1993 – Establishing Oase Lease

What started as Guido Ilsink’s hobby grew into a thriving company that is now the market leader in creating a colourful experience in towns and villages. In the early 1990s, Guido Ilsink spotted a flower box that had been sold to a local municipality. With his expertise in green space management, he realised that storing such bins in winter would be a challenge for municipalities without sufficient space. This insight led him to the idea of leasing flower boxes to municipalities throughout the Netherlands.

Guido Ilsink says: ‘It started as a hobby. I enjoyed brightening up the Netherlands.’ In the first year, he started with 50 flower pyramids including maintenance, but was eventually left with 40 unsold bins. Instead of giving up, he decided to place them for free with municipalities. He then called regularly to remind them that the flowers needed water.

From idea to success

Eventually, the concept gained popularity: municipalities did not want to get rid of the cheerful flower boxes. At the time, the cultivation of the flowers was hosted by Licom N.V., a social enterprise in Limburg. At its peak, they produced 3,500 flower pyramids. Watering was done with their own vehicles, making the best use of the nursery’s trailers, which were normally idle between June and September.

The development of hanging baskets

Around the year 2000, a visit to England brought new inspiration. Guido Ilsink became fascinated by flower boxes on lampposts. Together with the R&D team, he developed the first Dutch version: hanging baskets. These could be attached to lampposts as well as bridge railings.

Today, Oase Lease has become the market leader in green and colourful experiences in public spaces. The company offers a total concept in which clients are completely unburdened: from sustainable cultivation and installation to watering and maintenance. Innovative products such as hanging baskets, flower columns and flower boxes have become iconic in countless towns and villages.

The transition to the Darthuizer Group

With the emergence of a number of ancillary companies such as Oase Lease, Dart Production and later Mobilane and Mobicare, the decision was made in 1998 to adopt the umbrella name ‘Darthuizer Group’.