In recent years there have been various initiatives to further digitise trade but online platforms have had various negative results. Juan Gonzalez Pita, founder of Salix Fruit, has now accepted that challenge. Why does he think he can set up a successful trade platform where others have failed?
Juan Gonzales Pita, founder of Salix Fruit.
Although Salix Fruit’s main office is in the US nowadays, the company’s origin can be found in Argentina. The company has a network and exports fruit to roughly 50 different countries. From the beginning, Juan has been working on the company’s online visibility. “In 2011, I was one of the first in our sector to use Google Adwords. I set up various campaigns using Google,” the trader says. The website also had to look good, because “image is very important.”
Always in season
In the company’s first year, 100 shipments were shipped, nowadays, that number has been multiplied by 10. In 2013, Luis Elortondo joined Salix Fruit, and the main office was moved to the US. Two years later, Alejandro Moralejo and Daniel Calvo joined the management. “Luis and I have experience in trade, while Alejandro and Daniel brought more of a company vision and knowledge to the table,” Juan explains.
“We claim to always be in season,” he continues. “We want to be a one-stop-shop for our customers and to offer them a large network of growers.” Juan exemplifies using the supply of figs. With export from Peru, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa and Turkey, a year-round supply can be guaranteed. American apples, Argentinian lemons and citrus from South Africa, Egypt, Morocco and Turkey and grapes from Chile combined make up about 80 per cent of the company’s assortment. The choice of fruit is a strategic one. In the trade of vegetables, local production plays an important role, but that’s not the case with fruit. “We focus on markets that aren’t in season.” These markets can be found globally, from Canada to India and the Middle East and from Latin America to Russia.
Online trade platform
Salix is planning to launch a global fruit marketplace before 2019 ends. This internet-based b2b platform aims to rule the fruit business for the next 10 years.“What commercial enterprises do isn’t rocket science. That’s why traders have to justify why they work in certain ways,” Juan says. “No one is considering removing the these parties from the supply chain, because it has value. Yet internet is the future, and the question isn’t if but when an online platform is added.” Because of that thought, the company is working on an online platform that should bring growers and buyers into contact with each other.
Juan knows that this isn’t a new idea. “It’s been tried before, but was never successful.” What makes his platform different? “The other initiatives suffered from ‘empty restaurant syndrome,’” he says. “You don’t enter when there’s no one inside. Our platform will be filled with our own growers and customers from day one.” The platform should be online in the second half of this year.
For more information:
Salix Fruit
Juan Gonzalez Pita
1070 Bridge Mill Ave,
Canton, GA 30114, USA
T: +1 (0)770 872 7824
E: Juan.gonzales@salixfruits.com
W: www.salixfruits.com