Fascinating aquatic landscapes

The Aqua Garden Center is run by the Klein family, which also has a 250 m2 store specialising in freshwater aquariums in Rocourt. Not including the proprietors, the company employs six people at the Aqua Garden Center and four staff at the store in Rocourt. Annual sales amount to over € 1 million, with the pond and freshwater segments each accounting for 40 per cent and marine aquariums for the remaining 20 per cent. The recession has not had any impact on Neupré and Rocourt, where customers turn up in their numbers, especially on Fridays and at weekends. For many, a trip to the Aqua Garden Center is like an excursion to the countryside. The registration plates in the car park reveal that customers are drawn from all over Belgium and even from northern France and the Netherlands. Junior director Pascal Klein has an explanation for this phenomenon: “In difficult financial times, many people go without a holiday and concentrate on beautifying their homes and gardens instead.” The company was established back in 1980, when Claire and Bruno Klein turned part of their garage in Cointe into an aquatics shop. The couple specialised in saltwater fish and quickly acquired a good reputation locally and further afield. They soon ran out of space in the garage, and in 1987 Claire and Bruno Klein opened the speciality store “Au Baliste” in Rocourt. The store, which still exists today, sold fish and products for freshwater aquariums and garden ponds as well as saltwater aquariums from the outset. Since the premises had a large outdoor area, the company expanded its product range steadily, creating large expanses of water complete with fountains and waterfalls. In 2002, the store acquired a new outdoor show area in which various fountains were displayed. Starting up in Neupré In 1991, the couple’s son Pascal joined the company. A year later, the company realised its dream of establishing a new centre specialising in aquariums and garden ponds, the Aqua Garden Center. Over 15 wonderful show ponds were created in the centre’s grounds in 1995 with the aim of giving customers ideas for their own ponds. There are koi ponds as well as ponds in which huge sturgeon, turtles and ducks swim around. This pond landscape quickly became a magnet for visitors; customers come from all over Belgium to look around the store, find out what’s new in the aquatics world and buy fish or other products. Fountains, pre-formed ponds, liners and decorative products are displayed outside, and the…