Testimonials

Role

The central goal of the project was to set up a regional office for North America in Miami (Florida) for Urban Crop Solutions, a global provider of indoor vertical farms.

Responsibilities

Pieter had to investigate how the company’s products and services could be implemented in this nascent industry – tailor-made plant growth installations. This included conducting a market analysis as well as creating brand awareness, building a network and generating customer leads and enabling sales. Pieter had to do all of this while dealing with the challenge of a conservative American agricultural industry.

Unlike Europe, where Dutch greenhouse technology has paved the way, the U.S. market is more skeptical when it comes to adopting new technologies for indoor vertical farming. “Active lead generation required more tailored marketing materials for the U.S. market.”

How he benefited

Thanks to his Prince Albert Fund experience, Pieter was able to make the transition from the legal field into the world of business, a decision he hasn’t regretted! “I started off alone in a foreign country in an entirely new role with a start-up company in a nascent industry, which was a bit destabilizing initially. While I still have a lot to learn today, I am proud of my progress and achievements.”

At the end of the assignment, Pieter and Urban Crop Solutions decided that they both wanted to continue collaborating. He was thus appointed USA Country Manager.