To still know the exact prices, every day, of grapes, mangos, and kakis, at the age of 80. Few people can say that. However, Jan van den Heuvel is at each one of Hillfresh's morning planning meetings. Hillfresh is a Dutch company. This week, Jan not only celebrates his 80th birthday. He also celebrates his 65th anniversary in the fruit and vegetable trade sector.
Jan was asked what drives him to keep abreast of market and price developments. He answers," I am fit, and as far as I know I am healthy. I have always been interested in that. I have the advantage of being able to chat with everyone that comes to the office. There are still old suppliers that want to include 'the old guy'. We have been working with some of these suppliers for years. With one, from as far back as 1964."
Jan left school on his 15th birthday. "I was a good student, but the trade sector interested me more," the experienced trader says in reflection. "I reached my higher professional training level, thanks to night school. That was just self-improvement because I had been working as an independent broker since the age of 15."
"I would get up at three in the morning. Then to auction at 09:30 for my father. He had a wholesale store. I quickly had several large clients. When I was 17, I was banned. I was trading below price. That was soon a thing of the past. After all, you do not think a Van den Heuvel would work under the price? "
In 1961, Van den Heuvel was 21. He became a supplier for the American armed forces. Jan remained so for 35 years. He got his first staff members in 1967. Jan remained active in sales until he was 45. "A lot had changed over the years. The margins we got then, do not work for anyone anymore. Then there were also the buy-hungry Brits. They had an enormous amount of money left over for trade companies. This included mine," Jan says, looking back on the sale of Hagé to the British food group, Perkins.
"I have always been able to adapt to change quickly. When I began, the supermarkets had, maybe, a two percent market share. I, however, jumped on the wagon. In this way, we grew tremendously over the years. Today, the retail sector has a share of 82%. If you are not prepared to switch, you may as well stop trading. I can also not say there is a time in my career that was the best. Every period has its own charms."
This entrepreneurial spirit did not go unnoticed. Over the years, numerous positions on boards of directors followed. These boards were in a wide range of industries. "People consider you a successful businessman. I always loved advising companies. Not that I know anything about furniture, kitchens, or IT."
"But, the chairman of the board of directors is not asked about this. And I was always the chairman. At one time, I was a supervisory director or sat on 14 advisory boards. Since then, I have, at the advice of my wife, cut back a little. Now, I am on only two boards, both with charitable backgrounds," Jan says.
Many fruit and vegetable traders from 'the class of Van den Heuvel' later began their own businesses. "People ping-ponged from one company to the other. This happens a lot today. I was, however, never involved in this. In my career, I have never headhunted someone from a competitor. I have always trained youngsters."
"In recent years, a vast number of companies have sprung up (in the Dutch region of) Barendrecht. Several of these are run by brokers who were trained by me. If you can survive with 20 competitors, you can do so with 22 too. People must also realize that not every small office can service the European retail sector. Not like a company like, for example, HillFresh does."
"The trade sector will continue to change in the coming years too. Just think in terms of logistics and within the retail sector. Consider the retail landscape, where (the Dutch supermarket chain) Jumbo is expanding aggressively. A company like The Greenery benefits from this," Van den Heuvel explains.
"If you were to ask me ten years ago, how things would go with The Greenery, I might have thought they would go belly-up. However, under the leadership of my good friend, Steven Martina, they got things going well. (The Dutch companies) Albert Heijn and Bakker Barendrecht have had a successful model for years. The Greenery has practically become Jumbo's 'Bakker'."
Jan makes a lot of time for hobbies like hunting and fishing. He is, however, planning to remain involved in the fruit and vegetable trade sector. That is, for as long as his health allows. "I am at the office at HillFresh at 06:45 every morning. I then follow the price alignments at 07:00."
"I only give advice when asked. I do not get involved anymore. I then have a cup of coffee and chat with coworkers. In the afternoon, I get the sales figures. And at the end of the afternoon, the expected overseas arrivals for the next week. I can rattle the prices off for you. I will never lose interest in the fruit and vegetable trade sector," concludes Jan.
Email: janl@noldijk.eu