Last year, P. Solleveld Export from Maasdijk celebrated its 75th anniversary. "Unfortunately, Piet Solleveld was not able to witness this milestone," says Annemieke Hendrix-Koot. Piet led the company for 54 years but passed away in September 2022. The management team is now in charge and continues the business 'with pride.' "And with deep gratitude to our customers who have remained loyal and kept their trust in us."
Annemieke Hendrix-Koot
Annemieke is one of the members of the management team and has been with the Maasdijk-based exporter for eleven years, following a long career in the fresh produce sector with companies like Van Dijk Delft and The Greenery. Although P. Solleveld serves multiple export markets, Germany has long held the top spot. "The German hospitality industry is our largest sector, but we also supply supermarket chains and wholesale markets. Our strength lies in providing mixed pallets. We offer our customers a complete range—one phone call, and they don't need to contact anyone else."
"During the COVID years, sales to the German hospitality industry came to a standstill. Some, mostly smaller, customers even stopped operating altogether. Others expanded their business by supplying institutions like hospitals and prisons. Fortunately, during that time, our supermarket customers significantly increased their orders. That's when the value of having a diverse customer base became clear."
A tribute to Piet Solleveld
Nine trucks of its own
With mostly their own trucks, P. Solleveld Export delivers daily to numerous destinations in Germany. "We have hubs in Westland, Enschede, and Venlo, with drivers from each region. At the border, day and night drivers switch shifts, allowing the trucks that return to the Netherlands to pick up goods during the day from various companies in Venlo, Breda, and Barendrecht. These goods arrive in the afternoon, after which the mixed pallets are assembled, and the products, as fresh as possible, are sent to Germany in the evening."
According to Annemieke, Dutch products are still highly regarded in Germany. "Last week, we offered Spanish cucumbers from our own supplier for the first time, but when the price allows, customers still prefer to stick with Dutch products. We often offer products in two grades—one for quality buyers and one for price-conscious buyers. In wholesale markets, it's easier to sell products with minor flaws than at a Michelin-starred restaurant."
Rising demand for Padron peppers
In addition to the German market, the exporter also supplies customers in Austria, Denmark, Portugal, Latvia, and Bonaire. Offering a complete assortment and excellent service is appreciated by the customers, Annemieke observes. "We still have new customers approaching us. They can even order just a few boxes of a product, and if a customer is looking for something we don't yet carry, we go and find it. In recent years, demand for Padron peppers, particularly from Asian restaurants, has skyrocketed. In terms of volume, greenhouse vegetables are our largest product group, but we also supply all types of exotic fruits and open-field vegetables. Now that the season is starting, demand for Brussels sprouts, root vegetables, and cabbages has surged again."
All members of the commercial team are responsible for both purchasing and sales. Annemieke, for instance, is in charge of sourcing the organic range. "Some trading companies have specific buyers and sellers, but we find the combination ideal. It makes it easy to cover for each other and maintain a strong connection with market trends. I'm proud of what we've achieved together. The sense of camaraderie is strong; many colleagues have been with us for 25 years or more, but we also have a good number of young colleagues, and together we work hard."
Own brand
For imported products, some items from Spain and France are purchased directly, but the majority are sourced from Dutch importers. For Dutch products, P. Solleveld focuses on Dutch cooperatives. "Since we are customers of most grower associations and cooperatives, we always have access to products, even in times of scarcity. We also offer customers the option to package under a private label. For vine tomatoes and bell peppers, we have our own brand, Natura, from a dedicated group of growers. That was Piet's pride and joy. An own-brand quality label works well because customers keep coming back to it."
"The Dutch greenhouse vegetable season went well this year. We faced a wet, dark spring, which kept prices fairly high. Prices were slightly lower during the summer months, but that's typical each year. We didn't see any real dumping prices this year. We're now at the tail end of the Dutch season, and Spain is starting to come online cautiously. Spanish bell peppers are very expensive, and the cucumber season is facing some challenges. We're still fully focused on Dutch tomatoes across the entire range," Annemieke explains. The company hardly deals with Moroccan and Turkish vegetables. "Many of our wholesale customers are much better at sourcing those than we are."
Personal contact
"Our complete assortment sets us apart in the market. Anyone can sell full pallets, but there aren't many companies that offer a full range. It takes a lot of time and effort. That's why we have a large and experienced team working in the warehouse," says Annemieke. Although the company has considered launching a webshop, they've decided to hold off for now. "In our line of work, which involves a lot of day trading, customers still prefer phone and personal contact. However, we have noticed that more business is being conducted via WhatsApp, so we are adapting to the times."
"Three years ago, we also implemented a new ERP system from Profix, which allows us to use much more data than we used to. We are optimistic about the future. Keeping up with new environmental legislation, especially concerning packaging materials, is quite a challenge, but we strive to be a knowledge base for our customers, helping them navigate these changes as much as possible."
For more information:
Annemieke Hendrix-Koot
P. Solleveld Export
Transportweg 45
2676 LM Maasdijk
Tel: +31 174 527415
Fax: +31 174 516642
[email protected]
www.solleveld.nl