December 29 was the last official business day for François Maes, founder of Special Fruit. He will resign from his current position as Business Development Director, but will still be closely involved with the company through the Board of Directors. 40 years ago, the 61-year-old entrepreneur began in the fresh produce sector. Special Fruit was founded in 1990 in Loenhout, and thus celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. François' wife, Clara Van Looveren is also retiring. It's still a family business though, with CEO Patrick Maes and François' three sons, Ben, Tom and Koen. "It was set down in a charter. We remain a family business," says François.
Special assignments
In the morning, he was welcomed in a special way, by guard of honour formed by colleagues. During the day, he got several assignments, sometimes to the hilarity of Special Fruit's employees. "For instance, in the morning I was a telephone operator. That was cool," he says enthusiastically. "I get to talk to my clients that way." In addition, François was tasked with launching a new product: a misshapen pumpkin, which was cultivated at a temperature of -10 degrees. "I also cycled, 500 metres competing against colleagues. Another sportive activity was sumo wrestling. Naturally I won everything," he smiles. He will continue to cycle in the near future: "This year I'm going to the Kilimanjaro Classics in Africa. I'm very much looking forward to it!" He will busy himself with various other activities as well, including coordinating sponsorship of the football club in Loenhout.
Exotics
Over the years, François has travelled all over the world for special products. "I was the first to distribute Italian kiwis within Europe. I had to seek out all products that weren't available year-round at that time. We introduced a lot to Europe: from soft fruit to various exotics. The blueberries were really the highlight." Around 20% of the products are sold in Belgium, the rest are exported within Europe. "We have our own production companies in Spain and Portugal, as well as offices in Peru and Spain." He thinks it's important to continue distinguishing yourself, even though some exotics have become quite accepted over time. "If a product has become more well known, you'll have to approach it differently. We do that through ripening and special packagings, for instance."
2020
For 2020, there are several goals. "We want to supply to the whole of Europe, and only export to outside Europe after that. There are still a great deal of market opportunities here, like the Balkans. Special Fruit will also further delve into things like e-commerce, controlled cultivation and sustainability. In addition, we'll have to involve the consumer more in what we do in various ways. We are also happy that the restaurant business has taken up healthy habits. It's to our advantage that more and more fruit and veg are being used in cooking shows." Regarding organic, there are also big plans. "In 2015, a new process is initiated: we also want to supply organic berries year-round. Demand is on the rise, and we are responding to that." Another 'hot item' is the expansion of the ripened fruit range. "The type of fruit hasn't been decided yet, but the range will be bigger in any case. Tests are being done with that now."
Party
After a long day of hard work, it was time for a party with colleagues. François and Clara were pleasantly surprised by the staff. The theme was Africa, and that was clearly noticeable. Special snacks were served, and there was a nice dance with African dancers and music. François visibly enjoyed himself. The mayor of Hoogstraten had also come to give a speech, handing over a certificate of good conduct and entrepreneurship.