After 27 loyal years of service to the Best Fresh Group, Kees Valstar has sold his shares to his brother Mart, "I'm taking a leap of faith here, but this was a very well-thought out decision," says Kees, who became the second representative for the-then Commission trade for M. Valstar & Co. for the third generation of his family at 22 years of age. Kees now owns previous Best Fresh Group shares belonging to the South African blueberry and grape producers 'Dreammaker Fruits', with 370 acres cultivated on over 2,471 acres.
Kees (right) with Mart and his parents at the 85th anniversary
"Mart indicated he would like to continue on in the family business, and he wanted to take over my shares, which gave me a perfect way to end my time here. People sometimes ask me if the difference in our personalities is the reason for my departure, but that has actually been our strength over all these years," says Kees, who specialized in strawberries and other soft fruits in 1998, which led to the establishment of Fruit World Breda.
"I will regularly visit the growing area in South Africa - in August/September the harvest will start up again - and I will stay directly connected to the fresh produce sector. Other than that I will see what else comes my way. For now, my house will serve as my headquarters. I see the upcoming six months as a sort of sabbatical to give me time to figure out my next step. I will not exclude anything and I am open to everything, even to ideas outside the fresh produce sector."