfecting quality and service, so that our customers continue to trust our family business.
You ask my plans. The truth is that I am very happy that my four children continue with the companies that I started with sacrifice and love 48 and 34 years ago, in the case of Arribas Center and Barnaplant, respectively. And I wish that they, remaining united, can say the same, over at least, a similar number of years.”
