At the start of the pandemic, Bremen-based catering wholesaler Topak Fruchtimporte moved into the former Greenyard hall at the local wholesale market. With a total capacity of 6,600 m2, the site offers more than enough space for the family business's storage, order picking and fresh-cut production. After the difficult Covid years, the company's management is now looking to the future with confidence, Managing Director Mustafa Topak reports.
Managing Director Mustafa Topak.
Cost increases and space rental
The omnipresent cost increases are also making themselves felt at the Bremen-based company. "The toll increase naturally represents a considerable cost factor in the procurement and delivery of goods, which we cannot pass on one-to-one. In order to compensate for the high fuel and logistics costs to some extent, we have been forced to charge a small flat-rate delivery fee since 2022." This measure has mostly been met with understanding by customers.
Around 70% of the hall is currently used for the company's own operational purposes, Topak continues. "In order to continuously utilize the available space, we rent out a total of around 2,000 pallet spaces for non-refrigerated goods. This decision has proven to be very successful and capacity utilization fluctuates between 75 and 90 percent on a permanent basis. We need the integrated refrigerated space ourselves and, if everything goes according to plan, we will put an additional deep-freeze warehouse into operation by the end of next year."
Although the company now offers a wide range of food products such as dairy products, olive oil, chips and canned tuna, fruit and vegetables in fresh and processed form remain the core competence of Topak Fruchtimporte, accounting for 80-85% of sales. Due to troublesome weather at home and abroad, the procurement of goods was challenging on several occasions last year, Topak reports. "Cucumbers were in short supply and exorbitantly expensive at the beginning of the year. Despite the alarming news about the supply situation for imported lettuce, we still have sufficient goods from France and also from Italy. If an item is temporarily unavailable, we can also offer an alternative product in many cases. In this respect, we are also seeing a certain level of acceptance from our customers."
The Topak production hall. Since 2020, the company has been based in the former Greenyard hall at the local wholesale market.
Growth and new product concepts
In the fresh-cut sector, the main focus is on standard products such as mixed salads, sliced onions, carrots and peppers. Topak's customer base also includes kindergartens and school catering. Here, politicians want to see a continuous increase in organic fruit and vegetables. "I think it will be a challenge if we don't put more money into the sector and continue to subsidize it," says Topak, who also points to procurement. "Regionality is a big issue for us. However, regional organic produce is difficult to procure all year round, as local farms often have small structures. In this respect, the necessary market structures are lacking."
When it comes to fresh-cut goods, the company would try to develop new product concepts together with the customer in order to counteract the shortage of staff in the sector. "In the longer term, however, I'm not really pessimistic, as we have good companies that are working hard to offer customers value for money."
Topak's delivery area extends from the Bremen area to Wilhelmshaven and Hanover.
Advantages of the location
Overall, the fruit wholesaler is confident about the future: "We recorded some pleasing growth in 2023 and were able to acquire several new customers. We also see further growth potential within our delivery area. With the new location, we have more than enough opportunities for expansion and, thanks to our location at the wholesale market, we always have the opportunity to make additional purchases on site. The latter is a great advantage for us, especially in the event of peaks in demand or delays in deliveries," Topak concludes.
Images: Topak Fruchtimporte e.K.
For more information:
Mustafa Topak
Topak Fruchtimporte e.K.
Großmarkt Bremen
Tel.: +49 (0421) 3 36 36 88-0
Email: [email protected]
www.topak.de