Barendrecht-based TOFF is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. In 2014, Cees van Vugt and Jeffrey Moret started as a couple under the banner of Marni Fruit to take over the shares more than two years later. In 2018, Jeffrey continued on his own. The team now consists of as many as 12 people. "In the Corona years, we doubled in people and turnover, but there hasn't been a year in our existence that we haven't grown," says the founder.
Team TOFF
"What hasn't changed in those ten years is that we have focused entirely on organic products. Classics are still the organic greenhouse vegetables, from both the Netherlands and Spain. We also have some focus products from overseas, such as exotics and top fruit, and we have quite a few organic pear growers in the Netherlands who supply us exclusively. With greenhouse vegetables too, we have been working with regular growers for years. This year, the availability of Dutch organic greenhouse vegetables was difficult with as much as 10-20% less production. From Spain, however, it looks like a fairly normal season. For this, we have already concluded the necessary winter contracts in the meantime," Jeffrey says.
"Organic sales have grown faster in many other European countries than in the Netherlands. I explain that mainly because the price difference between organic and conventional is still relatively large. At the same time, I don't know if that is a disadvantage for us. The fact that we operate in a niche market is also part of our success, although I am convinced that the world would become a lot healthier if everyone ate organic."
TOFF is split into two branches. "On the one hand, we have the production side, working with the growers and the end customer, mostly supermarkets, to make large contracts for both the summer and winter seasons. Then we have the wholesale side, with which we build mix pallets six days a week with as many as 70 organic items. Those wholesale activities alone are too small for us, but the combination offers great advantages. It allows our growers to get rid of all size sorting," Jeffrey says. "In the ten years we have been in the air with TOFF, quite a few growers and also direct competitors have stopped. You do see competition coming more from other quarters, such as specialised companies in certain products starting an organic line with it."
Asked what he remembers most about the past ten years, Jeffrey replies: "The dynamics and stress! You have to pay so much attention, every day all sorts of things happen. We have grown incredibly fast and had an incredible amount of fun in those ten years, but my hairline has also moved up five centimetres... For instance, I really find it a lesser aspect of our business that you have to chase your money regularly. You used to be able to expect that sometimes with Easterners, but nowadays it seems to happen just as easily with a Scandinavian or Dutch entrepreneur. And they still almost get angry if, in their opinion, you call too often where the money stays."
The laws and regulations surrounding certifications are also not Jeffrey's favourite business activity. "I am very much in favour of good controls but believe that the interpretation of all certificates in the Netherlands has gone a bit overboard. Elsewhere in Europe, at least, they are treated more leniently. Just an IFS Broker audit for us as a 'trader' takes us a day and a half these days. In my view, that should be handled administratively in two hours. At the same time, I realise that rules are necessary because they also keep the crooks out of the market, but they can go overboard. Moreover, it also causes costs to rise again, pricing ourselves out of the market."
"Quite a lot has changed over time. Sending price lists by fax was quite common 15 years ago and is no longer an issue. Calling is also becoming a lot less. Most customers don't even like it when you call them, which has largely been replaced by WhatsApp. Our advantage is that we have a young team, which responds easily to new developments. At the same time, much has remained the same. Growers where we got our product 15 years ago, they are still there."
On plans for the next ten years, Jeffrey is clear. "You have to keep growing to keep up with the market. If you don't, you farm backwards. That is why I am looking forward to moving to bigger premises with Marni Fruit in the next few years. Where that will be is not quite clear yet, but it should at least be a substantially bigger building. Now there are weeks when I have to slow down sales because we don't have the capacity. I expect the move will give TOFF a further boost and we will also be able to pick up more new projects. Especially since 2019, I have gathered a stable team around me and I look forward to developing and growing together with the team."
For more information:
Jeffrey Moret
TOFF
Tel: +31 (0)85 0704572
[email protected]
www.toff bv.nl