Page 23 - Landscape-Issue160

PERSONALITY PROFILE

PAUL VONK

Paul Vonk is the Commercial Manager: Garden and
Professional Products at Sakata Mayford and currently
the chairman of SAGIC. His involvement in the green
industry began in 1985, when he was a young salesman

in the chemical industry and was sent to the SANA
trade fair to exhibit and sell horticultural perlite. His
first customer was Roy Trendler of Sunkloof Nursery.
Paul Vonk
e says he soon “sussed out” how Q: When did you join Mayford and in what closely involved – initially as SANA Vice
SANA and the green industry capacity? President of Marketing in 2003, then as
Hoperated, and became a member In 1999, the Sakata Seed Corporation of the first executive SAGIC Chairperson in
of IPSA (Interior Plantscapers Association), Japan bought Mayford Seeds outright, and 2004, then adding an international angle
before disappearing deeper into the this reshaped the management structure. by chairing SANA’s IGCA Congress in 2007. I
chemical industry. In 2005, I was headhunted into Mayford as was forced to attend duplicate conventions
commercial manager of garden products for some years while SAGIC split from
Q: Do you come from a family of plant and I was responsible for the retail sector, SANA, but joint conventions then resumed
growers, nursery owners or horticulturists? managing a network of franchisees across in 2019. This was followed by my taking on
No, not at all. My parents left The South Africa. the role of SANA President in 2020, earning
Netherlands after World War 11 in search the title of Covid 19 president! By default, I
of a new adventure in South Africa, where Q: What is your current position with them? returned to chair SAGIC once again in 2025.
I was born. The only claim I have in this As the Sakata brand became more What a whirlwind !
regard is being Dutch, and as is well-known, entrenched in the professional vegetable
Hollanders have a great reputation and sector, the franchisee structure largely Q: What are your hobbies outside of work?
affinity for flower growing and the green disintegrated and we opted instead for In short – music, music, music! My mother
industry! a direct route to market. In the process, I was a teacher and pianist and I took to the
took over responsibility for the professional piano instantly, with lessons and studying
Q: Please give some background flower and turf divisions, in addition to through the London Royal School of Music,
information on your studies in this field, heading up the Mayford brand for sub- to matric level.
or other areas Saharan Africa, our Sakata global territory After matric, I took a conscious decision
At the time I matriculated, South Africa sector. to go into commerce rather than piano
was at war with Angola and in an attempt and music but poured all my musical
to avoid or delay my call-up, I went to Q: You’ve been involved with SANA and energy into arranging musical events. I
university to become an accountant like SAGIC for a long time. Please give details have been described as MC and master of
my father. As a ‘people’s person’ in the on this. entertainment extraordinaire!
red/yellow group (*) I am probably the This probably needs a book to describe in It was during my time arranging tulip
antithesis of an accountant and as a result, sufficient detail! I realised early on that the festivals that I first developed the concept
I managed all the commercially orientated green industry, unlike any other I had been of combining gardening with music for
subjects, other than accounting. This was exposed to, operates in well organised the sheer ‘wow’ factor, and somewhat
followed by two years of conscription in the voluntary sector associations, with the nervously, I introduced opera to the annual
SADF, where I completed an officer’s course, primary role of facilitating networking – SAGIC Convention gala event in 2002.
qualifying as an instructor. In conjunction most of these being offshoots of SANA. For Since the first tulip festival concert in
with my varsity experience, this set me up any new entrant or supplier, it’s networking the same year, I hosted and arranged
for life – I just didn’t realise it at the time. on steroids! All you have to do is attend a over 100 similar events, concerts, award
few meetings and conventions, and you evenings and gala dinners, aiming to keep
Q: Please describe positions you have held meet the entire industry. live music alive. I believe it is the most
in the green industry over the years In 2000 I attended the SAGIC Convention magical and ultimate form of non-spoken
When I emerged from the chemical which grouped most sector associations communication known to civilised man!
industry in 1997, I responded to an advert under the SAGIC umbrella. For me this was
in the floricultural sector. One of the manna from heaven as I would eventually Q: If you could begin again, would you still
prerequisites was – must speak Dutch! This become commercially connected to many choose the same profession/line of work?
led me to Hadeco Flower Bulbs as a sales of these sectors, including nurseries, I doubt I would do a single thing differently,
administrator, and my basic horticultural garden centres, retailers, landscapers, and with a firm belief that every step of
training began in a shed, getting to know interior plantscapers, flower and vegetable the way has been guided by our divine
all the bulbs and eventually passing an growers, cut flower growers as well as the omnipotent creator, my grateful thanks go
exam on it. This function evolved into that golf, lawn, parks and sporting sectors. to Him, as well as every single person I’ve
of national sales manager during the eight The broad SAGIC umbrella lacked vision, had the privilege of interacting with along
years I was there. cohesion and direction and I became more the way!

(*) This refers to personality profiling, where there are four basic personality types, represented by a block of four colours: red at top left, yellow at top right, blue at bottom left,
green at bottom right. There are many combinations possible across the four blocks, and Vonk describes himself as fitting exactly on the border where red and yellow meet at
the top of the block. Red types are ‘my way or the highway’ and yellow types are gregarious and outgoing, which fits many sales and marketing people. n

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