To talk about stone fruit, kaki, pomegranate, or carob tree nurseries in Spain is to talk about Viveros Hernandorena. This family company has created a brand for its customers, many of which are located halfway around the world, and weaved a sense of belonging among its workers since Fernando Hernandorena Perez founded the company back in the '70s and '80s.
"Father", as everyone in the company calls him, proudly walks around the facilities of this nursery run by his three children: Isabel, Fernando, and Rosa. Each has a responsibility within the company and the good fortune of spending time with family. They have fun as they work together, under the values instilled in them by their parents: work, effort, and understanding.
Fernando Hernandorena Perez already knew how to do grafts at the age of nine and, after starting a family, he decided to take over from his father, Fernando Hernandorena Casp. He inherited his passion for this trade from him and, without any academic training, laid the foundations of his company on know-how and experience. An experience he passed on to his children from a very early age.
Fernando Hernandorena Ribes was the first to know he wanted to follow in his grandfather and father's footsteps. He is the company's manager and head of production. He has a clear vision, business focus, and enterprising orientation. He also continues training to face the challenges of the sector better. "Our goal is to create a company that lasts over time, offering stability to our workers, and the survival of the Hernandorena name in the sector over time. To this end, we are committed to our customers, offer stability to our workers, and prestige with our plants," Fernando stated.
After studying, Isabel Hernandorena Ribes, the eldest of the three, joined the company carrying out administrative tasks. Over the years, she shifted to the Sales and Logistics area. "It is a very dynamic and changing job, no two years are the same, but it is always very enriching to be able to work with the family. I'm not saying that there aren't difficult moments, which there are, but we have always known how to separate family matters from business matters," Isabel stated.
Rosa Hernandorena Ribes might be the company's most visible face, due to her position as sales manager, but they all play the same role. The siblings analyzed each others' SWOT and, knowing their strengths, filled the position that the company needed the most. After training and working abroad, Rosa decided to return and join the company.
It was at that time, in 2007, when all three were part of the company, that the company experienced one of its most important turning points with large investments, a new, clearer, and better-defined business strategy, and a commitment to potted plants. "We knew we needed to establish some things, so we studied and decided where we wanted to go. It wasn't all easy, there were complicated moments, and I have to say that we had the full support of customers and suppliers," Rosa stated.
To understand this evolution, one must know the trajectory of the people who are running the company today, as well as the character of those who did so before. "My father was very generous because he knew when to step aside at the right time. He knew that he had to make way for us, and that we wanted to change and improve things. Today he is proud of what we have achieved," Rosa added.
Leaders in Europe in minority crops such as kaki and carob
Viveros Hernandorena is one of the 5 largest nurseries in Spain and an undisputed leader in Europe in minority crops such as kaki and carob. Now, the company is returning to its origins, focusing again on bare-root plants, but with a very well-defined line of species and varieties, with highly professionalized work, which allows them to offer volume.
Fernando, Isabel, and Rosa have managed to create a brand with a high-quality product and a place where the more than 120 permanent and semipermanent workers who work at Viveros Hernandorena can feel they belong, as a family.
Viveros Hernandorena will participate in the upcoming Fruit Attraction fair, where the company's top managers, with the support of technicians, will attend to customers and continue to highlight their star product of the year: the stone fruit. The Hernandorena family will welcome visitors in Hall 3, Stand 3E09.
For further information:
Hernandorena Nurseries
Tel.: +34 96 253 26 81
Email: [email protected]
www.hernandorena.com