Significant changes for Arava Export Growers
"He will always be spoken of as the individual who has taken the company to new levels and led it through extraordinary challenges and helped us become a prominent company in Israel," Omar Kamp, a representative of Avara stated.
The newly appointed CEO, Mr. Itamar Levy, has been handpicked by the company's shareholders to lead the group into a new frontier, and while a huge change, the company is confident in his ability to continue where Mr. Itzhak Vizenberg left off.
"Aside from his task to sustain the foundations on which this company stands, he will include innovative thinking to further develop ideas and confront realities faced by the industry. Mr. Levy has years of experience in interpreting and making the necessary changes to better adapt the company's strategies for the future," Kamp said.
New approach
The main reason for these structural changes, according to Mr. Itamar Levy, is to apply a Customer Focus strategy, whereby he, the customer, is placed in the center and overall supply is dictated with utter accordance to his changing and dynamic demands.
As part of the Customer Focus Approach, the company, along with shareholders and the board of directors, has decided on a vertically integrated strategy that will allow the adaptation of added value that would best meet the requirements of clients, along with overall quality assurances.
The company has found it imperative to ensure that marketing and supply would be under a single department for the purpose of shortening the distance between what the client wants and demands and what the grower can supply.
"The new approach we are taking towards yet another challenging season would be to first consolidate all lines into one marketing and supply department and to offer three groups of products that would include, conventional fruits & vegetables, organic vegetable and specialties such as herbs, exotics, dates and spicy peppers."
According to Kamp, the most indispensable element of this approach is to tighten the distance between the supply lines to the client. "Consolidation turns fruitful only when its horizontal line is short, growers and clients must be on the same page and within the scope of one vital umbrella"
"We want to make sure that the message is sent across that Arava Export Growers can and will offer a wide line of products to accommodate a fair portion of our clients' demands," Kamp stated.
Eyes towards the Future
As part of the change, Arava Export Growers has decided to include a new department whose purpose will be to perfect new products, seek new opportunities and keep an eye open for suggestions.
In the company's new structural organization, this novel department of business development will enjoy considerable support and resources to successfully seek out and develop new product ideas to broaden our line of offered products and serve the client's vibrant needs.
"Medjool Dates, for instance, have shown steady growth and therefore, consequent investments were made towards a new pack house. Different tailored packaging and a wide variety of qualities are now available within this segment."
"Aside from that, we are looking into Fresh Cut products, new crops and varieties, contingent farms abroad and, most importantly, to provide alternatives to packaging and labeling of different sorts," Kamp explained.
Line of Products
As part of the company's alteration, a wider line of products will also be displayed and offered. At large, exported from Israel, the company continues in offering:
• Conventional fruits & vegetables: bell peppers, pomegranates, stone fruits, citrus, roots, strawberries, grapes, egg plants, pointy peppers
• Organic vegetables: bell peppers, cucumbers, pointy, egg plant
• Specialties: fresh herbs, habanero chili peppers, exotics, fresh dates
"After many years in the industry, I have concluded that offering is one thing and supplying is another. At times, the distance between the two is so vast that one cannot make the connection. Therefore, the consolidation we are implementing would allow constant supply and a real-time flow of information to assist each and every one in making calculated planning."
Tailoring
"Having great quality is a mere baby step towards a great product. In today's arena, we are all exposed to the simple reality that consumers are the ones calling the shots and that is exactly what they do."
"Despite this, the consumers' demands are crystal clear. Consumers want great product quality, quality assurances such as, SMETA, GRASP, GGN, TNC and tailored packaging. Not just the 1 kg box but rather alternatives."
This basic understanding is the corner stone for tackling the future of the Fresh Produce Industry, he explained. "In a world of abundance, you can no longer find new space to build on but rather structures to build on top of," Kamp finished.
For more information:
Omer Kamp
Arava Export Growers
omer@arv.co.il
www.arv.co.il