18123_NSFM-mei-2021_Guts_Totaal_UK_1_Spreads_LR

Asia column
Menno van Breemen
Managing Director Aartsen Asia in Hong Kong
‘From
country to
country’
with
Aartsen
Asia.
'Guts' is a theme that perfectly
embodies Aartsen. After all, no
guts, no glory! We do not shrink
from a challenge and believe
that a healthy dose of guts, a
solid strategy and a clear vision
will take you all the way!
'Aartsen Goes Asia'. In 2012, when we joined
hands and set up Aartsen Asia, we broke the
news to the world with the words,
'Never afraid of a challenge, we are confident
we can extend our business to the Far East.'
As we have said many times before, we often
try to do things differently and we like to
blaze our own trails. We do not like to copy
others and we follow our own strategy.
Guts in business
What on earth is Aartsen doing in Asia?
Things work completely differently there, and
success does not come easy by any means!
When we set up Aartsen Asia in 2012, besides
the many positive messages, we also
received a lot of surprised reactions and
extremely tough questions. 'Today is difficult.
Tomorrow is much more difficult. The day
after tomorrow is very beautiful, but still most
die tomorrow evening.' There is a grain of
truth in this Chinese saying, but it is simply
a question of having the guts to keep going
where others give up, or to do things
differently and keep plugging away when
times get hard.
We have faced many challenges, such as the
ERP system that we developed ourselves, the
expansion of the various Aartsen locations or
the step towards Asia. Each time, our team
had the guts to step up to the plate. Our team
is continually learning, improving and evolving
and has the guts to face the future. Our team
speaks the local languages and understands
the cultures. We want to be known as a gutsy
team that is prepared for the future and ready
to grow together with our partners.
Two factors that people often forget, despite
being crucial in our industry, are respect and
good relations. After all, it also takes guts to be
gentle and kind.
Guts in everyday life
Many people are subconsciously aware that,
if you truly want to achieve something, you
must have the guts to do everything you can
to realise your goal. In everyday life, people
often show guts without knowing it, such as
standing up for what you believe in at work,
gutsy decisions or actions when participating
in sport, having the courage to speak your
mind, persevering with a long-distance
relationship or, as a toddler, having the guts
to manipulate your parents into forgiving you
despite having driven them to the edge of sanity
(I have first-hand experience of the latter!).
When I look back over the past few years,
I can think of countless examples of our
team demonstrating guts during the various
trips to Asia. Examples include the Korean
tradition of eating live squid (which can
attach itself to the inside of your throat by
its suckers!), eating various parts of a snake
(including the bladder) or tasting century
eggs: eggs preserved in a mixture of clay,
salt, quicklime and rice for over three months!
Or what about the fish dish Yin Yang, also
known as the 'dead and alive fish'? The body
of the fish is cooked, but the head is left raw
and continues to move. In China, if you are
an important visitor or if you are the boss,
you will often end up with the fish head on
your plate. No guts, no glory, I guess!
The big move
Who would have thought we would be living
and working in Asia for over 11 years?
And who would have thought that we would
ever enter the world of fruit and veg? Even at
the time, the move to Shanghai and Hong
Kong was a brave and challenging step.
It took guts, but we had the support of our
families, and my then girlfriend (now my wife)
and I make an outstanding team. It is the best
decision we've ever made. Getting to know
new cultures, people, customs and traditions
really shapes who you are as a person. We feel
very privileged to have had this experience
and are extremely grateful. You may have
recently read that we are making the move back
to Europe, which is another decision that takes
guts. Our children grew up in Hong Kong,
and it was our happy home for many years.
Still, the time has come to return to our
original home. However, this does not mean
that Aartsen Asia will get anything less than
my full focus and commitment: Aartsen Asia
truly is my passion and my life. Our goals are
as ambitious as they have ever been, and we
will do everything we can to achieve them,
with my team in Hong Kong and myself in
Breda. No guts, no glory! Together with our
partners throughout the world, there is so
much for us to do in the next few years.
Keep growing!
Color
The next edition will be the most
colourful ever, full of vibrant ideas from Aartsen
and our partners. We will discuss how, together,
we ensure that we are and remain the biggest
gateway for fruit and vegetables, as well as how
we apply our nonstopfresh mentality to perform
ful.Colourful.
better than anyone else, day in, day out.
NXT
Expected december 2021.
nonstop
fresh/ 47