Rob van Baal has been living and working in Dalian, China for eighteen years now. Inspired by a trip around the country, he left for the Asian country twenty-two years ago to learn the language. He is now responsible for the cultivation and processing of organic ginger. In his free time, he can often be found on the beach with a book or in the water.
“In 1997, I had sold my company and had nothing to do temporarily,” Rob begins. “A friend of mine wanted to set up a joint venture in China at that time. He asked if I wanted to join. I was very impressed by the trip, the culture, and life there. In Beijing, we saw a billboard with a picture of Heinan with a beautiful beach. I started to research it further and decided to enroll at the university to learn the language.”
When Rob returned to the Netherlands after graduating, his friend asked him again if he wanted to work in China. The answer didn’t take long. “I was ready for a new challenge and wanted to work in China. At that time, I processed organic products like pumpkin seeds and soybeans.” At the time, the unknown appealed to Rob the most. “Actually, it doesn’t matter much to me where I live, but now I live on top. I live by the beach and have my friends, sports, and bars at my doorstep.”
Now, Rob is the owner of NOW Organic. “We grow and trade organic ginger. In May, we plant the ginger, and in October, we harvest it. Then it goes to the factory where we wash, sort, and export it to the Netherlands. From the Netherlands, we export again, mainly to Germany, but also partly to southern Europe and England. Additionally, we process the ginger into juices in the Netherlands.” In his free time, Rob is often found on the beach with a book or in the water. He also enjoys cycling and cooking, and he drinks a beer from time to time. He now also has a Chinese partner.
