For many years, Piet Heij of Heij Fruits Vegetables International (HFVI) in Schoonhoven has been exporting fruit vegetables, and top fruit to customers in Germany. "No premises, no staff, and therefore keeping costs as low as possible" is the motto of the experienced trader, now 75. His daughter Shanna (30) often accompanied him as a child and loved it. "Picking apples or sorting pears, and I'd help him with small administrative tasks," she recalls. "I wasn't interested in the fruit and vegetable trade back then, but as I've grown older, I've developed more of an affinity for it and want to deepen my knowledge and involvement."
Left: Shanna Heij. Right: a photo of father Pete at the age of 5 in 1954
"You only really understand how special this sector is when you're immersed in it. For years, I stayed on the sidelines, following my father from a distance, but those days are over. I'm now working hard to catch up on lost time, and I'm making good progress. Last month, I visited the Fruit Attraction in Madrid, and it was incredible to meet so many people from the AGF trade. I also saw products that were completely new to me, which gave me plenty of ideas for expanding our range and business," Shanna says enthusiastically. "We've always kept a low profile, but now I'm ready to stand out and grow."
"We currently supply cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, zucchini, carrots, apples, and pears to our German customers. Soon, I'd like to add citrus to our product range. We've already made initial contacts to import lemons, oranges, and mandarins from Egypt and South Africa. Importing avocados from Colombia and Kenya is also on my wish list."
"In the Netherlands, we source our products from various suppliers, and we also sell Spanish produce directly to our German customers," Shanna explains. She's eager to continue learning from her father's experience—"he's still fit and can't let go of his passion"—but has ambitious plans to grow the business further. "I have a big vision and want to expand beyond Germany. For instance, I'd like to grow our customer base in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. Our biggest challenge now is to raise our profile."
For more information:
Shanna Heij
Heij Fruits Vegetables International
Spoorsingel 7
2871 TT Schoonhoven
Tel: +31 6 42 56 83 56
[email protected]
www.hfvi.nl