Aartsenfruit has been celebrating its 110 year anniversary. Friends were welcomed with a cappuccino and a treat. We also went by the main office in Breda and spoke to general director Jack Aartsen, who has been involved in Aartsenfruit for 35 of those 110 years, about the past and in particular about the future. When asked about the milestones over the past 110 years, Jack mentioned the change of leadership between generations, his decision to buy back 100% of Aartsenfruit in 2002 and their 100 year existence. "But I hate looking back. We look forward every day!"
Thankfully there is enough to look forward to. "In the past three years we have realised a growth that I haven't experienced before in the last 35 years. This is demanding for the organisation. This month our location in Hong Kong moved to a new building and we will be extending the warehouse and the office in our locations in Breda and Venlo," says Jack. "I'm proud that all four locations have experienced growth. This lateral growth is the power of Aartsenfruit."
When asked to explain the growth, Jack answers: "We haven't done anything strange and are very clear about what we do in the organisation. We make clear choices, which have gone against the national trend. We don't supply supermarkets and don't export ourselves. But we try to be very good at what we do. This clarity can be seen throughout the entire organisation. We were growing with this vision through the crisis years and this is now continuing to accelerate."
A side effect of the fast growth is the need to tie more people to the organisation. "Aartsenfruit stands and falls with its people. Our first priority now is to lift the organisation to a higher level. This is why we have been hiring great new people for the last six months, which is a very difficult task."