"Pure trade is the best thing there is"

Almost ten years ago, Jan Nobel started his own wholesale company in the Dutch town of Bergschenhoek. "There are long trading hours and a constant supply of new products. This means there is something for everyone. We have large and small class I and II strawberries. They are inexpensive and very nice. Our varied range means we have an extensive group of buyers. We keep growing year-on-year."

Almost all their clients come to Bergschenhoek to do business themselves. These clients are mostly retailers and market vendors. "It is hard to imagine, but people come here from all over the country. There are even Belgians and Germans", laughs Jan. He also has only good things to say about his location. "It is a top location, close to Rotterdam and The Hague. It is also not too far from Utrecht."

Jan's wife, Willeke, is responsible for the company's administration. He has also been supported by Siebe Bac and Michael van Dam for years. He likes keeping himself busy with pure buying and selling. "Trading is the best thing. Every day, new business comes in. We and our clients can make a living from this. That is an art. Let the summer fruit come. When the warehouse is full of strawberries, cherries, peaches, and nectarines, I am in my element!"

"I buy at all the well-known auctions, but also directly from the growers. We do not import ourselves - we leave that to the professionals", says Jan. "We do, however, for example, sell a good amount of Spanish and Peruvian asparagus. Soft fruit remains a real speciality. We sell a lot of cherries during the season. My clients can also get all kinds of tomatoes here."

The number of retailers and market vendors has decreased sharply over the last decades. Jan, however, does not see the sector totally disappearing. "Market trading will always exist. I am convinced of this. The same can be said for good retailers. Attention does, however, need to be paid to after-sales-service at shops and market traders."

As a real Cash & Carry trader, Jan is one of the last of his kind. "I do, indeed, see very few new businesses springing up. Trading is a difficult thing to do; you need a bit of affinity for it. In that respect, it is an advantage to have grown up in a fresh fruit and vegetable environment. Day trading will remain, despite all the retail programmes. This means there is enough work for us. In the foreseeable future, we will have to start looking at larger business premises. This is needed to expand our activities further."

For more information:
Jan Nobel
Nobel Groenten en Fruit
141 Hoekeindseweg
Bergschenhoek
2665 ZJ Bleiswijk
Tel: +31 (0)105 298 891
info@nobel-agf.nl www.nobel-agf.nl