On the road to
Handsfree Plant Production
Smart automation, worldwide
WPS is a family-owned company based in De Lier, the Netherlands, specializing in innovative automation systems for the horticulture and plant research sectors. Since 1998, we have been developing smart solutions for processes such as analyzing, sorting, packaging, and internal transport. We believe in continuous improvement and sustainable growth, made possible through reliable, customized automation.
What drives us
Our solutions help growers operate more efficiently, reduce labor costs, and gain better control over their processes. Less manual work, reduced physical strain, and greater control over quality.
Handsfree Plant Production means less repetitive work, less dependency on labor, and a calmer, better-organized operation. For some, this creates room to build for the future. For others, it means stronger control over quality. And sometimes, it simply means the freedom to leave work on time as an entrepreneur.
Our core values
Everything we do is guided by three principles:
Connect – We believe in strong, long-term relationships with our customers, partners, and colleagues. By listening carefully, thinking alongside our clients, and building meaningful partnerships, we create solutions that truly work in practice.
Solve – We don’t think of problems, we think of solutions. Every challenge is an opportunity to make processes smarter, more efficient, and more reliable.
Dare – We are willing to think ahead and explore new directions. Innovation requires courage: testing new ideas, pushing boundaries, and sometimes stepping outside the conventional path.
And the rest is… history
The WPS story began in the late 1980s in the Netherlands. Founder Eef van Zanten worked as a contractor, performing physically demanding manual labor. Like every true inventor, he asked himself one simple question: Can this be done smarter?
In 1988, he developed the Preforma plug, an innovative propagation system. It became a great success and was later acquired by Jiffy Products. But Eef didn’t stop there. He went on to develop Formflex, a cultivation system with mobile gutters. In 1992, the first concept for a complete pot plant cultivation system followed: the Walking Plant System. The idea was revolutionary: not the person to the plant, but the plant to the person.
The benefits were clear: labor savings, better space utilization, faster growth, and more uniform quality.
In 2002, WPS became an independent company.
Growing with the industry
Over the years, WPS continued to expand. In 2007, transport systems were added. In 2008, control software was integrated. In 2010, container systems and integrated delivery systems followed.
This allowed WPS to deliver complete automation solutions, including advanced delivery systems and the innovative Plant Order System.
And today?
In less than twenty years, WPS has grown into a recognized name in the international horticulture and plant research markets. With a strong team of specialists and a continuous focus on research and development, our systems have evolved far beyond the early experiments of the 1990s. Yet the foundation remains unchanged: we think in solutions.
Today, WPS stands not only for Walking Plant System, but for all automated systems that contribute to Handsfree Plant Production.
