Our Story
The start of PoultryPlan
PoultryPlan is a software solution developed within the poultry sector to improve efficiency, planning, and transparency. It originated from a family-run business in Northwestern Europe, where strong growth made traditional methods of organization insufficient. An internal system was created to manage operations more effectively, which quickly proved its value by streamlining processes, improving animal welfare, reducing errors and costs, and increasing satisfaction for both employees and customers.
The success of this system led to the establishment of an independent company dedicated to making the software available to the wider industry. With further optimization and the support of experienced specialists, PoultryPlan has grown into an international solution. Today, it provides poultry companies worldwide with a clear, integrated platform that brings together all key processes and supports better decision-making, efficiency, and long-term sustainability.
QF Soft's Acquisition of PoultryPlan
QF Soft, founded by Dennis Lucas in 2008, is the company behind PoultryPlan. Originally, QF Soft began its operations in the hatchery of Lagerwey, where it developed a planning tool for the facility. Over time, this tool was expanded to include a processing plant in the Netherlands, resulting in a comprehensive planning solution for the entire poultry production chain. In 2019, QF Soft became an independent company, with ownership now shared by Dennis Lucas, Jaap Brokking, and Theo Hoen.
In late 2022, QF Soft obtained ownership of PoultryPlan, a company established by Chiel ter Heerdt, the former managing director of Ter Heerdt, a family-owned business that distributes Lohmann chicks and hens in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. This acquisition not only added a new product to QF Soft's portfolio but also gave them access to PoultryPlan's strong presence in the layer market and its effective farm management solutions.
Press Release: QFSoft and PoultryPlan joined their forces in 2023
A more complete product portfolio of software solutions for the international poultry market was the reason why QF Soft and PoultryPlan joined forces in January 2023 and continued as one company.
They merged under the name PoultryPlan, with the aim of improving and merging their existing products based on best practices, and enabling continued investment in new and innovative solutions.
The collaboration aimed to offer an even more complete product to poultry companies and integrations, supporting all activities in the entire chain, from grandparent animals to slaughterhouse and further meat processing on the one hand, to the collecting and processing of consumer eggs on the other. The new PoultryPlan aimed to play a leading role in the international egg and meat chain, while retaining the personal approach, service, and practical hands-on approach cherished by both companies.
QF Soft had been active for more than a decade with their product PoultrySoft, mainly focused on the international poultry meat market. It was founded in 2019. PoultryPlan had been operating independently since 2018 and focused on the entire egg and meat chain.
Chiel ter Heerdt, founder of PoultryPlan, expressed his happiness with the merger, saying that it created one full-service company, enabling them to become more mature and grow to gain a leading position in the international poultry market. The two companies fit well together in terms of corporate culture, with employees who shared the knowledge and passion of poultry, making them a full-fledged discussion partner for the chain partner in the poultry market.
Dennis Lucas, founder, and co-owner of QF Soft, also expressed his pleasure with the merger, stating that the PoultrySoft and PoultryPlan products were very complementary. PoultrySoft originated from slaughterhouse and hatchery planning, while PoultryPlan had a lot of knowledge and experience in propagation, rearing, and hatchery. This brought their ambition to be a global leader in planning software one step closer.
