Per Klemm is ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ 2025
At the German TASPO Awards 2025 in Berlin Per Klemm has been named ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’. The jury recognised his exceptional leadership, strategic vision and sustainable contribution to the further development of the international ornamental plant industry.
The award honours a businessman who combines a clear vision with entrepreneurial courage and responsible action in times of global challenges.
Since Per Klemm took over the family business from his parents together with his brothers in 1999, Selecta one has developed from a medium-sized company into an internationally active breeding and young plant group with 5,000 employees worldwide and a turnover of around €125 million.
Recent milestones such as the purchase of the Wagagai cutting farm in Uganda, one of the world's largest production facilities, and the introduction of the RCS 2.0 process system, which is considered a potential key technology for plant production that is significantly more resource-efficient, underscore its consistent focus on innovation, sustainability and responsibility.
Per Klemm resolutely lives our company motto ‘we love to grow’– with curiosity, responsibility and the courage to break new ground. For him, growth means not only economic success, but also the development of people, ideas and sustainable structures. His leadership style is characterised by team spirit, vision and a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities of the global ornamental plant industry.
‘This award means a great deal to me, because I also see it as recognition for my team worldwide and for my parents, who placed their trust in me to continue and further develop Selecta,’ said Per Klemm at the award ceremony in Berlin.
The TASPO Awards are an annual award ceremony organized by TASPO, a leading German trade magazine for the horticultural industry. They recognize outstanding achievements in the gardening, landscaping, and horticulture sectors, including areas such as innovation, sustainability, marketing, product development, customer service, and management.
To let you experience a bit of the atmosphere from that special moment, we’ve put together the videos of the announcement, the laudatory speech by Oliver P. Kuhrt, CEO of Messe Essen, and of course Per’s truly inspiring acceptance speech:
TASPO Awards 2025 - Announcement of Entrepreneur of the Year