Bart Faassen

“My great-grandfather started a tree nursery in Tegelen in 1883. The trade was passed down from father to son, and my father also became a tree nurseryman. As a child, I saw how hard he had to work. Always away from home and always outside: I wasn't interested in that! Nevertheless, I went to Boskoop to train as a tree nurseryman and then started working in the family business.

When I was 19 years old, my father passed away. My mother then took charge of the company together with my uncle. I fully participated and gained a lot of knowledge abroad. I saw all kinds of opportunities there, and in 1980 I started my own tree nursery, all in good consultation with my uncle. We didn't get in each other's way! My company grew, and I expanded to Hungary, Bosnia, and even to Russia. During those years, I got to see a lot of the world.

In 1979, my wife and I got married. She supports me through thick and thin in everything I do. We have 4 children together and are now grandparents to 9 grandchildren. In 2003, I took over the nursery from a brother of my grandfather, which brought me into my uncle's waters. Eventually, I also took over his company, and thus all Faassen nurseries merged into one company that now serves all of Western Europe. In 2021, I officially handed over the baton of Faassen Group to my 2 sons.

I am no longer operationally involved with the company, but I am still entrepreneurial. I am on the boards of, among others: Samewirkende Limburgse Vastelaovesvereniginge, the Närrische Europaische Gemeinschaft, Stichting Tegelen Laef, Weldadige Stichting van Heutz, botanical garden Jochumhof, Stichting 150 jaar Kloosterdorp Steyl, Stichting Tegelse Revue, and Golfclub International 18. I am an honorary board member of Vastelaovesvereiniging D’n Oeles and a member of, among others: Hockey Club DELTA and Heemkunde Kring Tegelen. If you come from a large family, you learn young that everything revolves around doing things together and celebrating together. You can't do anything alone!

I am not a board member who, like a politician, says: I've been here a few years, so I'm going to change and improve everything in those few years. I don't believe in that. Sometimes it takes a very long time before you can reap the benefits of the seeds you plant. Everything I do now, I do for the future of my environment. Sometimes I even start things knowing that I won't see the results for years. My own vineyard, for example. I started it on a piece of land in Belfeld. The land slopes slightly. Not suitable for trees but perfect for grapes. With my knowledge of cultivation, I work in the vineyard a few times a week. This year, for the first time, there are some grapes on the vines.

Bringing people together and getting them moving comes naturally to me. I believe this stems from the combination of my love for Tegelen, the people around me, and the entrepreneur in me. If there's something going on, I'm there! I can't stand missing out on anything. Where does that come from? A psychologist would probably say it's due to my father's early death. He was 52 when he died, and a sea of people came to his funeral. I remember thinking then: 'maybe I'll only live to be 52 too, so I need to get going!' You only have one life, and before you know it, it's over. That's why I get the most out of every day, together with other people."