Michel Takken and Jurgen Ratelband are the Dutch company, Tolpoort Vegetables' new sales representatives. Ratelband used to trade tea. He gained fruit and vegetable sales experience at Coöperatie DOOR and Gourmet, also in the Netherlands. Takken spent the last 35 years at DEEN supermarkets. Most of these were as a fruit and vegetable specialist as part of these Dutch stores' category management team.
Michel and Jurgen
"Forming a new organization has recently been the order of the day here," says Tolpoort Vegetables' Gian Russchen. "We implemented a new ERP system and created a professional team. Ratelband and Takken are the sales team. And we're confident they'll see to it that our fresh products can continue their journey in the market. Then we can further build Tolpoort Vegetables' future. Their knowledge and experience complement the company's young, ambitious team well."
"Last year, our growers decided to set up their own sales organization. That ensures forward chain integration and shortens the distance between grower and customer. That, in turn, benefits the transparency and efficiency for which we're striving. By now, we're selling all products - cauliflower, broccoli, and chicory - independently."
"Our affiliated growers are located in the Netherlands and Spain. They ensure that high-quality outdoor vegetables are available year-round. We started selling Spanish cauliflower and broccoli in November last year. The mild weather initially limited the supply. But it had improved by late December. And those products were readily available," Russchen concludes.
For more information:
Tolpoort Vegetables
Tel: +31 (0) 228 565 780
Website: www.tolpoort.com
