For the second year in a row, ZON fruit & vegetables has Spanish product at auction during the winter months. To this end, ZON worked with a number of Spanish cooperatives. Just like last year, Piet Crienen, Head of Inspections for ZON, was once again in Spain during this period in order to make sure fresh product of good quality was shipped. ZON Magazine talked to him about his activities there.
The words ‘hola, Piet,’ are often heard when Piet Crienen enters companies for his daily round of inspections this winter. Since the beginning of November, he has been ‘stationed’ in Spain by ZON, to inspect products and maintain relationships with various cooperatives in the Almería region, with which ZON cooperates.
How long does your ‘winter stay’ last?
“I am here four months in total, from the beginning of November to the beginning of March. I will therefore be done in a few weeks. I work from an apartment in Almerimar, which is located fairly centrally in relation to the cooperatives I have to visit daily in this horticultural area.”
Is there are a large difference in the way of working between Spain and the Netherlands?
“There definitely are differences, but to me, that is not a matter of better or worse, it is just different. I have daily contacts with the quality people of the cooperatives we work with, and they are my compañeros when I visit their company. They often hold combined positions here, by the way, so someone could be involved with both quality and commerce. In general, I could say it is very well-organised and professionally taken care of here. Many different causes (such as weather circumstances) can have influence on the quality, so it is important to regularly inspect quality.”
“My job is to make sure the batches for shipping meet the requirements set by ZON, among other things. A large difference is that cultivators in Spain supply the product unsorted and not packed, while this is often done by cultivators themselves in the Netherlands.”
“In any case, it is important to not give the impression that I will just tell how it should be done. I want to draw the same conclusions as my Spanish colleagues regarding the product’s quality. It is, as a matter of fact, very much appreciated that we from ZON approach quality this thoroughly.”
Is the language a barrier when it comes to cooperation?
“No, hardly, although I do not speak more than a few sentences of Spanish. Last summer, I followed a crash course of Spanish with a few ZON colleagues. That has definitely helped me during this second season, and besides, it is mostly a matter of common sense, and using the proverbial hand gestures.”
Will your efforts here locally also remain necessary in the long term?
“During this stage, it is mostly important to ‘radiate ZON’ and that I convey what exactly we, as ZON, want. Based on this, you could jump to the conclusion that people here will know what to do after two or three years, but it will remain a tricky matter for the so-called ZON culture to take root here permanently. In that way, I want to say that we will have to keep doing what we are doing now for the next few years. For that matter, it would be good to have one or two inspection specialists from Spain joining ZON here for a month or two.”
What is your experience of the daily cooperation with Spanish colleagues?
“Communication is not always a matter-of-course, not in the sense of understanding each other, but in the sense of informing each other in time. When a cooperative cannot supply, it is important that I hear that from the colleagues concerned well in advance, and not after I have come to that conclusion myself. Additionally, I naturally experience very practical things as well, such as the famous siesta, that took some getting used to at first. In the Netherlands, you are used to having 30 minutes for your lunch break, but here, people go home to eat for two hours. That is quite an adjustment.”
And privately, you have eight grandchildren: do they not miss their grandad?
“Well, the eldest is 16 years old by now, they are starting to have their own lives, so it is not too bad. Because of the cheap flights, my wife goes back to the Netherlands a few times, that makes a difference.”
What do you do in your free time here?
“I actually have a limited number of free evenings, because I am never finished before half past eight due to the mandatory siesta. Additionally, Saturday is usually a regular working day, at least with the cooperatives, which have people working until about half past one. Furthermore, I am quite a homebody, so I tend to be quite happy sitting in the sun on my balcony with a good book and some wine on Sunday afternoon.”
How do the people here view ZON?
“Most cooperatives here are not used to working with auctions. They therefore really had to get used to ZON during the first year. But they are very positive about the cooperation we have built now without exception. I have noticed there is much appreciation for our serious approach to this entire project.”