Gerard is going in a different direction and switching over from The Greenery to Greenery Italia. The house has been sold, the tickets booked, and the final moving boxes are being filled. Gerard van Loon is ready to move to Italy. He’ll continue working in fresh produce, and is also going to run a B&B with his wife Anja.
Gerard says he’s still enjoying himself at The Greenery, but he couldn’t pass up the chance for a new adventure abroad. He leaves The Greenery at the end of the year, to start for Greenery Italia. “Greenery Italia and a number of growers’ cooperatives have created a consortium to set up a logistical distribution system called Greenmed Srl from port city Taranto in the Puglia region. Greenery Italia is a partner in that,” he explains. “They were looking for someone who could guide the project on site, and that’s how I entered the picture. My wife and I always toyed with the idea of moving abroad, and the time is now ripe to actually do it.”
Gerard van Loon and his wife are moving to Italy.
In the coming period, Gerard will be involved in this project and, additionally, as general manager of LVE, he is committed to the further worldwide rolling out of the Sweet Sensation club variety, which is exclusively marketed by The Greenery in the Netherlands. “I also want to continue building on relationships in Italy. In Puglia, many types of grapes and lettuce are grown in particular. I’m going to research options in the field of local-for-local and direct export to buyers. We’ll have to wait and see how all of that will work in practice, but for now, I’m supposed to work for Greenery Italia three days per week.”
B&B Masseria Cesarina
Gerard says he’s looking forward to the new adventure. “It’s not that I no longer enjoy the work, or that I don’t agree with The Greenery’s vision anymore, but we didn’t want to pass up this chance for change. Moreover, I know that my succession within The Greenery is well-secured with Rob van der Weele.” Gerard and Anja will live in Castellana Grotte, near Bari, in the heel of the boot of Italy. They will run B&B Masseria Cesarina here. “My wife always wanted to do something like that. We searched for quite some time for a beautiful and well-maintained location. We took over this B&B from an older British married couple. My wife will mostly be occupied with the B&B, but I am planning to help her, in addition to my work for Greenery Italia. I think it’s an ideal combination for us to make our adventure in Italy a success.”
For that matter, it’s hardly surprising that Gerard and Anja are moving to Italy. They’ve had their holidays there for 32 years. The atmosphere, the climate, the good food and the hospitality of the Italians appeal to them. According to Gerard, tourists are heading to Puglia more and more often. “Every summer, thousands of Dutch and Belgian tourists visit Lake Garda and Tuscany, but this region also has much to offer. Puglia has many beautiful beaches and small cities, and these are definitely worth a visit. Moreover, our B&B is very accessible via one of the nearby airports.”
More information about the B&B can be found at www.masseriacesarina.com.