For over 60 years we have been helping growers maximizing efficiencies and improving retail appeal with our enormous range of eco-friendly pots/containers and trays etc. Today we operate 4 factories in The Netherlands plus one in the UK and one in Poland; each with its own distinctive history.
Our UK history starts in March 1964 as Congleton Plastic Company, where for many years we produced roto-moulding and injection moulded pots. Our Mundon UK factory started in October 1968 as Plantpak Ltd and was doing extrusion and thermoforming of trays. In 1988 Congleton became Cookson Plastic Products Ltd and in January 1990 the 2 UK companies came together as Cookson Plantpak Ltd. In 1997 the UK plants, together with Cookson polymers, were acquired by SYNBRA and continued trading as Synprodo Plantpak. Around 2008 injection moulding was transferred to Mundon, and subsequently Congleton was closed in 2016. Since 2014 we invested an enormous amount of money in Mundon, making it a state-of-the-art factory again.
Waalwijk
Our largest factory and today’s headquarters, history goes back to 1938 when Van Oldenbeek en Smelt (O&S) was founded, a trading company focused on the massive leather industry in that area. In 1957 the company starts diversifying in to plastics, which resulted in the founding of Kunststoffen Industrie Waalwijk (KIW) in 1966, and the start of thermoforming of for instance small propagator kits, and in 1971 even disposable coffee cups. In 1975 KIW moved to the current location at the Altenaweg. In July 1989 KIW was acquired by SYNBRA (Synprodo), which was owned by Ten Cate & Shell (in Dec 1999 SHELL sold it’s 50% interest to Gilde Investments). Synbra owned also Moram Plastics, producer of injection moulded pots, but this factory burned down in March 2001.
Beuningen
Started in 1988 and was a start-up; mr Deelen and Mr Schuddeboom bought 2 massive thermoformers and extruders and many moulds and started supplying low-weight thermo pots/containers to an industry that was still dominated by much heavier injection moulded products. The company name was DESCH, after the first letters of the names of the 2 owners. Although the start was tough and had many up’s and down’s, and needed support of investors like Janivo, the company grew and grew, and in 2003 was even able to acquire the Synprodo horti activities, which included the factories in Waalwijk, Mundon and Congleton.
Epla
EPLA’s history goes back to 1976 when Emperor Plastics was founded; injection moulded pots. The activities were stopped in 1983 and machines sold, however a few years later in 1988 activities started again. EPLA was acquired in 2010 by DESCH.
USA
In 1999 DESCH Beuningen engaged in a joint venture with Summit Plastics in Ohio USA to distribute thermoform pots/containers in the USA, which resulted in 2001 in JanorPot, a USA based factory, to produce thermoform pots/containers. In 2013 the factory became part of Nursery Supplies USA.
IPP
In September 2020, Desch acquired the 2 IPP factories. Henk Aufderhaar started in 1969 trading plastic clothing hangers, and founded AKG Kunststofgroep. In 1976 he started injection moulding clothing hangers, followed by flower pots since 1979. Aufderhaar Plastics Industrie (API) was founded in 1986. IPP Holland BV (formerly I.K.I. Kunststoffen BV) was founded in 2002, and in 2016 the injection moulding of AKG were also incorporated. The Polish factory Interplast Plastic Products Sp.z.o.o was founded in 1991. The IPP acquisition was a significant boost to Desch’s leading position in thermoformed and injection moulded products for the professional horticulture, with production facilities in the Netherlands, the UK, and Poland.
In 2006, NYC based, private-equity firm Lincolnshire Management Inc. acquired the majority shares.
