Ever since he was a child, Adriaan has been fascinated by agriculture. Growing up, Adriaan spent weekends and holidays at Beestekraal where he observed his ‘oupa’ working the fields farming maize, vegetables and livestock. Adriaan studied soil science at The University of Pretoria and has spent the past 25 years harnessing the power of science to help farmers around the world maximise their yields, avoid losses and work innovatively.
Today, in his role as Managing Director of Introlab, he heads the global footprint that spans 30 countries across every continent, and is continually growing. Adriaan has led the investment in an impressive body of staff, as well as a state-of-the-art formulation plant and the company’s research and development lab. Adriaan knew that the key to market success would be for Introlab to be able to do in-house that which usually gets outsourced to external firms and laboratories. This strategy became the foundation of the company’s continued growth and success internationally. Such an integrated set-up allows the company to be fast to market, producing turn-key crop solutions straight to distribution partners and farmers, all made in South Africa. “We have to live up to our brand promise, listening to customers and farmers, to understand the challenges they face and deliver solutions that go beyond meeting their needs,” Adriaan says.
By working closely with distribution partners, Adriaan and his team aim to “create a movement in the market”, by becoming top-of-mind in terms of innovative solutions and advanced farming practices that have the ability to significantly increase the agricultural output. Adriaan’s approach is in the true spirit of Introlab’s guiding principle of “outperforming the norm”, where stakeholders are empowered to seize opportunities, act on their mastery and build meaningful relationships with partners, distributors and farmers. Introlab owes this to its entrepreneurial spirit, and to the dedication and professionalism of the team.
“Through our diversity of active ingredients, together with our ability to develop world-class, unique combinations, formulations and technologies, Introlab’s outstanding range of innovative, safe and sustainable crop solutions addresses farmer pain points in Africa and around the globe,” Adriaan says.
When not at the helm, Adriaan can be found in a remote part of Africa, on a 4×4 route with his son, or enjoying dinner with his wife, Dr. Elmé Coetzer-Boersma, Managing Director of GLOBALG.A.P. c/o FoodPLUS GmbH. For this family, continuous improvement at ground level is at the order of the day.
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Die nuwe dryfkrag agter Introlab: Adriaan Boersma
Reeds vanaf sy kinderjare, het landbou Adriaan gefassineer. Kleintyd het Adriaan naweke en vakansies op Beestekraal deurgebring waar hy gesien het hoe sy oupa die landerye bewerk om mielies, groente en vee te produseer. Adriaan het grondkunde aan die Universiteit van Pretoria studeer en het hom die afgelope 25 jaar daarop toegespits om die wetenskap aan te wend om boere regoor die wêreld te help om optimum opbrengs te kry, verliese te vermy en innoverend te werk.
In sy huidige rol as Besturende Direkteur van Introlab, staan Adriaan aan die hoof van die globale voetspoor wat oor 30 lande strek, op elke vasteland gevestig is, en steeds uitbrei. Onder sy leiding is daar belê in `n indrukwekkende personeelkorps, sowel as in `n moderne formulerings-aanleg en die maatskappy se navorsings- en ontwikkelings-laboratorium wat voldoen aan wêreldstandaard. Adriaan het geweet dat die sleutel tot sukses in die mark vir Introlab sou wees om take wat gewoonlik deur eksterne maatskappye en laboratoriums uitgevoer word, intern te hanteer. Hierdie strategie is die grondslag van die maatskappy se groei en sukses internasionaal. So `n geïntegreerde stelsel maak dit vir die maatskappy moontlik om vinnig hulle produkte op die mark te kry, en volledige gewasoplossings direk aan verspreidingsvennote en aan boere te verskaf – en alles word in Suid-Afrika vervaardig. “Ons moet ons handelsmerk se belofte gestand doen; ons moet na kliënte en boere luister om die uitdagings waarvoor hulle te staan kom te verstaan, en om oplossings te lewer wat verder strek as om net hul behoeftes aan te spreek,” sê Adriaan.
Deur noue samewerking met verspreidingsvennote, stel Adriaan en sy span hulself ten doel om “ `n beweging in die mark te skep”, deur die handelsmerk te word wat eerste by verbruikers opkom vir innoverende oplossings en gevorderde boerderypraktyke wat landbou-uitsette betekenisvol kan verhoog.
Adriaan se benadering onderskryf die ware gees van Introlab se grondbeginsel van “doen beter as die norm”, waar belanghebbendes bemagtig word om geleenthede aan te gryp, volhoubaar op te volg, en betekenisvolle verhoudings met vennote, verspreiders en boere te bou. Dit is te danke aan Introlab se gees van entrepreneurskap, asook aan die span se toewyding en professionalisme.
“Deur middel van ons diversiteit van aktiewe bestanddele, saam met ons vermoë om wêreldgehalte, unieke samestellings, formulerings en tegnologie te ontwikkel, spreek Introlab se hoogstaande reeks innoverende, veilige en volhoubare gewasoplossings die struikelblokke aan wat boere in Afrika en regoor die wêreld ervaar,“ sê Adriaan.
Wanneer hy nie aan die stuur van sake staan nie, is Adriaan in `n afgeleë deel van Afrika, op `n 4×4-roete saam met sy seun, of kuier hy saam met sy vrou, Dr. Elmé Coetzer-Boersma, Besturende Direkteur van GLOBAL G.A.P. c/o FoodPLUS GmbH. Dit blyk dat voortdurende verbetering op grondvlak vir hierdie familie aan die orde van die dag is.