Prices for fruit and vegetables in the wholesale trade have recently risen rapidly again. All products offered by Dieter Fuhrmann Obst- und Gemüsegroßhandels have risen by at least 15 percent. "At the moment, the products are more expensive than they have been for a long time," Managing Director Marcus Fuhrmann told us in an interview.
Marcus Fuhrmann
Standard products more in demand than ever
"Unusual items are seeing a decline in interest. The focus is more on standard products like tomatoes, cucumbers, cauliflower and pointed cabbage. More extravagant items are still being ordered, but no longer in large quantities. Certainly since customers have also become much more price-sensitive," says Fuhrmann. "Demand remains high. People want to go out more again after the pandemic, tourists are also flocking to Berlin again. Since we mainly supply restaurateurs and hotels, this is of course a good situation for us."
Working at five percent capacity during the pandemic
Fuhrmann, on the other hand, described the period of the pandemic as a "catastrophe": "Because we almost exclusively supply the catering trade in Berlin and Brandenburg, there was hardly anything for us to do at the time. Compared to a normal working day, we were barely working at five percent capacity," Fuhrmann recalls.
During its 40-year existence, however, the company was able to generate reserves, which benefited it at the time. "That's why we survived. There has never been a situation like this before, and I don't think there will be again," Fuhrmann says. "We have 1,000 square feet of refrigerated space here that was almost completely empty at the time. We were still able to supply a few daycare centers, hospitals and nursing homes. However, as mentioned, that was just three to five percent compared to the previous business."
More profitable business through restructuring
"However, the pandemic also gave us the opportunity to look at some internal company processes. As a result, the numbers are better now than they were in 2019. Especially with regard to insurance, we were able to save quite a bit. Furthermore, we noticed that we had too many vehicles. Sometimes, some employees were transferred to other positions to increase productivity. However, I did not lay off any employees," Fuhrmann emphasizes.
"For the most part, the staff has stayed. Since we have been able to boost our business again, however, we need more drivers in particular. But getting them is currently very difficult. It has already happened that some drivers have not returned without making a big fuss. This tendency has clearly worsened after Covid."
In general, he recognizes that some companies have problems with unreliable employees. "Since I have always paid and treated my employees well, I am not affected by this problem. But overall, you have to say that performance as a whole has dropped in all areas."
Marcus Fuhrmann has worked at the wholesale market since 1996. "A lot has changed in that time, of course. Now, much more emphasis is placed on certificates for hygiene, refrigeration, etc. But that's also good for us, because we work much more efficiently and hygiene-consciously. Our customers are also asking more for regional produce and are interested in us meeting our environmental standards."
For more information:
Marcus Fuhrmann
Dieter Fuhrmann Obst- und Gemüsegroßhandels GmbH
Beusselstraße 44 n-q
D-10553 Berlin
Tel. +49 (0) 30/3956060
[email protected]
www.dieter-fuhrmann.de