Champignonland Horst – “Hats Off: How BVB Substrates kept mushroom cultivation running”

Six months after the fire at Kekkilä BVB’s casing soil factory in Wanssum, Ron Michels, Operations Manager at Champignonland Horst (Limax Group), looks back on that period. His company was among the first customers affected; a casing soil delivery had already been scheduled for 6:30 a.m. the following morning.

Champignonland has several sites across the Netherlands: 4,200 m² in Overloon, for chestnut mushrooms and 12,000 m² in Horst, where white mushrooms are grown. The Horst site runs exclusively on BVB Substrates’ casing soil.

“For hand-picking, consistency is everything,” says Michels. “During the run-up to the festive season, with additional casings where timing is important, you can’t afford too much variation. The quality must remain consistent.”

Damage to, among other things mixing lines put capacity under pressure, while the production schedule continued as normal. Together with production partners at multiple locations, Kekkilä‑BVB ensured that customers continued to receive casing soil.

According to Michels, that made all the difference in practice. The casing soil performed exactly as expected, allowing cultivation at Champignonland Horst to continue without interruption.

“That’s when you see what a large company is truly capable of. This had a huge impact, but Kekkilä‑BVB handled it. You see colleagues stepping up for each other. It’s a small sector, and at a moment like this, you pull together. Despite the pressure, communication stayed clear throughout.”

Restoration work in Wanssum is ongoing. Based on the current planning, Kekkilä BVB expects to be fully operational at this location again in the fourth quarter of 2026. Until then, supply to BVB Substrates’ customers remains fully assured.