At 64, Adriaan Breeuwsma is not yet ready to spend his days at home or sailing his boat. "I've worked in the fruit and vegetable sector my entire life and wouldn't want to do anything else. I simply love it too much," he says.
For the past eight years, Adriaan worked for the Spanish leaf mandarin grower V. Ros, where he did acquisitions in the Netherlands and Scandinavia. When the Beltran family joined the Iberian Premium Fruits group, it was time for Adriaan to say goodbye. "It was a wonderful time, during which we put leaf mandarins on the map."
Adriaan knows the citrus sector like the back of his hand, having worked at Frutas Mugui for five years. This Spanish company supplied citrus to, among others, the members of the nine Superunie - a Dutch purchasing cooperative - among others. Before that, Breeuwsma worked for a Dutch regional supermarket chain, Poiesz, for 17 years, where he was responsible for fruit and veg purchasing.
"I witnessed its growth from 20 to 55 branches. When I first attended a Superunie meeting in 1992, they collectively purchased only Brazilian citrus. As a working group member, I could contribute on Poiesz's behalf. I helped initiate various fresh produce import lines from Southern Europe for Superunie," Adriaan explains.
Before that, he was at the then-vegetable auction Westland-Noord, where he represented Cornelis Zwaan's Export Trade. But he actually learned the trade from his father, who owned a fruit wholesale company. "After high school, I joined the business."
"I worked for my father for six years. He was the most demanding boss you could imagine, and it was truly a 24/7 job," Adriaan admits, "but it was marvelous. My father was always looking for bargains, and we visited all the nearby auctions and growers."
Adriaan is keen to use his experience for other companies. "If you want to know how to get into supermarkets, are looking for a buyer, or want to introduce a new product, I'm available on a project basis," he concludes.
For more information:
Adriaan Breeuwsma
Mob: +31 (0) 654 716 715
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