Robots, Meet Your Ride: Octiva + Berkvens

Dr. Jake Holley

A natural partnership in robotic automation and transportation logistics has formed with Octiva’s acquisition of Berkvens Greenhouse Mobility. Berkvens brings 25 years of experience and a robust lineup of greenhouse transportation equipment, including scissor lifts and harvesting trolleys. Octiva specializes in robotic automation solutions such as UV-C crop protection, scouting, automated spraying and the release of beneficial insects.

Octiva CEO Tom Coen and Tak Handling Systems CEO Arie Meeuwissen.

Now united under a single point of contact, the merger aims to better serve growers by streamlining the logistics and deployment of automated tasks, helping them work more efficiently and effectively. According to an announcement on the Octiva website, the merger also creates another synergy: Taks Handling Systems, the former owner of Berkvens, will become an official dealer of both Octiva and Berkvens Greenhouse Mobility.

Both companies are well established in their home countries of Belgium and the Netherlands, and now have their sights set on expanding into North America to serve the greenhouse industries in Canada and the United States.