BelOrta aspire to continue cooperation with other auctions

On Thursday 12 December 2013, the market garden shareholders of BelOrta and Auction Borgloon, gave their consent to a merger. The new merger will become effective from 1st January 2014 and will run under the operational name BelOrta. In addition to the existing premises in Sint Katelijne-Waver, Zellik, Kampenhout and Kinrooi Molenbeersel (landing platform), from the New Year BelOrta will have its main business location in Borgloon and additional sites in Vise, (sorting/packaging), Fernelmont, (storage and sorting), and Borgloon, (Tivoli storage centre.)

BelOrta team

Nearly 370 million
BelOrta represent a turnover of nearly 370 million and will take 43% of the Belgian market share (56% vegetables and 22% fruit). BelOrta has evolved from 1.150 to 1.700 market gardeners who are active throughout Flanders. The extra market gardeners from Auction Borgloon are concentrated in the provinces of Limburg and Liége. On the other hand there were already 136 Dutch market gardeners directly affiliated with BelOrta.

President Leo Baestaens of BelOrta will continue as chairman of the board of directors from the first of January. BelOrta maintain their position to not deal in export. Timed sales remain the basis of the marketed system.

Table in Belgian Dutch

Turnover from sales of vegetables alone was almost 300 million Euro

Management
Director Jos Craemers (Auction director Borgloon), Director Chris de Pooter and Director Filip Fontaine (both directors at BelOrta since January 2013), will continue to lead the 370 staff in the daily running of the company. Next to the three directors the BelOrta management team consist of Isabel de Blaiser (manager production guidance, quality and mediation), Jo Lambrecht (commercial manager), Rudy Luytens, (operational manager), Jo Op de Beeck (financial & HR manager), Ludo Van Kelst (product & quality manager) and Jos van Dessel (commercial manager).

Tables in Belgian Dutch

The combined sales are almost 400 million Euro

Compared to other auctions turnover of vegetables is more than 50%

One stop shopping
BelOrta will be the "one stop" offering a complete package where customers can bid for fruit and vegetables. In the interest of market gardeners, this will ensure a more consistent and better customer throughout the year. The 'fruit basket' of BelOrta will also significantly expand with strawberries, berries, apples and pears.

Table in Belgian Dutch

Besides Flandria the exclusive fruit brand Eburon which belongs to Borgloon Auction will be further developed. Flandria and Eburon will reinforce each other, and together with the organic and auction specific brands of Mechelse, Brava, Top and Bel'Oblita (forgotten vegetables) will be placed on the market. With these core products, collaboration on a greater scale together with the improved negotiating position within European wholesale and the export/import companies pursued, BelOrta wants to achieve the maximum possible price for it producers, infrastructure, control costs and optimise logistics. Finally, continue cooperation with all other fruit and vegetable auctions in the neighbouring countries with an eye for the future.

www.belorta.be