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BG Door presents mobile pre-cooling unit for soft fruit

bg-door-Mobile-pre--cool-unit-(transport)

From his stand at Fruit Logistica, Jan van Kessel reports that BG Door International has moved in with their long-time production partner Van der Heiden Systems in Barendrecht. The production facility has been considerably extended to further intensify their cooperation, and for all international sales they will act together under the name of BG Door International. Jan van Kessel: “It is very inspiring and efficient to be able to simply walk into the production department. We will develop even more products.” For over 25 years, BG Door International has been active as one of the world’s leading suppliers of ripening room doors and for the last couple of years in components for ripening room technology, too. 
Better quality and longer shelf life
Today, the product range has broadened with a new innovation in the form of a mobile pre-cooling unit. Jan van Kessel: “Soft fruit trade companies have been telling us about the importance of cooling down soft fruit—in particular berries—rapidly after harvesting them. This has inspired us to create our new mobile pre-cooling unit. It is designed for rapid cooling of the product straight from the field and thus ensures better product quality and a longer shelf-life.” The innovation is perfectly suitable for rapidly cooling all sorts of (soft) fruits and can be used in our customers’ existing cold store at the production locations. The mobile pre-cooling unit consists of a pre-fabricated unit with a suction wall construction in front of which the pallets can be positioned in 2 rows with an aisle in between. While the fan runs, pressure is created under the tarp in the centre of the unit, guiding the cool air over the products in the boxes.  The mobile pre-cool unit can handle 2 to 24 pallets. Different types of tarp systems are available depending on the customer’s needs. The pre-cooling system can also be delivered as a ceiling or wall system, using fixed points or as a complete pre-cool cell.  Jan van Kessel: “The installation uses the existing cool air from the cold store and distributes it actively and very efficiently through the product in the boxes. This allows the berries or other fruit, salads or groceries to cool down to the desired temperature rapidly.”

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Vergro has a new warehouse

SPECIAL-belgium-VERGRO

“Our strategy is to embark on new export growth thanks to more efficient facilities with 100% refrigeration and direct sourcing from the growers to guarantee top quality”, declared Dominiek Noppe, the owner of Vergro. “We anticipate exporting over 50,000 tonnes of Belgian pears this season and beating our best figures to date, as the Belgian crop estimate is 40% up on last year”.
The group’s client base in Europe remains balanced, with Russia taking 23% of sales, France 22%, the United Kingdom 18% and Germany 13%. Poland is one of the countries where good progress is being made, while other markets remain stable. Vergro’s client profile continues to be balanced between supermarkets and wholesale importers (50/50 by volume). 
Strengthened 
its Eureka Fresh brand
Vergro is continuing to strengthen its competitiveness and quality guarantees by buying over half its product volume direct from the growers, especially in pears, tomatoes and leeks. Over 80% of its exports are packed under Vergro’s own Eureka Fresh brand, which is in great demand, particularly in Russia. The remaining produce the group exports is largely bought at the auctions. 

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DP Survey Group NV, global fruit and vegetable experts

Hans-Frans

DPS is an internationally focused survey company based in Antwerp. Our staff specializes in inspecting and surveying work for all kinds of fruit and perishables. We carry out fruit inspections daily for a large number of exporters, importers and cargo underwriters all over the world. Our team of quality inspectors and fruit surveyors has a broad knowledge of the fruit inspection business. They are all aware of the fact that cargo buyers / sellers need to receive the necessary information, such as general quality, packing, storage and transport conditions and facilities, in a short time.
 As DPS is based in Antwerp, our own staff is able to conduct quality inspections in the main European ports. We have our own standardized reporting system or, if requested, a specific report form is drawn up in consultation with our clients. Since DPS has agencies all over Europe and the rest of the world, we guarantee that experienced surveyors can organize and carry out surveys in the shortest possible time.
Our main operations in international trade in the fruit and perishable business can be summed up as follows:
Services:
Conditions surveys on reefer vessels
Pre-discharge surveys
Damage surveys
Quality control
Inspection of containerized cargo

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FROM´s vision of the apple campaign in the Russian Market

Italian apple sales to Russia are facing a difficult time. According to Nicola Zanotelli, the General Manager of FROM, the apple consortium of the Italian Alps for Russia, the main challenge is to be found in the in-depth restructuring of the market, with a changing client base and unclear development so far. “The market dynamics are very hard to predict – currency fluctuation, non-transparent companies, challenging management of claims – this risk is still preventing the market environment from developing into a structured system with more clean sales channels”, says Zanotelli.  Nevertheless, the FROM consortium was able to further develop its presence and consolidate the relationships with those recognised as strategic clients. Sales figures recorded for the years 2011-2 and 2012-13 reached 31,000 and 19,000 tons, and this year is likely to end up with a volume of around 25,000 t.
“This past season was a very difficult one: sellers entered the market with the wrong price positioning, still recalling the high prices of the previous season, but later on it turned out that the sales failed to match the needed decumulation for some apple varieties, so we witnessed a clear market drop around March-April. Luckily after the price adjustment the sales took off again and all apples which needed to be were sold”, explains Zanotelli. At the same time, FROM was supporting retail clients with marketing activities at point of sale. The ultimate aim is to both increase standardised volumes and stabilise prices to the mutual benefit of the whole value chain.
For the coming season, the FROM’s target will be to further deepen the relationships with loyal clients, while also striving to expand their marketing activities through direct contact with end consumers.  FROM is also offering processed apple products, such as fresh apple juice with no additives, as well as their fresh cut apples offered in handy 80g bags. 

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Gullino presents Dorelì, the yellow kiwifruit with a golden heart

MARKET-italy-Gullino

Gruppo Gullino, the market’s leading kiwifruit grower and marketer, has chosen Italia Brand Group to take on its new press campaign for Dorelì, the yellow kiwifruit with a golden heart. Alongside advertising in the main trade magazines, there will be Internet action in the form of a mini site to spread a viral video that will be broadcast on the main social networks. A coordinated image through BTL materials targeting the trade and the new pack graphics will also accompany the planned POP promotion with sampling stands. The communication aim is to emphasize the quality and strength of Dorelì to the trade market. The concept encapsulated in the claim of “Dorelì. Dolce, buono, di successo” [Dorelì: sweet, good, successful] not only expresses the nutritional richness and eating qualities of Dorelì kiwifruit, it also immediately conveys its added value by identifying it as a premium product aimed at a high-spending target that pays attention to quality and functional benefits. The kiwifruit is the undisputed star of the campaign. With the name Dorelì it comes to life and dolls itself up for the party. Dressed up in gold, the fruit becomes a concentration of its wealth of benefits for health and for business.

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Rivoira group building a new apple packhouse

MARKET-Rivoira-KiwiUno

The Rivoira – Kiwi Uno group, one of the best-known kiwifruit firms in the province of Cuneo (Piedmont), will be undergoing major expansion in apples. To give better service, it is currently in the throes of building a new packhouse. The manager, Marco Rivoira, said that the group expects to increase its apple volumes significantly over the next 3 years, to reach 65 thousand tonnes. The shortage of kiwifruit caused by bacterial disease will bring about a considerable change in the fruit crops, as a large proportion of the growers have cut down their kiwifruit vines and replaced them with apple trees. This signifies an anomalous rise of about 35% in the apple surface area. It should be mentioned that Rivoira owns the exclusive rights to market the Ambrosia variety in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

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Apofruit presents new CEO

Ilenio Bastioni , Renzo Piraccini

Apofruit Italia has announced novelties and changes in its management. At a meeting in July, the cooperative’s board of directors confirmed Mirco Zanotti in the chair, and he will continue to have Claudio Biondi and Gianluca Balzani at his side as the two vice-chairs. At the same time, the board completed a wide-ranging internal reorganization and appointed a new CEO to replace Renzo Piraccini, whose term of office recently came to an end. The nominee for the post is young (a 40 year-old executive), confirming that a new generation is coming to the fore, as a sign of the new times.  Ilenio Bastioni, who has a brilliant career and plentiful experience in the sector, will be the new CEO of Apofruit, a cooperative with 3300 grower members in different parts of Italy who contribute 235,000 tonnes to achieve a consolidated sales figure of € 255 million. “I am proud of my new role”, said the new CEO, “and grateful to our chairman, Mirco Zanotti, to my prececessor, Renzo Piraccini, and to the board of the cooperative for this vote of confidence in me. I am conscious of the importance of the work that the cooperative has entrusted to me and will embark on this mission with the same passion and dedication I have always devoted to the fruit and vegetable sector”.

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Poupart Imports attains 10% growth in non-supermarket sector

With 350 million turnover and 160 employees, the Poupart group is one of the UK’s top 5 distributors. It is also one of the oldest produce companies in the UK, having been incorporated in 1895 but operating since the 1850s. “The turnover of the Poupart Imports division dedicated to the non-supermarket sectors has been growing at 8-10% a year,” said Jonathan Olins. Within this very competitive but still growing market, these positive figures prove that Poupart is consolidating itself in the wholesale and foodservice sectors.  The import activity of the group is shared between 5 dedicated produce divisions: BerryWorld (with Vital Berry on the continent), Poupart Citrus, Orchard World (top fruit) and Norton Folgate (stone fruit). As one of its new growth strategies, the Poupart group is now moving into the European retail sector as well. It is also increasing its direct sourcing, with the Citrus First division established in Spain in 2012 and the Fruto Del Campo division created in 2012 in Holland to market stone fruit, while Poupart Figueres has been dedicated to sourcing and sales over a longer period.

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Victory supermarkets adopting GLOBALGAP standards

In response to the growing concerns of the Israeli consumers for food security, Victory is the first supermarket chain to adopt the GLOBALGAP Standards. “We decided to adopt an international standard in order to avoid the duplicity of audits and residue analysis” declares its managing director Eyal Ravi. He indeed considers both growers retailers and consumers will benefit with a common standard required on the domestic and export markets.  
Victory is a discount type of supermarket, with 25 stores of 1,500m2 average and a market share of 3%.

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The very best of the UK industry at Fresh Awards 2014

ASDA Multiple Retailer of the Year

The UK fresh produce industry celebrated on June 6th, in the evening of the London Produce Show, the outstanding achievements of a top group of winners and finalists of the Fresh Produce Consortium’s Fresh Awards 2014. The main sponsors of the 2014 Fresh Awards are Florette and Prophet.

Overall Fresh Produce Business of the Year, sponsored by It’sFresh!, was awarded to AC Goatham & Son. “A commitment to sharing the benefits of trading relationships is the key to AC Goatham & Son’s achievements and recognition as the best by the fresh produce industry,” said Nigel Jenney, Chief Executive of FPC.

Chris Mack, Executive Chairman of Fresca Group, was the winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by Florette. “Chris is universally known in the industry,” commented Nigel Jenney. “His commitment to the business, its growers, customers and people makes him a popular winner of this award.”

Over 450 people attended the Fresh Awards, hosted by Irish funny man and TV/radio presenter Patrick Kielty at the InterContinental on Park Lane.  Seventeen awards were presented by Patrick Kielty and the individual sponsor of each award.

“The Fresh Awards are the ultimate accolade from the UK fresh produce industry to its very best. We’re delighted to recognise strong leadership, innovation and business acumen among this year’s finalists and winners,” said Nigel Jenney. 

Individual Excellence awards sponsored by NSA Food & Drink:

Young Person of the Year: Victoria Mason, Buyer, The Waitrose Garden.

Manager of the Year: James Judd, Category Manager, Fresh Produce Morrisons.

 

Supply Chain Excellence awards sponsored by the Fresh Produce Consortium:

Wholesale Supplier of the Year: Nationwide Produce Plc.

Floral Supplier of the Year: GT Flowers.

Foodservice Supplier of the Year: Mack Southampton.

Supermarket Supplier of the Year: A C Goatham & Son.

 

Retailer Excellence Awards sponsored by QV Foods:

Independent Retailer of the Year: Rhubarb & Bramley, in Carshalton, Surrey.

Convenience Retailer of the Year: Tesco Express.

Multiple Retailer of the Year: Asda.

Floral Retailer of the Year sponsored by Zyon UK: Tesco.

FPC asked shoppers to vote online for the winners of the Convenience Retailer, Multiple Retailer and Floral Retailer awards.

Marketing Campaign of the Year sponsored by Prophet: Aldi.

 CSR Excellence Award sponsored by Morrisons: Albert Bartlett.

 Innovation of the Year sponsored by FPC: Thanet Earth and Hadlow College.

Best Place to Work sponsored by Freeths: Worldwide Fruit.

A special award was given by the London Produce Show to Westlands for the Best Booth at the London Produce Show.