"Never a boring moment at Aartsen. In constant motion is where we feel comfortable," begins Menno van Breemen of Aartsen. "Not because we're restless, but because we're highly ambitious. We're the same in Asia, where we've followed the same strategy as in Europe - Benelux since 2012. The Aartsen group imports products (everything fresh - an enormously wide range) from 700 producers worldwide. In Asia, we have over 300 partners on the production side. As in Europe, we sell to an extensive range of customers."
Annually, Aartsen Asia provides some 200 clients (first-tier, second-tier, and third-tier wholesalers, hotel and catering, street vendors, the industry, retailers, schools, online sales, and various supermarkets) in 17 countries with the best of what their growers produce.
"We don't want to be the biggest; we want to be the best in our field. As an extension of our growers, our job is to put the right products in the right place to get the best results in the market. The items are extremely diverse - a true one-stop shop gateway to the Far East," says Menno.
"It's easy to think one country will always pay the best price, but there are vast differences within the different Asian countries. We provide our buyers with the right products 52 weeks a year, so we have a strong position. We're not seasonal, which clearly differentiates us in the market. Plus, we strive to continuously tap into new market segments or distribution cities."
Strong position in Southeast Asia
"Successful distribution in the Far East isn't a given. The approach in Korea does differ from that in Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, and China. Locals who speak the languages and understand the cultures are, thus, essential. They're also present in the markets when needed. Our people with roots in those countries are key to our success. China is our largest market and, as such, is vital, but Southeast Asia is growing significantly."
"Of the roughly 10 million boxes of fruit we sell in the Far East, 60% is outside China. We dare say we have a leading position in South East Asia. Many producers want to diversify their sales markets, so that's often a good match. Though, we're always clear; we don't exclude any markets. Aartsen's strength is its spread. And we offer that service to our partners for both the Benelux market and Asia - we're one Aartsen," Menno explains.
Branding in Asia
"As in Europe, our Asian brand strategy is based on the best products from a specific origin. We link brands to origins. Together with our growers, we ensure we have as wide a range as possible in our own brands. We have one non-negotiable condition: quality. Customers must be able to rely on our brands 365 days a year. In Asia, Grandezza is a great example of a brand - from South America and Australia - that our clients can blindly trust. We're working on a citrus and a berry/cherry brand, too. Stay tuned."
IT – Fresh
"After successfully implementing our new ERP system Fresh in the Benelux, we're busy developing a Fresh system in Asia," says Van Breemen. "On the one hand, the goal is to be ready internally for the further growth of our company. On the other, we want to take the information flow to our partners to a higher level. Think of things like price information, stock overviews, and QC reports. Aartsen is, thus, always working to further improve our service to our partners."
Aartsen will be at the trade shows in Hong Kong (Asia Fruit Logistica, September, 6 - 8, Hal 5-5E30 ) and Madrid (Fruit Attraction, October, 3 - 5 Hal 4-4D06). "After a three-year absence, the AFL is back in our backyard, Hong Kong. We're tremendously proud of that. We invite all our current and new partners to visit our stands," concludes Menno.
For more information:
Menno van Breemen
Aartsen
Tel: +31 (0) 765 248 105
Mob: NL +31 (0) 634 371 358
Mob: HK +852 931 98 078
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.aartsen.com