We, as Mushroom Matter, had the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes at GTL Europe, a leading player in the world of mushroom cultivation and composting. What struck us immediately was the company's humble and down-to-earth approach. Without too much adornment, they demonstrate professionalism and focus on delivering tailor-made solutions that help shape the future of their customers.

Mission and Vision

GTL Europe stands for innovative, tailor-made total solutions that take mushroom cultivation and composting to the next level worldwide. This goal is driven by their technical expertise and commitment to long-term customer relationships. Ruud Keunen, Sales Manager at GTL, puts it aptly: ‘Where we can add value, that's where we deliver.’ At the heart of their business is being a long-term partner and always working together to realise their customers' growth ambitions.

The origins of GTL Europe - Geraedts + Thilot + Lemmen

In 1996, Jack Lemmen saw an opportunity in the market, there were no companies offering complete turnkey solutions for compost companies and nurseries. ‘Customers were getting bigger and bigger and their needs were changing. There was more demand for custom-made systems that were not only technically sound, but also looked ahead to the future,’ says Ruud. This led to the creation of GTL Europe, which has since pioneered in providing integrated systems that perfectly fit their customers' vision.

Innovation and sustainability

During our visit, it became clear that a stable and progressive partner for the mushroom market. As Ruud puts it, ‘There is always a solution to be found, and that is exactly what we excel at. We are a stable partner that thinks with our customers and develops long-term visions.’

GTL has therefore invested heavily in automation. A good example is their picking optimisation system, which supports pickers in selecting mushrooms. Thanks to the machine's tiltable design, pickers work more ergonomically.

GTL is motivated to innovate by constant developments in the mushroom market. For example, the kilogram price of mushrooms is much higher than that of other fruits and vegetables, which increases the pressure on the production process. Staff availability also plays an important role - it is increasingly difficult to find sufficiently qualified staff for the various tasks in the process. Competitiveness also requires constant improvement and innovation to keep up with market demand. All this has prompted GTL to invest further in new technologies to improve both productivity and workload.

In addition, GTL has developed automatic packaging, which explores new packaging solutions to improve the entire production chain. This type of innovation, coupled with their experience, makes GTL a pioneer in the industry.

Turnkey projects

Another important part of GTL Europe's work is their focus on turnkey projects. From initial ideas to the complete installation of systems for mushroom cultivation and composting, GTL takes care of the entire process. Ruud explains: ‘Our projects usually last between 12 and 14 months, depending on the size and complexity. We make sure that everything is tailor-made so that it fits perfectly with the client's requirements.’ The focus on customisation ensures that GTL clients always get the best solution that works well not only now, but also in the long term.

Human relationships

What we found special is the human side of GTL Europe. Ruud and his team pride themselves on the long and stable relationships they maintain with customers. ‘We find it important that we are not just another supplier. We want to be a real discussion partner. And that's not just about technology, but mainly about understanding the customer's vision and making it a reality together.’ These long-term relationships are the backbone of the company, and it appears that GTL Europe invests in both technology and the people they work with.

Departments and expertise

GTL Europe has four main departments: Constructions, Equipment, Controls and Engineering. These departments work closely together to provide tailor-made solutions covering the entire process of mushroom cultivation and composting. From design and engineering to installation and commissioning, GTL is involved every step of the way. They offer customer-oriented designs, technical expertise and a broad knowledge of laws and regulations surrounding the sector.
We were impressed by their down-to-earth outlook, broad market knowledge and guts to invest. What also struck us is that at GTL, long tenures are the rule rather than the exception. There is also plenty of room for young talent, a great development in the mushroom sector.

A nice detail: all meeting rooms are named after the hometowns of their employees. GTL is an inspiring company in every sense and you will hear and see more from them on our platform Mushroom Matter!