It was founded in 2009 and has been on the road to success ever since: the international trading office in Valencia, Spain, procures fruit and vegetables from all over the world for METRO. "We started from scratch," recalls Jorge Garcia, Head of Quality & Sustainability Valencia Trading Office (VTO), at the beginning of the year 2009. Today - 10 years 
later - the VTO team consists of more than 60 employees and cooperates with more than 240 fruit and vegetable suppliers around the world. In addition, the VTO is now part of a global procurement network for food, according to Metro magazine MPulse.
Experienced specialists from 13 nations work in the Valencia Trading Office - from buyers and sellers to logisticians and quality inspectors. Around the globe, the team procures a wide range of fruits and vegetables. These include exotic fruits such as finger lime, a citrus plant with pear-like flesh or new varieties such as ready-to-eat avocados with a perfect degree of ripeness for immediate consumption.
Hand in hand to success
"We keep a close eye on the supply chain," says Jorge Garcia. "From sowing on the field to harvesting the fruit right through to the packing and transporting the goods - every single step requires experience and know-how to ensure the quality and safety of the products." Another crucial factor is a relation of trust with the suppliers. An example of success is the partnership with the Spanish orange grower Jose Luis Martinez, with whom the VTO has been cooperating for 6 years - always with the common goal of bringing only the best fruits to the shelves.
For more information: www.metro.de