Melle Kruisdijk as the new CEO of Dalsem

Berea greenhouse facility in Kentucky USA, built by Dalsem

COFRA Holding (“COFRA”) today announced that, as part of its sustainable food activities, Melle Kruisdijk has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Dalsem, effective from 1 February 2023.

Jan Pieter Dalsem will retire as Managing Director and assume the role of Senior Advisor to Dalsem and COFRA’s Executive Chair of Sustainable Food, David Levin, in addition to COFRA’s broader group.

Dalsem is a leading developer of complete, high-tech greenhouse projects worldwide and was acquired by COFRA Holding in January 2022. Founded in 1932, Dalsem is deeply rooted in the innovative Dutch horticulture industry and has delivered large-scale greenhouse projects in more than fifty countries.

David Levin, Executive Chair of Sustainable Food at COFRA Holding, commented: “I am delighted to welcome Melle to COFRA as CEO of Dalsem. Controlled Environment Agriculture will be essential to meeting the world’s food needs over the coming decades. Melle embodies COFRA’s approach to doing business for good while delivering customer delight. He brings a wealth of experience in engineering, energy solutions, change management and quality leadership so is ideally placed to scale Dalsem’s business while focusing on greater sustainability.

I want to congratulate Jan Pieter for his success in building Dalsem into the engineering powerhouse that it is today and in building an outstanding family business. He has led Dalsem through a period of unprecedented growth and change, and transformed the company into one of the leading global players in Controlled Environment Agriculture. I look forward to his continued counsel as a senior advisor, as Melle and his team position Dalsem for its next phase of growth.”

Melle Kruisdijk, new Dalsem CEO said: “I am thrilled to join Dalsem, which has earned a global reputation as a trusted partner in the Controlled Environment Agriculture sector. With the climate crisis and a constantly expanding population, I am convinced that the world needs more high-tech greenhouses – which are even more sustainable – to ensure reliable food production. I look forward to working with the Dalsem and COFRA teams to scale the company further, particularly in the US and Europe, as we seek to innovate and produce more sustainable greenhouses.”

Jan Pieter Dalsem, current Managing Director of Dalsem, commented: “It has been an incredible privilege to lead Dalsem, with so many talented colleagues, through a 30-year period of international growth. I thank our customers in the US, Europe and around the world for their support and I am certain that under Melle’s leadership Dalsem will go from strength to strength.”

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