Hebe Frukt & Grönsaker AB, the Swedish importer and distributor of fresh fruit and vegetables, especially strawberries and other berries, has become the first wholesaler in the Gothenburg area with a part ownership in their own local strawberry farm.
Roland Nilsson with his new partners, brothers Krister and Peter Thornè
Hebe’s CEO Roland Nilsson, also known as the “Strawberry King” in the West of Sweden, says: "We at Hebe’s love the Swedish agricultural industry and with this opportunity we have a unique chance to develop strawberry Sweden."
Skogens Strawberry, a 20 hectare farm, is located right by the slalom slope in Ulricehamn. “Here the berries grow slowly and have time to develop a very high sweetness. Their harvest time, in the first or second week in July, is very late compared to the more Southern located farms in the country. Although they have a very short harvest period the special climate in this region, beside a big hill and river provides a great atmosphere for the strawberries to ripen slowly. The farms harvest period is at a time when the Swedish market is emptied and the rest of the farmers have harvested the bulk for the mid-summer festival period,” says Nilsson.
Hebe has become a partner in Skogens Jordgubbar i Ulricehamn AB. Both companies have a long history in their respective industries with invaluable knowledge. The cultivation on the farm will continue to be run by brothers Krister and Peter Thornè whereas Hebe will be a driving force in terms of varieties and sales. "We are delighted to benefit from Hebe’s knowledge and innovative strengths," says Krister Thornè, CEO of Skogens Strawberry.
“This is a farm we've worked with for at least the past 15 years. We have good experience with them. We are more like two families working together. We believe in Swedish and put energy and heart in the business. It is also an opportunity for us to present a really nice strawberry to the market. It helps us to choose the variety, because there are a lot of different varieties with different shelf life, taste and appearances. We believe in selling what tastes good. Then the customer will want to buy again. If the strawberry is red without taste they will not be willing to spend more,” states Nilsson.
For more information:
Roland Nilsson
Hebe Frukt & Grönsaker AB
Tel: +46 (0) 31-780 27 00
Email: roland.nilsson@hebe.se