132009_NSFM-Jan-2021_Totaal_UK_2_LR-Web_Spread

nonstop
fresh/
magazine
for the fresh
produce sector
February 2021
Think fresh.
Read online: www.aartsen.com

index/
“I know that it’s cold in the
morning and that the first
few seconds in the cold
water aren’t much fun.
But my inner voice tells
me that I damn well have
to get into that cold water,
because it invites me to
embrace every part of
my being.”
Wim Hof, page 6
06/ The Iceman.
A (heart)warming method.
12/ Cheers to our
new partner.
Another celebrated name at Aartsen!
18/ Aartsen’s Talent.
The shining stars!
24/ Wilko Fruit.
A 24/7 passion for fruit and vegetables.
And more..
10/ If you grow, we grow too.
14/ Zespri. Ready, set, go!
22/ Guestcolumn by Ron Simpson.
28/ Hello sunshine, how about growing together?
34/ Experience how cold, cold can be.
38/ Aartsen Kids Foundation, a healthy high-flying hero!
42/ Fresh salad by Floortje! Yummy, yummy.
48/ Asia column, country-hopping with Aartsen Asia.
30/ Fresh team.
Cool energy boost! -118 °C
36/ Mouthwatering
fruit
and vegetables.
A new Aartsen brand.
44/ The world
of Aartsen.
Read the latest news.
Nonstopfresh
magazine is
published by
Aartsen Breda B.V.
Heilaar-Noordweg 9
4814 RR Breda
Postbus 9555
4801 LN Breda
Editor in chief
Jack Aartsen
Editorial board
Martijn van der Zwalm
Lodewijk Varossieau
Hans de Regt
Text
Stefan Verhaar
Translation
Metamorfose
Vertalingen B.V.
Photography
Frank Poppelaars
Design &
realisation
Just in Case Communicatie
Etten-Leur
www.jicc.nl
SuperRebel B.V.
Breda
www.superrebel.com
www.aartsen.com
marketing@aartsen.com

Think fresh!
A new year brings new opportunities.
So what can we expect from 2021?
Unfortunately, COVID-19 is still among us
and continues to have a major impact on
our lives. Vaccinations, the curfew and new
variants have become our new daily topics
of conversation. I have every faith in the
experts of this world and expect this to be
a year of hope, happiness and new
beginnings. While we should not expect
these positive developments in the
immediate future, we need to look forward
to better times ahead: that much I do know.
Here at Aartsen, we will be trying to stay
fresh, as you would expect from us. I
realise this is not always easy, as we also
experience our share of setbacks and
bumps on the road. Still, keeping a fresh
mindset always gets the best results.
After all, nonstopfresh is our motto and
represents us perfectly.
We have formulated plenty of ambitions
for 2021. We aim to stay ahead of the
competition, continue standing out in the
world of fruit and vegetables, be the best
and keep bringing in the most skilled and
qualified people. There is never a dull moment
at Aartsen, as we always say. We have also
developed construction plans for Breda
and Belgium, which I hope to share with
you in the next issue. Venlo keeps steaming
ahead on the strength of its commercial
firepower, while our Hong Kong office is
shattering record after record in Asia. We
hope to have our new, self-built ERP
system live and running by the end of 2021.
This new system – aptly named Fresh – will
help us prepare for the future. It is a future
I am certainly looking forward to. I recently
introduced my Fresh team to cryotherapy
as a welcome boost and thank you for their
hard work. Recharging their bodies at -130
degrees Celsius should definitely give them
some new energy for the coming period.
This edition also offers an opportunity to
share some truly groundbreaking news with
you all. We recently made a big commercial
splash that we can all take pride in. We already
have the privilege of working with many of
the world's top producers, and our commercial
departments are constantly working to
expand those partnerships. This list of
prestigious references is our calling card
around the world. Bringing in this new,
leading brand took a bit more time, and we
have really had to put in the effort over the
past few years. For more details, go to page
12. Suffice to say, we have already been
toasting to this wonderful achievement.
Are there other fresh companies in our
industry sector? We certainly think so and
like to offer them the opportunity to share
their success stories. After all, healthy
competition keeps us on our toes.
This edition features an interview with our
colleague and neighbour Wilko Fruit from
Breda. We have been battling it out with
this fellow family business for generations,
but have always maintained a healthy
respect for each other. We have also
launched another new brand that is sure to
put a smile on your face. Naturally, you can
look forward to all our regular features as
well, such as news from the Kids
Foundation, a fresh recipe from Floortje,
a spotlight on some new Fresh colleagues
and the recurring Aartsen's World section.
Enjoy this Fresh new read, and stay safe,
Jack’s foreword
nonstop
fresh/ 5

“When you enter
cold water,
you stop
thinking about
your mortgage,
your next meal,
your emotional
baggage.”
Think fresh:
the power
of cold,
breathing
and mindset.
The Iceman and his (heart)warming method.
The
Iceman.
Have you ever heard of The Iceman?
Wim Hof is a 61-year-old Dutchman who is
known all over the world as The Iceman –
a nickname gained through the extreme
records he has set. But Wim Hof has more
to offer. Actually, he’s not even interested in
stunts and records. His aim is to make
happiness, strength and health accessible
to all – in a scientifically underpinned way.
“I’m not afraid of death, I’m afraid of
not living life to the full”, he says revealingly.
Thin ice on the water
Wim Hof focuses on cold therapy, breathing
techniques and mindset. In this article, we
take a closer look at his cold therapy
(or cryotherapy) as discussed in his book
‘The Wim Hof Method – Activate Your Full
Human Potential’ and online. We regard this
literally and figuratively as ‘fresh thinking’.
When did his fascination with cold arise?
As a child, Hof always sought to connect with
nature and he quickly felt drawn to natural ice.
One day in winter, at the age of seventeen,
he was in the park and saw a thin layer of
ice on the water. Apart from him, the park was
empty and Wim Hof decided to make a hole in
the ice, get undressed and go into the water.
The cold water felt good and he wasn’t
troubled by the cold at all. In fact, Wim Hof
felt fantastic.
nonstop
fresh/ 7

A cold shower
every day.
As said, the Wim Hof Method is about exposing
yourself to cold, breathing exercises and mindset.
Breathing exercises enable you to handle cold better.
If you enter the cold, deeper-lying parts of the brain
receive more blood.
The brain interprets this as a sign for action and activates
the rest of the body. You don’t necessarily have to
immerse yourself in a winter pond, Polar ice or an ice bath
to get the cold experience. Taking a cold shower every
day also stimulates all your small blood vessels. After ten
days of cold showers your heart rate drops, and this leads
to reduced stress, more energy and more calm in body
and soul. According to Hof, you start training the vascular
system (the network of larger and smaller blood vessels)
after just ten days, if you conclude your normal warm
shower with a cold shower that lasts at least one minute.
Our vascular system protects us against overheating and
hypothermia. But clothing and indoor heating lead to the
blood vessels not being used optimally. This can cause
problems for the heart. If the blood vessels are less
active, then the heart needs to become more active to
balance things out. This means that our hearts are
constantly overburdened.
As a result of the training, your vascular system can close
down when you enter cold. That is why it doesn’t cause
you problems. Hof claims that this training lets you
develop control, and that this control goes further than
just your body’s response to cold. It can be applied
to various forms of stress, such as heat, work,
relationships and frustrations.
Records and stunts
Over the years, he became a fan of extreme sports.
Hof now has a total of 21 records to his name,
many of which are highly inspiring.
Here are a few of his go-to-the-limit achievements:
running a half-marathon on bare feet above the Polar
Circle, swimming 66 metres under a thick layer of ice,
hanging by just his middle finger on a thin rope stretched
between two hot air balloons at a height of 2 kilometres,
climbing high mountains wearing just a pair of shorts,
running a marathon in the Namib Desert (in Namibia)
without drinking, and standing in a tub, filled up to his
neck with ice cubes, for hours.
A method with which he can help other people,
too. It’s something that warms your heart.
“Anyone can do what I do,” Wim Hof always
says. His method is gaining ever more adherents,
but he has also received a lot of criticism.
In recent years the scales have shifted: scientific
data provide a foundation for his ideas.
Effects of the method
So cryotherapy forms part of the Wim Hof
Method. All over the world, people are
experiencing healing effects from this method.
There are smaller results such as sleeping better
and warding off colds (i.e. a virus, not the
temperature). But there are also other claims
that draw greater attention. Claims relating to the
immune system, muscles and state of mind.
There are many people in the world suffering from
some kind of depression. Wim Hof says that this
can be prevented or solved with the Hof Method.
No virus or bacteria can stand against a properly
working immune system, he says. In his book,
Hof discusses scientific successes of this
method. Even if this is only a placebo effect,
it’s certainly worth trying out.
“I know that it’s cold
in the morning and
that the first few
seconds in the
cold water aren’t
much fun.
But my inner voice
tells me that I damn
well have to get into
that cold water,
because it invites me
to embrace every
part of my being.”
Each stunt more extreme and dangerous than the next.
Following the death of his first wife, in the mid-1990s,
Hof understood just what cold water, his breathing
techniques and his positive mindset could mean to him
and his family. It was then that he merged his lifestyle,
his ideas and his convictions into a method.
Do you want to now more about this method?
www.wimhofmethod.com
nonstop
fresh/ 9

THINK
FRESH
If you grow,
we grow too.
Aartsen is making every effort to remain nonstopfresh
24/7 – internally as well as externally and in its campaigns.
In our previous campaign, we explained in detail who
we are, what we do and why we outperform the competition
in many areas. Our new GROW campaign will show
Aartsen in a different light. Not only will we be showing
what we do for our suppliers and buyers, but we will also
be showing why they matter to us.
Aartsen is eager to help all of its partners, by taking work off their hands.
What’s more: we want to make them better. After all, if they are prospering,
Aartsen will eventually benefit as well.
As we take care of the bulk of marketing and sales, our partner horticulturalists
and growers are free to put extra focus on their products and improve the
quality of what they supply.
Furthermore, if we ensure a daily supply of a broad range of top-quality
products for our buyers, we can make even more customers happy.
Ultimately, we can all grow together, which is what Aartsen wants: growing
in tandem with all of its partners, in every way. The new campaign will
disseminate this message among all segments of our target audience,
so that even more growers and buyers will choose to partner with Aartsen
in the long term. This will be to everyone’s benefit.
nonstop
fresh/ 11

Cheers
to our
new
partner.
Another celebrated name at Aartsen.
nonstop
fresh/ 13

Aartsen never underplays the importance of its
partners. After all, they supply the quality products
that set Aartsen apart from the competition.
Zespri changes its distribution
strategy for the Netherlands
Aartsen will be welcoming a leading new supplier
in 2021: Zespri. The brand is looking to expand its
distribution strategy for the Netherlands, and Aartsen
is set to play an important role in this process.
Although everyone obviously knows the global brand
by name, Zespri's Head of Sales for Europe, Sophie
de Lantsheere, will be introducing 'her' company in
detail to help you get to know the company more
closely.
"Zespri chooses
Aartsen as
its new
distributor"
Stronger together
Our story starts in the 1980s, when
New Zealand's kiwi industry was facing
some tough challenges. Supply had
overtaken demand due to the rapid
growth of industry and large crop
volumes. Coupled with unfavourable
market conditions and exchange rates,
the situation caused kiwi prices to hit
an all-time low.
New Zealand's kiwi growers realised
they would be stronger if they joined
forces, resulting in the establishment
of Zespri in 1997. To this day, we still
have the exclusive right to export
New Zealand kiwis to every country
in the world, except Australia.
Global reach
Zespri has the capacity to market all
New Zealand crops. We employ more
than 800 people worldwide and have
offices in New Zealand, Japan (Tokyo),
China (Shanghai), Singapore, the United
States and Europe. Our products are
shipped to 59 countries and we are
currently the largest kiwi supplier in
the world.
On shelves
all year round
While mainly grown in New Zealand,
our kiwis are also sourced from Italy,
France and Greece. Kiwis are an
autumn product. The season starts
around the end of April in New Zealand
and early October in Europe.
This allows us to ensure that Zespri
kiwis are on supermarket shelves all
year round. Zespri currently has
2,800 growers in New Zealand and
1,700 partner growers throughout the
rest of the world.
Organisational
core values
We are committed to harnessing
'kiwi goodness' to help people,
communities and the environment
flourish on a local and global scale.
Our organisation is driven by three
core values. Firstly, we are dedicated
stewards of the earth. According to the
Maori's kaitiakitanga doctrine, we are
all responsible for protecting the air, the
sea and the land for future generations.
In addition to feeding people, we also
aim to nourish the world's soil and
sustain global food production.
Secondly, we are result-oriented.
Thirdly, personal relationships are our
top priority.
nonstop
fresh/ 15

The aartsen
Zespri team
Ready, set, Go!
Innovation
and product
development
Our constant thirst for innovation
drives us to deliver quality and meet
changing consumer needs in ever
more efficient ways. We are
continually working to develop more
sustainable production methods,
optimise our fruit quality and protect
our crops from pests and diseases.
While Zespri invests heavily in
innovation, we do so in a natural
way that requires patience. Our
innovation programme is built
around a solid relationship with our
research partner: Plant & Food
Research. Together, we invest in the
development of new kiwi varieties
as part of the world's largest kiwi
cultivation programme.
Our product development activities
remain exclusively focused on the
kiwi segment. We are experts in this
field and still have plenty of
challenges to address. We recently
announced the introduction of the
Zespri Red Kiwi. This red variety is
slightly sweeter and softer than the
yellow kiwi. Consumers from all
over the world have already proved
to be highly enthusiastic about this
tasty newcomer. However, it will
take at least three to five years to
build the necessary production
capacity. We expect to start by
introducing the Zespri Red Kiwi to
the Asian market.
More satisfied
consumers
We provide a premium product,
making us appealing to specialist
shops and retailers.
There is still enormous potential for
further growth. Our ambitions could
be summarised as follows: making
sure more satisfied consumers
reach for a Zespri kiwi from the fruit
shelf more often. In order to realise
this ambition in the Netherlands,
we have decided to change
our local distribution system:
we will be expanding our distribution
network with Aartsen.
A solid family
business
We're very excited about our
partnership with Aartsen. We
consider Aartsen to be a solid family
business that has managed to adapt
to market trends over the years.
Their combination of experience
and dynamic leadership convinced
us to add them as a partner.
Aartsen's customers are very
important to us. We believe we can
send a strong signal to that segment
of the market by choosing to partner
with Aartsen.
Although that doesn't mean the
retail channel is any less important,
we believe specialty shops are also
essential. The recommendations of
the seller or fruit merchant are an
important incentive for consumers
to try a new product, especially in
the fruit category. We are proud to
see so many fruit traders acting as
true Zespri ambassadors. And hope
to work better with them in this way.
An eagerly
anticipated
partnership
WE LOOK FORWARD
TO WORKING WITH
AARTSEN FROM THE
START OF THE NEXT
NEW ZEALAND
SEASON.
WE BELIEVE THE
CHANCES OF SUCCESS
ARE HIGH IF TWO
PARTIES ARE
WILLING TO GO FOR
SOMETHING THEY ARE
TRULY PASSIONATE
ABOUT.
WELL BEGUN IS HALF
DONE, AS THEY SAY!
Aart
Bezemer
Team captain
Lissa Vermeiren
Aartsen Breda
lissa.vermeiren
@aartsen.com
+31 (0)76 - 52 48 137
Youp Meeuwissen
Aartsen Breda
youp.meeuwissen
@aartsen.com
+31 (0)76 - 52 48 170
Edwin Verbruggen
Aartsen Venlo
edwin.verbruggen
@aartsen.com
+31 (0)77 - 32 41 249
nonstop
fresh/ 17

Aartsen's
shining stars!
Anika Gielen – Janssen
Mirror, mirror on the wall: who's the cleanest of them all? Aartsen is
fresh in every possible sense. A clean shop floor, a fresh interior and tidy
kitchens are the first steps on the road to success. Our dedicated team
works day in, day out to make our business look perfect. They always
go the extra mile to create a perfect working environment where every
customer feels welcome! We are proud to introduce Aartsen's most
enthusiastic and driven shining stars.
Addie van der Kolk
Anika: We really have the sense
we're doing important work.
Everything needs to be clean and
tidy for our customers and guests.
It's always nice to hear someone
say everything is so clean and tidy.
We know what's expected of us and
it's up to us to do it well.
Thankfully, it's not like there's always
someone looking over your shoulder
to see if you're doing everything right
or working fast enough.
Chi Kun Song
Addie: I worked here on my own
for many years, but I was eventually
joined by colleagues after the
expansions and started working
part-time later on. I still like coming
to work at Aartsen after all these
years. This work really suits my
lifestyle. I'm turning 66 this year,
so I'm close to my pension. I'll really
miss it here when I stop working,
but I don't want to think about
that yet. Who knows, maybe I'll
keep working.
I've known some of my colleagues
for years now, and we're practically
family. When I arrive in the morning,
I'm always greeted with 'Here's our
sunshine', and that's really nice.
Angelique and Anika are great
colleagues, and we all have different
strengths. I'll be honest with you,
I really wouldn't want to clean
someone else's house. I wouldn't
do it for anyone, not even my
own family.
You do need to be flexible, because
things don't always go according to
schedule. Sometimes you can't work
in a certain area that needs to be
cleaned, or something urgent pops
up. If I could choose to work
somewhere else for a day, I'd choose
the White House. I'd obviously do a
good job cleaning, but I'd keep my
eyes open while I work and check
out what's happening around me.
Chi Kun: I've been working at
Aartsen for about eighteen months,
since a good friend introduced me
here. I make sure all the workplaces
are clean and tidy. That makes
everyone happy. Keeping your
workplace clean is even more
important now, with the Coronavirus.
The nice thing about my job
is seeing results as soon as you've
finished something.
You really need to be dedicated,
flexible, reliable and detail-oriented.
For example, I don't put glasses at
the back of the cupboards; I make
sure they're at the front so everyone
can reach them. All my colleagues
have their own habits and they really
appreciate it if you take them into
account. Would I like to work in a
famous building or clean a wellknown
family's house? I already
work for a special family: Aartsen :)
nonstop
fresh/ 19

Myriam Engels - Beemster
Myriam: I used to work in the catering
industry. Hospitality is all about taking
care of people, and that's basically what I
do here too. I really enjoy working with
Sonja: we're a great team. If something
extra needs to be done, we always do it
together. There's always something to do,
even if no one else spots it. I once stood
on a cherry picker in the warehouse.
You get to see everything from a different
perspective, and the platform helps you
reach places that normally don't get
cleaned.
It's a real all-round job. For example,
I also take care of the plants. It's really
satisfying, and I love doing it. If I would
like to clean any particular famous
building or work for a well-known family?
I wouldn't mind working at the Royal
Palace and cleaning the princesses'
rooms for a day.
Aartsen's
shining stars!
Jackie Axer
Jackie: I've worked in all sorts of
places, like De Koepel prison and
several hospitals. Still, I like it here
at Aartsen more. You get to have
fun and laugh with your colleagues,
and there's music playing all day.
I always try to make my colleagues'
life easier, so they can focus on
their job. I try to give everyone the
support they need.
Other than that, it's obviously nice if
people don't mess things up. It's my
responsibility to say something if
they make mistakes. The warehouse
has to be in tip top condition.
It's packed with fruit and vegetables,
so it really needs to be clean.
I always feel satisfied
when everything is really
tidy and people can
practically eat off
the floor.
Sonja: I obviously enjoy cleaning
things. I have a real sense of
satisfaction at the end of the working
day. We have a lot of individual
responsibility and no one tells us
what to do. You will immediately
notice that everything is spic and
span when you enter the grounds
at Aartsen, and we make sure
things are also clean and tidy
inside. We want to make everything
look great for our colleagues,
customers and guests.
I always love it when people who
visit a lot of companies tell me
Aartsen is the cleanest and tidiest
place they've ever seen. That's what
it's all about in the end. You need to
be able to work independently in
order to do our job. You also need
the ability to notice something needs
doing before others do.
Sonja Huijskens – Antonissen
Angelique Geraedts – Peeters
Angelique: We don't go home until
everything is clean. We basically do
everything: from scrubbing to
clearing out the dishwashers.
We also clean the warehouse on
Fridays. My colleagues and I always
make sure everything is extra
clean. That's really important here
at Aartsen.
I enjoy coming to work at Aartsen.
I like the fact that you always know
exactly what you're supposed to be
doing. If something unexpected
happens, we just deal with it.
They really give us a lot of freedom
to do things our way, and I enjoy the
work. You know what you couldn't
get away with here? There's no way
you could come to work in high heels
wearing nail polish - it just wouldn't
work. Not that I want to anyway.
A special location I'd like to work at?
I guess I wouldn't mind spending a
day at the Palace working for
King Willem-Alexander.
nonstop
fresh/ 21

Guest column
If there's anyone who's
capable of thinking
outside the box,
it's Ron Simpson. He got
his start as a creative
entrepreneur at an early
age and recently, he and
his business partner Julien
Zaal created an entirely
new restaurant chain
centred around a single
ingredient: the avocado.
Today, The Avocado Show
concept has made its
way around the globe
and is opening branches
in numerous major cities.
Apart from that, Ron is a
successful coach who has
elevated fresh, unexpected
thinking practically to
an art form. And this is
precisely why we asked him
to write a guest column for
this nonstopfresh magazine,
Ron
Think fresh.
Simpson.
which focuses on the theme
I really enjoy feeling jealous of other
people – in the most positive sense.
Because they are the undisputed best at
what they do, or because they've come
up with such an incredibly brilliant idea
that I quite literally want to give them a
standing ovation. That in turn inspires me
to perform even better as an individual
and to look at the world with a fresh pair
of eyes. As a creative professional, I always
try to adopt a different perspective than
other people do when looking at the
same thing. One of my favourite quotes
about this comes from Cor Stutterheim
(a successful entrepreneur and the father
of ID&T founder Duncan Stutterheim):
‘‘Ondernemen “Entrepreneurship is zien wat is seeing
iedereen
what everyone
ziet en daarmee
sees and
doen
then
responding to it in a way no one
else has.” Cor Stutterheim
wat niemand anders doet.’’
And that's exactly what I've been doing,
ever since I was a child. None of the
things I wanted to have or do were within
my reach. I could see them on American
TV programmes, or picture them in my
imagination, but in the oh-so-exotic
village of Nieuwegein, you simply couldn't
find those things. So then you have a
choice: to sit and be disappointed, or
to do something about it. And there is
nothing I would rather do than make the
world a little better for all of us.
There are a million methods you can
choose, from parties to food and from
campaigns to concepts. With a tiny
twist, you can transform something
ordinary into something completely
original. Something that has never been
done before or may never be possible
again. Everything I did felt familiar and
comfortable, yet a little different and new.
And people always feel it when what
you're doing comes from your heart.
As long as it's real, you can do pretty
much anything you want. Which includes
opening a restaurant with a good friend
even though neither of you can cook.
While the entire world fixed its lovestruck
gaze on the avocado, we decided to
turn our love for the green superfruit
into a culinary adventure: The Avocado
Show. This is a single-focus restaurant
in Amsterdam where all kinds of ‘Pretty
Healthy Food’ dishes are made using love
and sustainably-grown avocados – from
burgers to poke bowls and from pancakes
to eggs Benedict. It was so simple, so
obvious and so self-evident that, while
the banks needed some convincing, all
our friends were sorry they didn't think of it
themselves first.
That the food photos and videos we
posted on social media would earn
us hundreds of millions of views in no
time, was something we naturally didn't
expect. Let alone that we'd have fans
sleeping in front of the door ahead of the
grand opening, or that we would have a
hundred thousand followers overnight.
Still, we did know we had something new
and exciting on our hands – we felt that
immediately.
What followed was a lightning-fast rollercoaster
ride in which we went from local
restaurant to international franchise, while
also creating a lifestyle brand centred
around the restaurant. The brand includes
our own line of avocado merchandise,
a cookbook, a hologram app, an electric
boat tour and an extremely large and
friendly online community of avocado
fans.
With a simple mission – ‘to bring joy to
avocado lovers’ - and big dreams, we are
working towards our green future. It fills
us with pride to be able to announce
19 new locations with openings in Madrid,
London and Paris. And who knows what is
yet to come in the years ahead. But one
thing is for certain: think fresh and it can
happen in a flash.
nonstop
fresh/ 23

A 24/7 passion
for fruit and
vegetables.
Wilko van
der Zwaard
from Wilko Fruit
So how do Aartsen’s competitors
operate? How do they distinguish
themselves in the market and how
do they see Aartsen? Read this
article to find out. Wilko Fruit is
located in Breda, just a stone’s
throw away from Aartsen. As an
importer of fruit and vegetables,
Wilko Fruit is one of Aartsen’s
competitors. So what exactly does
Wilko Fruit do, and what processes
does it use? For starters, it is
certainly safe to conclude that
owner Wilko van der Zwaard and
his son Alejandro are 100%
passionate about their business.
Professional and enthusiast
A true professional and enthusiast is easy to spot.
As Wilko and Alejandro van der Zwaard show us around
the warehouse, we immediately notice Wilko’s alertness.
When he walks by a cardboard box that has not been stacked
properly, he immediately sets it straight. Later, he notices
some lemons that have not been sorted properly and quickly
rearranges them with a swift movement of his hand.
After our tour of the new, spacious and well-lit premises,
we sit down for a chat with father and son in the former’s
office. Wilko explains, ‘We import fruit and vegetables
– mainly fruit – from many countries, including Australia,
China, New Zealand, Latin America, Canada, the US and
pretty much every European country. We have a broad
range of products that is expanding by the year. We offer
high-quality fruit and vegetables, with a focus on apples,
citrus, melons, herbs and stone fruits such as cherries,
apricots, peaches, plums and nectarines.’
Wilko and Alejandro van der Zwaard
nonstop
fresh/ 25

The importance of knowledge
‘Our entire team is really responsive to new developments
and quick to adapt. If there are any changes in the market,
we will know about it and respond immediately. My dad’s
practically a workaholic; he’s the first one at the office every
day and works on the business just about 24/7. He writes
down everything he knows. He’s basically a walking
encyclopaedia when it comes to cherries, oranges and other
fruits. He knows exactly which variety to get in each season
and is a real expert on flavour.’ Wilko continues, ‘I enjoy
sharing my knowledge of products with our customers.
It helps them offer better advice to their customers, who in
turn keep coming back. People are becoming increasingly
demanding, but they are willing to spend money on good
products. And those high-quality products for the higher
market segments are exactly what we’re focused on.
We sell them in large volumes, which allows us to offer
competitive prices.’ According to Alejandro, ‘We’re also eager
to share our expertise with growers. We update them on the
state of the market and any developments in terms of new
varieties. For example, some growers actually plant specific
Regional sales and exports
fruit trees based on our recommendations.’ ‘We’ve been
working with some of our growers for four generations.
‘Our regional customers use our cash and carry service,’
That’s something I really take pride in,’ Wilko explains.
Wilko continues, ‘but we export most of our products to
customers in other European countries.’ Alejandro adds,
‘We cater to all sorts of customers: speciality shops, slicers,
Proud of Gaudias
wholesalers and supermarkets, which we supply both
directly and indirectly. That kind of variation offers real added
value for the growers we work with. They can sell us a really
wide range of fruit and vegetables because we have
customers for a variety of products in different sizes.’
Unlike Aartsen, Wilko Fruit does a lot of export and retail.
The company also has a very different brand strategy, having
opted to target the market with a single brand for all products,
regardless of origin. They package the very best quality fruits
under the Gaudias brand. Gaudias is the Latin word for
pleasure. Food for pleasure – that is Gaudias in a nutshell.
A proactive attitude
Wilko Fruit started out in 1934 as J.P. van der Zwaard
and has a rich history. Wilko sums it up as follows,
‘My grandfather started a business in Breda selling cherries,
strawberries and apples. Over time, the company started
getting bigger and more successful. My father continued
the business from 1952 and I took over from 1988.
I sold my shares to my brother about 15 years ago and
started a new business with my wife Joyce, who handles
the finances. We decided to name it Wilko Fruit. Alejandro,
the fourth generation, joined the company a few years ago.’
As we soon learned, that fourth generation certainly has
a proactive attitude. Alejandro has been responsible for
construction of the new sustainable facility, handles
organisation and controlling, manages employees,
is overseeing the implementation of a new computer
system and manages several accounts. The father-son
cooperation is running smoothly. ‘Alejandro and I have
some serious debates from time to time, but that’s
a good thing. We keep each other on our toes. I have a
certain way of doing things, but the new generation often
has different ideas about the market, packaging or
products. Still, I can always appreciate a good idea.’
On Aartsen
The term ‘competition’ can have an unpleasant ring to it,
but Wilko has a more positive take, ‘Look, we’ve been facing
healthy competition from Aartsen for about four generations.
In a sense, we’ve been neighbours for four generations.
The earlier generations also lived quite close to each other in
Belgium and Marbella, and they get along. I think Aartsen is
a wonderful company that runs the most efficient organisation
in the Netherlands. It’s been that way since the days of
Henny Aartsen, the original organiser, and Jack Aartsen senior,
the commercial mind behind it all. The current generation,
Jack, has really built on that success. There’s a lot of mutual
respect between us.’
A message
for our readers
When asked if Wilko has a personal message for
our readers, he does not hesitate for a second
and says with a big smile, ‘We have a wonderful
range, we’re committed to food safety and we
sell healthy products. In other words, eat more
Gaudias fruit!’
nonstop
fresh/ 27

Hello
Sunshine,
how about
growing
together?
Aartsen appreciates high-end products and beautiful brands. When it comes to citrus fruits, Sunkist
is more than just a premium brand. That is the reason why we want to grow with Sunkist not only in Breda,
Venlo and St. Katelijne-Waver, but also in Asia. This piece is not only to draw attention, but mainly to
showcase that we want to give Sunkist a lot of attention. We are looking forward to our first acquaintance.
The international gateway in Asia and the Benelux.
nonstop
fresh/ 29

-118º
Fresh is
only truly
fresh
when it’s
fresh.
“It was quite exciting, I must
say. And yes, it was really
cold: more than -122 degrees
below zero. You move around
a bit, but really not much.
You feel yourself getting
colder from underneath and
it’s good that we wore special
socks during the therapy.
It’s not an unpleasant feeling,
but at the end it gets really
cold and I was glad it was
over. And how I feel now:
I don’t know whether I can
already feel the energy boost,
but my body is certainly
full of adrenaline!
If it does have an effect,
then we could do a session
each week. It certainly
benefited our team spirit
for the four of us to do
this together.”
Wouter van den Dries
The Aartsen
Fresh team
experiences
cryotherapy at
Floathouse
Aartsen is fresh, and it aims to
stay fresh. To ensure this, we are replacing
all existing automation with our
self-developed Fresh system. The project
team overseeing this process needs,
of course, to always stay fresh itself.
So to give their freshness a boost,
Jasper van der Sandt, Wouter van den Dries,
Arnold van Dalen and Mathijs Buzeijn
tried out a cryotherapy session.
nonstop
fresh/ 31

Cool
energy
boost!
Cool energy boost for
the Fresh team
As part of the fresh thinking approach, Wouter, Mathijs,
Jasper and Arnold went for the ultimate experience:
cryotherapy. This is a cold therapy in which your body is
exposed to extreme cold for 3 minutes. Immediately after
this, while the men were still recovering from the adventure
in their Aartsen bathrobes, we asked them a few questions.
It’s striking that all four are enthusiastic about the cryo
experience.
Mathijs Buzeijn
“I’d expected that it would be very cold, and it was. But the
time flashed by. The temperature I went through was around
-118 degrees, but actually I could have stood more cold than
that. Although it’s easy to say afterwards, of course.
It may sound strange, but I actually feel better now than just
before. I feel that my body has cooled off and this gives me
the sense of being alert and on-the-ball. If I find that it has a
positive effect, then it might be a good idea to do this
more often.”
Jasper van der Sandt
“Now I’m out, I can sense more blood flowing through my
arms and legs. It’s tingling but I feel really good. It feels as if
I’ve just slept ten hours. Of course I expected that it would be
a chilly experience. Maybe even colder than it actually was.
But I just pulled on through and then it was okay. The cold
builds up over time.
To be honest I didn’t expect the feeling to be so good. So yes,
I’d be open to another session. One of these chambers at work
would be pretty good. To refresh yourself from time to time.”
Arnold van Dalen
“My whole back and legs are tingling. It’s refreshing.
I hadn’t done this before, but I’ve been exploring similar things.
I recently started showering with cold water to get extra
energy, and I was really curious to experience cryo. But now
I can say it’s really more extreme than cold showers. It seems
to reset your body and to be good for counteracting stress.
Whatever, it feels very special. You wouldn’t be able to stand in
it for ten minutes, 3 minutes is really enough as your body
responds to it very strongly. But I do feel that I came out of the
cold with more energy.”
Energy and resilience
We’re visiting Floathouse, run by Jasper Schoonderwoerd.
Floathouse offers cryotherapy, floating and massages.
It all aims to help people recover more quickly from a hard day,
a setback or an intensive workout. The goal is more enjoyment,
more energy, more resilience and a happier feeling.
Cold therapies such as cryo were originally intended for
rheumatism patients, but the accessibility of cryo and
Wim Hof’s mission mean that now many more people
are undergoing cryotherapy.
Floathouse is a power station
“Nowadays, people quickly get tired and distracted.
That’s partly due to our lives in a society of abundance and
the countless stimuli we get every day,” says Jasper
Schoonderwoerd. “What’s more, our evenings are longer and
our nights shorter. It seems that we’re burning ourselves up.
The times in which we live are causing us to lose a lot of
energy, but at the same time huge numbers of people are
seeking energy. Cryo increases your energy, it inhibits
inflammation and improves your immune system and
your sleep. Moreover, it reduces stress. Actually, we’re a
power station!”
Recharge more regularly
“Currently we’re always on alert, but there are no acute
dangers, we’re not confronted with extremes. What cryo cold
therapy does is to ensure that your body really does suddenly
respond and switch into survival mode. In the space of three
minutes that supplies an energy boost of around eight hours.
Most clients here work hard on their health and fitness.
Actually it’s not a bad idea for people to recharge themselves
just as regularly as they do their mobile phone!”
An ice-cold business
“I see a great future for cryo,” says Schoonderwoerd.
“Companies too are looking for ways to give their staff more
energy. Office workers spend the whole day sitting down.
This stresses their backs, arms and eyes. Wouldn’t it be great
to have a kind of recharging station in an office building?
So that in the space of a few minutes, employees are full of
energy and ‘switched on’ again? Putting this into practice is
still tricky, because cryotherapy requires supervision. But a
quick fix like this is ideal for the business sector.”
Could this be an idea for Aartsen, too? In view of the
positive responses from the Fresh team, it certainly
shouldn’t be ruled out...
Experience how cold, cold can be on page 35.
nonstop
fresh/ 33

Experience
how fresh,
-130 degrees
Celcius
can be.
This video was made with Aartsen’s Fresh team at
Floathouse in Breda. With a cryo treatment you stay
for a maximum of 3 minutes in a room where the
temperature is up to -130 degrees Celsius. This intense
cold has an influence on different physiological
processes in the body, promoting recovery and
contributing to overall fitness and your mood.
Brrr, nice and cold, huh!
Scan this QR code with
your smartphone camera
and step into an extreme
fresh experience.
nonstop
fresh/ 35

Selected
from
Aartsen
Mouth-watering
fruit and vegetables.
The inspiration
for the new Aartsen
brand Lipzz!
The most tasty and beautiful fruit and vegetables
are directly imported from South-Africa and
Austrialia, where Aartsen works with the best
growers. All this is combined in one new brand,
Lipzz. Lipzz is about simplicity and taste,
and represents, among other things, the tastiest
grapes and cherries that make your mouth water.
The distinctive style of Lipzz showcases that things
can be done differently. All products stand out
because of their fantastic taste and quality, and this
reflects in the striking and recognizable packaging.
That’s what Lipzz is; typically Aartsen.
From Lipzz,
with love
Lipzz

The Fruit Gang is proud to present:
A healthy
high-flying
hero!
Who’s that we see flying by?! It’s the
Fruit Gang’s new friend: Wiwi the kiwi!
In this article, infant nutrition expert
Patricia Ploeger will tell you all about this
delicious fruit, offer fun ideas for introducing
fruit and veg to your little one(s) in a playful
way, and share her perspective on the
Cool Treats school project.
Patricia is an expert in infant nutrition, a dietician
and a recipe developer. With her colourful fruit and
vegetable-based recipes, she helps parents
whip up quick, easy and healthy meals to
serve their children. To learn more, visit
www.gezondetenvoorjekind.nl.
Testimonium
‘Food education at school is essential when it comes to
ensuring a healthier future for our children. An important
requirement is that the lessons about food are not only
educational but (more importantly) enjoyable as well.
Cool Treats is a good example of this. This lesson packet
can contribute significantly to the goal of helping kids form
healthy eating patterns. Which is something a child will
benefit from for the rest of his or her life!’
Patricia Ploeger
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fresh/ 39

At the greengrocer’s
In the greengrocer’s shop, hundreds of fruits and
vegetable friends wait patiently in wooden crates and
refrigerated cases. They arrive at the greengrocer’s from
all over the world. Types of fruit such as apples, bananas,
oranges and green kiwifruits are available year-round.
From December until May, green kiwis are delivered
from sunny places like Italy, Greece and France.
Fruit game
Patricia speaking: “throughout ‘Cool Treats’, Aartsen Kids
Foundation (AKF) introduces children to the Fruit Gang
and all their fruit and vegetable friends. And now it’s your
turn! Just like ‘IN THE CLASSROOM’, I’ll start by sharing
some fun facts about our new friend Wiwi the kiwi.
Next, we’ll go take a look ‘ON THE FARM’ and you’ll
learn all about how kiwis grow and where they come
from. After a long journey, Wiwi and all his kiwi friends
end up ‘AT THE GREENGROCER’S’ – which is where
you buy them and take them home. The journey ends in
the fruit bowl ‘IN THE KITCHEN’. As icing on the cake,
I’ll tell you the best way to store and prepare your kiwis.
Curious about my ideas for some cool treats? Read on!
In the classroom
Wiwi is actually a berry. A berry is a fleshy fruit that is
covered in a thick or thin ‘skin’. Not all berries are round,
though – they can also be long and thin. Did you know
that bananas are classified as berries, too?
Kiwis are inextricably linked to New Zealand. This fuzzy
fruit gets its name from the rare, flightless bird found only
in that country. It might sound odd, but when you think of
it, the kiwifruit and the Kiwi bird have an awful lot in
common – they’re both small, brown and fuzzy! You’ll
hear the term ‘kiwi’ all over the place in New Zealand,
by the way. Even the inhabitants themselves are called
‘Kiwis’.
Both green and gold kiwifruits are an extremely popular
snack in Europe. The original green kiwi is sweet,
yet somewhat tart in taste and has a fuzzy skin. The gold
kiwi has a smooth skin and is sweeter than the green
kiwi. On top of that, they are very good for
you, too! Kiwis are an excellent source of vitamin C,
folic acid, potassium and fibre.
The Fruit Gang loves to play games! In the wooden Cool
Treats chest, you’ll find games including the ‘Who am I?’
card game. This game will introduce you to all the Fruit
Gang’s buddies in the fruit and vegetable family.
The question is: can kids recognise them with their eyes
closed? You’ll find out soon enough, thanks to a fun DIY
fruit game: take an empty box, put different kinds of fruit
and vegetables in it, cover the box with a towel and have
your kid(s) feel the contents with their hands.
What shapes can they feel? Does it have a stem?
What kind of fruit or veg might it be?
On the farm
The Fruit Gang grew up outdoors on a country farm or
inside a greenhouse. In the Cool Treats workbook, you
can read all about how fruit and vegetables grow, from
seed to harvest.
So what’s the story with Wiwi?
The kiwifruit grows on a vigorous climbing vine.
Kiwi plants must be planted at least six metres apart.
It can take anywhere from three to seven years for a kiwi
plant to reach full maturity. After that, the fruit can be
harvested each year. While today, the majority of kiwis
are grown in New Zealand, they are also produced in
China and Europe. Yet originally, the kiwi does not come
from New Zealand at all: it comes from China.
When the first kiwifruits were imported to
New Zealand in the 20th century,
they were called ‘Chinese gooseberries’.
From May through November, they come from New
Zealand. The gold kiwis, on the other hand, are not (yet)
available all year long. At the moment, gold kiwis from
New Zealand are available from around mid-May to
mid-October.
Colour game
The greengrocer has arranged his fruit and vegetables in
a pretty display. Smell those delicious aromas! And just
look at those beautiful colours! The Fruit Gang has two
fun colour-based games to play at the greengrocer’s.
Why don’t you try one out with your kid(s) for tons of
fun while grocery shopping?
For the first game, have your child name a colour (red,
orange, purple, etc.). Next, choose a type of fruit or
vegetable in that colour and let your child hold it, feel it
and smell it. Next, let your child add it to the shopping
basket and tell them what it is.
Another fun option is the familiar game of ‘I spy’. Pick a
vegetable or fruit and say which colour it is: ‘I spy something
....’ (naming the colour). Then have your child guess the
fruit or vegetable. Has your child been introduced to that
particular fruit or veg friend yet?
In the kitchen
Eating a kiwi is just as easy as eating a nice apple or a
juicy pear. You can slice the kiwi in half and spoon out the
flesh, or even eat it skin and all! But our kiwi friend isn’t
always ready-to-eat. You can tell a kiwifruit is ripe when it
yields slightly to soft pressure from your fingers.
Is the kiwi still too hard? In that case, you can make it
ripen faster by storing it at room temperature, or by putting
the kiwi next to apples, pears or bananas. A kiwi should
last 3-7 days in your fruit bowl. If you want to slow down
the ripening process, put the kiwi in the refrigerator.
In many cases, the low temperature in your fridge keeps
fruit and veg fresher for longer. Kiwis can be stored in the
refrigerator for 1-3 weeks.
Cool Treats
In the final lesson of the Cool Treats school project, the
children in the class always make their own creative treats
to enjoy and share. That might be Ferox the cucumber as a
fire-breathing dragon or a silly crocodile. Or Pisang the
banana dressed as a daring pirate aboard a pirate ship they
made themselves. Snacks that revolve around fruit and veg
are healthy, fun to look at and tasty. You can use all the
colours of the rainbow! For example, you can do what the
children in the class did and make treats for your whole
family! Try your hand at creating one of these fruit or
vegetable treats:
• Kiwi lollipops and kiwi flowers
• Enchanted fruit cake: mini ‘eierkoek’ with quark, fruit
and edible flowers.
• A cheerful kiwi-mandarin orange turtle
Health
Research shows that kids today are not eating enough
fruits and vegetables. With Cool Treats, AKF hopes to offer
a fun, playful way to change that! Fruits and veg provide
children with many valuable nutrients. And growing children
need all the benefits that good foods can offer.
Wouldn’t you wish that for every child?"
nonstop
fresh/ 41

Fresh salad.
Ingredients
Salad
• 8 snack cucumbers
• 200 g radishes
• 1 fennel
• 200 g sugar snaps
• Ice cubes
Dressing
• 150 g walnuts
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 ts honey
• 50 ml fresh lemon juice
• 5 anchovy fillets,
preserved in olive oil
• 60 g grated parmesan
• 90 ml extra virgin olive oil
What you need
• Oven
• Mandoline vegetable slicer
• Deep dish or mixing bowl
• Mortar
• Steel pan
• Peeler
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Use the mandoline to slice the cucumbers en radishes
into thin slices. Cut the fennel through the middle
lengthwise. With the cut surface downwards,
use the mandoline again to slice the fennel into thin
slices. Cut each sugar snap into diagonal strips.
Put all the cut vegetables into the bowl and fill this
with cold water and ice cubes. Put this to one side
while you prepare the dressing.
Place the walnuts in the preheated oven for
10 minutes. Let the walnuts cool for a little and then
chop them coarsely.
Mash the garlic and anchovies, together with a little coarse
salt, in the mortar to create a smooth paste. Place the paste in
a steel pan together with the olive oil. Heat this at medium heat,
stirring regularly. After 3-4 minutes remove from the heat.
Then add the lemon juice, honey and walnuts. Remove 2 dessert spoons
of walnuts from the dressing and put the walnuts aside.
Pour the water and the ice cubes out of the vegetable bowl and
let the vegetables drain well or dab them dry.
Pour the dressing onto the dry vegetables and stir so that all the vegetables
are covered with the dressing. Now transfer them to a large bowl. Garnish with the walnuts
from the dressing and thin slices of parmesan, shaved using the peeler.
yummy,
yummy.
nonstop
fresh/ 43

The world of Aartsen
read the latest news
Aartsen gives
away mandarins to
healthcare personnel.
Aartsen and Aartsen Kids Foundation would like to give all the healthcare
workers at Amphia, VieCuri and AZ Sint-Maarten a shot in the arm for their
invaluable hard work.
That is why, with thanks to FRUIT OP JE WERK - Vitamine & Zo for the
logistic handling, we delivered over 9,000 mandarins at the end of November.
A snack full of vitamins!
Stay healthy. Stay nonstopfresh.
December 5th,
St. Nicolas was in
town.
The week in advance, our Kids Foundation treated all
colleagues of Aartsen Benelux to a delicious surprise:
the bake-your-own-ginger-biscuits mix.
Expansion Team
Aartsen Asia.
In the previous edition of our nonstopfresh magazine, we already indicated
that our Hong Kong office has moved to a new location that would be
ready for the future. We can now tell you that since then,
we have already hired 5 new nonstopfresh employees who have started
a new challenge at Aartsen Asia. We wish Youri, Winnie, Kurt and Rik
the best of luck!
Kurt Chan
Youri Kersten
Rik Verspaandonk
Winnie Cheng
nonstop
fresh/ 45

Aartsen
Christmas
pop-up.
Aartsen Christmas pop-up, an atmospheric surprise
for all colleagues in the Benelux. Also in Hong Kong
our colleagues were surprised with a culinary
Christmas lunch!
Christmas pop-up Venlo
Jubilaris.
Dennis van den Bemd
12,5 years - 30 December 2020
Eric Ottenheym
25 years - 4 December 2020
Fresh
makeover.
The canteens of the Aartsen Benelux
branches have been given a fresh look,
entirely in the Grow theme.
New
Aartsen
beanies.
Our employees have recently received new
beanies to keep the ears nice and warm
during the workday. They are working in our
cooled warehouses every day and with
these 'Together we grow' beanies they can
get through the day completely in style.
Gerrit Nijssen
30 years - 8 October 2020
Johan Foesenek
35 years - 1 November 2020
Canteen Breda
Marc Peters
30 years - 5 November 2020
Ron Dockx
30 years - 8 October 2020
Canteen Frugo Canteen Venlo
Cherries
First Turkish
apples arrive in
Thailand.
A historic moment! Aartsen Asia brings the first
Turkish apples to Thailand. The opening of this new gate
is a very positive addition to our enormous supply of
apples. You grow your products and we will continue to
grow your markets, so together we grow.
Tram
Hong Kong.
From Monday, December 28, 2020, a golden tram
has traveled through Hong Kong for 3 weeks.
This "The best cherries are always on top" tram is
a collaboration between our Australian partner
Tasmanian Cherries by Reid Fruits, our customer
Sun Lee Laan Wholesale Food Limited and Aartsen.
nonstop
fresh/ 47

Menno van Breemen:
Managing Director at
Aartsen Asia in
Hong Kong
Country-hopping
with Aartsen Asia.
‘Think fresh’ is a really appropriate theme for Aartsen.
We often try to do things differently, to stay off the
beaten track. We prefer not to focus on the competition
too much and follow our own path. I'm not saying we
never take a wrong turn, but we do give these things a
lot of thought. The whole organisation works as a team
and sticks to the same course.
Our previous theme was 'Grow'. As a business, you can
achieve growth by working really hard, putting in more
hours than the competition, being accessible 24/7,
following a sound strategy, doing things differently, etc.
However, you can also achieve success through
''fresh thinking'' and being prepared for every scenario;
many situations obviously don't turn out the way you
think they will ...
We're currently developing the same new Fresh system,
which we previously introduced in the Benelux region,
for Asia. The system is definitely going to help us and
our partners operate more effectively in years to come.
For example, it will enable you to determine exactly where
your grapes are at any given moment and find out what's
happening to each product. Among other information, you
will be able to access various statuses, updates and insights
at any time. We're also introducing a tailor-made internal
sales and administration system that will make our
processes faster and more efficient. This will give us greater
control and will help to further improve our service level for
partners around the world. Our team in Asia has also
undergone some changes, following a major recruitment
effort among talented local applicants and high potentials
from the Netherlands.
Asia column
Our organisation is always on the lookout for potential
improvements and efficiency gains. For example,
we're working to improve our QC department, expanding
various teams, launching new campaigns, finding new
manufacturers and customers, setting up a new head office,
expanding branches and much more. Last but not least,
we developed the new Fresh ERP system in-house.
There are always new inspirations for further growth.
The ‘Think fresh’ concept evokes diametrically opposed
responses. While many support the idea (after all, who
could be against modern, refreshing ideas or approaches),
the notion also tends to meet with resistance from those
very same people. You would assume everyone likes the
idea of thinking differently and doing things in new ways
that eventually prove more effective. That may be the case,
but people tend to start resisting once it's time for them to
change: after all, things were going pretty well the way they
were, and new developments can be scary. The following
two sayings are really apt in that regard: ‘We cannot be
afraid of change. You may feel very secure in the pond that
you are in, but if you never venture out of it, you will never
know that there is such a thing as an ocean, a sea’.
And: ‘Change is the law of life. And those who look only
to the past or the present are certain to miss the future’.
One particular development in Asia may come as a surprise
to our readers. Aartsen has developed a very clear strategy
for the Benelux and Asia, which is the same for both
businesses: an extremely broad selection of fruit and
vegetables, distributed to a highly diverse range of
customers. We've opted not to supply supermarkets in the
Benelux region, and we still stand behind that decision
100%. However, we have started to supply major chains
in Hong Kong. This shift was entirely demand-driven and
hasn't affected our current business in any way.
A well-considered strategic choice, in other words.
A Dutch company selling fruit on the Asian market? The idea
certainly raised some eyebrows at first. After all, how are you
supposed to control your operations all the way from the
Netherlands? People wondered what we were up to.
They couldn't figure out why we didn't just focus on China.
After all, it's the biggest market in all of Asia. We also
introduced a 'think fresh' strategy in Asia, which will serve
as a basis for further development and growth. While China
is clearly a very important country, the other Southeast Asian
countries represent a combined market of almost
600 million people. Instead of just focusing on Shanghai and
Guangzhou, we should try to gain a foothold in China's
2nd and 3rd tier cities. For example, have you ever heard of
Kunming, Changsha, Linyi, Fuzhou or Guiyang? These cities
have one thing in common: they are all home to over
6 million residents.
We had a 'broad and diverse' focus from the very start.
On the supply side, we import from 40+ countries around the
world and more than 250 growers. As a result, we're always
in a position to offer a really broad range of fruit across Asian
markets. We're focused on every type of fresh fruit rather
than limiting ourselves to popular products like grapes and
cherries. We don't just ship that broad range to a single
country or a few individual customers: we supply 135+
distribution points in over 15 countries. Our team is
constantly evolving and improving its selection. It also
speaks the local languages and understands the cultures
it operates in. It's ready for the future and fully supportive
of our 'Your grow your products - we grow your
markets' philosophy.
Stay healthy, stay safe (we need to stay alert during
COVID-19) and always think fresh!
nonstop
fresh/ 49

guts!
next
The next issue of the
nonstopfresh magazine
is about guts. Guts is about
daring. Daring to be
different and to look from
a different angle.
Everyday we think about
how we can be better and
more surprising tomorrow.
Guts is nonstopfresh.
nonstop
fresh/ 51

Aartsen congratulates
Marlene on their
25th anniversary.