European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 29, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Flower buyers receive a rapid fire delivery of information through slender earphones. Do i hear.l10 for tulips a grower inspects his product in the refrigerated portion of the Flower  on the auction Block a a a j a to a v a. Of a amp a a a a a a of a of Al it a 7-4 a a grower carefully wraps bundles of roses in preparation for shipment. A amps photos by Jim Derheim by Randy Mcclain financial writer sporting Flowers is a billion Dollar business in the Netherlands and there is no better time to get an appreciation of that than in the Spring. At the world Flower Center in Aal Smeer site of the world s largest Flower auction More than 4.5 million Cut Flowers and 2 million potted plants Are sold daily. Many of them end up at your neighbourhood Flower shop before Nightfall. Buyers from chains of Flower shops supermarkets and Export companies Are on hand at Aal Smeer every Day Beai Nina at 6 30 . A Long stemmed Rose bought by an exporter in the morning can make it to a new York City Florist before dark in the United states. Distribution is handled so smoothly in part because Kim the dutch airline has a shipping office on the grounds of the huge auction House. The Amsterdam Airport is a Mere 15 minutes away by car and that helps Speed International deliveries. West Germany and France get most of the Cut Flowers exported by dutch growers but great Britain and the United states Are also High on the Export list each year. Quot a Flower fresh today must reach its destination today in order to find a satisfied customer Quot said Adrienne Gansbergen spokeswoman for the Flower Center. Quot the three most important things in the Flower business Are being Quick being Quick and being  since opening in 1972, the world Flower Center which counts 5,000 Flower growers and 3,000 buyers As members has fast risen to the no. 1 spot in terms of sales among nine auction houses in the Netherlands. Last year total sales were $1.85 billion guilders $1 billion and that is expected to go up. Flower production in Holland is increasing at a rate of 10 percent to 15 percent per year Gansbergen said. It takes a lot of Man hours to Harvest All the Flowers Holland has to offer deliver them to the world Flower Center for inspection place them up for bid and then Speed them on to customers. The Center operates around the clock to get the Job done. Growers from every Corner of the Netherlands deliver their Cut Flowers late at night or Early in the morning and then beginning at 5 30 ., Quality control inspectors give the fresh roses tulips carnations irises and lilies the once Over. They make note of any flaws on a detailed inspection Sheet. If the Flowers Are too raw a that is the Bud is so tight it May never fully Bloom a the blossoms might not bring As Good a Price As Normal on the auction floor. Aal Smeer a auction process begins promptly at 6 30 ., and the liveliest bidding occurs Between 8 and 9 ., Gansbergen said. Buyers from big companies and Small Flower shops alike Man the five bidding rooms four for Cut Flowers of various varieties and one for potted plants. A unique clock system of bidding allows big companies As Well As the Small Fry to compete on equal terms for the Best merchandise. It works like this a huge electronic message Board in each of the auction rooms displays the Type of Flower up for bid and the minimum Quantity that must be purchased. The auction Leader who sits to one Side of the room will often allow a tiny Quantity of Flowers to be purchased so that Small buyers Arentt out muscled by big exporters buying in truckloads. Its As common for a single Box of roses to be ordered As it is for mass purchases to take place Gansbergen said. The clock like bidding process also allows Small buyers to stay in the game. In a traditional auction bidders drive the Price up and up until no one wants to keep going. The highest bidder wins. At Aal Smeer though the auction clock runs backwards. The hand of the clock starts at 100 indicating the Price in either guilders or cents and ends at Zero. Bidders sit in an auditorium facing the clock with each one Manning a push Button. When a buyer pushes his Button the clock stops and that determines the Purchase Price. The auction houses computer is Able Page 16 a a a the stars and stripes sunday april 29,1990