A massive greenhouse collapse occurred at Agro Care in Middenmeer, North Holland, on Friday, damaging 90,000 square meters of glass roofing. The incident, impacting one of Europe’s largest tomato producers, is under investigation to determine the cause.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported as the collapse occurred shortly after employees had finished their work for the day. According to Agro Care’s Facebook statement, approximately 65 employees had left the greenhouse an hour prior to the incident.

The company is working with insurance and glass technology specialists to assess the damage and determine the cause of the collapse. Renovation work had been conducted on the greenhouse in the week leading up to the incident, potentially contributing to the structural failure, although Agro Care maintains that the greenhouse’s maintenance was up to standard.

Agro Care is a rapidly expanding company with operations in six countries. The company has grown significantly over the past three decades, driven by a focus on economies of scale and strategic expansion into diverse climate zones. A merger with Combivliet last year and further expansion into Denmark this year has brought the total cultivation area to over 500 hectares across three continents.

The company’s growth has been fueled by investor NPM Capital, part of the SHV of the Fentener van Vlissingen family, which has focused on expanding to more than 1,000 hectares, mainly abroad. Agro Care assures that the costs associated with repairing the Middenmeer greenhouse will be manageable. The company anticipates that insurance or the construction company responsible for the greenhouse’s construction and maintenance may cover the financial losses.

The collapse has raised concerns about the reputation of Dutch greenhouse construction, as the Netherlands is known for its expertise in building and exporting greenhouse technology. The construction company believed to have built the greenhouse has not commented on the incident.