Oron Ziv leaves Mehadrin, not the sector
“Mehadrin is now a different type of company,” said Oron. “We changed the organization, got a new office and have much more fruit in our portfolio.” Mehadrin has traditionally been known as supplier of citrus, and though many people in the organization wanted to continue along that tack, Oron said he pushed for the expansion into other products. Now Mehadrin deals in vegetables, avocados, potatoes and many other produce items that have enriched the portfolio of products they can offer clients.
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But change wasn't easy. “The most difficult time was the first year in Holland,” said Oron. “I had to adapt to a new country, a new language, a new way of doing things, and on top of that we had to change the organization.” Though the transition into a new office in Rotterdam and an organizational shake-up was trying, especially in the first few years, Oron said he's proud of the way things worked out. While Mehadrin's turnover in Holland was 10 million Euro when he first started, their last yearly turnover reached 45 million Euro.
Asked about his vision for the industry in Holland, he noted that direct links to retailers is the way to go. “You can't put everything in retail, so you have to go to the market, you can't avoid trade” said Oron. “But it's better to establish direct links to supermarkets.”
He added that there are many other things he would have done differently during his time in Holland, but he's glad that he was able to experience it, and he thinks his time with Mehadrin changed him. “This is more than just a job,” he said, “it's a life experience.” He's glad he was able to work with the people he did, as they were instrumental in bringing about the changes to the organization he's proud of. “Sometimes you just have to be lucky to be at the right place at the right time.”
Future
As for his future plans, he will stay in the produce industry. “It is what I have done all my life. First as a grower, then in the packhouse and finally in marketing.” With Befresh he will set up the European branch, but we’ll hear soon more about this, concludes Oron Ziv.
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Would you like to wish him good luck, send him an email: oron@befreshcorp.com