International fresh produce grower, supplier and trader Jupiter Group has had a year filled with impressive highlights.
As the year draws a close, we look back at what’s been a phenomenal year for the business and to find out what’s in store for 2019.
Jupiter Group’s CEO Mark Tweddle has reason to look back on 2018 with pride.
The Shropshire-based fresh produce company has gone from strength to strength over the last 12 months nationally and internationally, it’s won high-profile accolades, and achieved both industry and world firsts too.
Highlights include ranking for the very first time in the Sunday Times International Track 200 in 17th place, as one of the best performing companies in the UK for impressive international sales growth, and being named the UK’s Best Fresh Produce Company 2018 by Lux Life.
Director Mark said he was “incredibly proud” of all the firm’s achievements in 2018, but added that he was most proud of the fact that Jupiter’s still owes it success to the culture at its core and the family ethos it lives by.
He said: “2018 has certainly been a phenomenal year for us and it’s testament to all the hard work, dedication, loyalty and commitment of our people around the globe, as well as the professional suppliers and growers who we work closely with.
“I’m incredibly proud of our ever-growing Jupiter family and have been equally thrilled by all of the amazing milestones and achievements that we’ve made this year.
“But what’s been a tremendous highlight for us as a grower is that, after years in our planning pipeline, 2018 saw us unveil the first yield of our unique ARRA table grapes. This doesn’t take away from the core supply we offer, however it certainly widens our range for retailers.
“Our teams not only took trips out to Greece to see our new table grapes on the vine on our Greek farms and in the pack houses where we’d installed brand new MARCO packing technology, but they welcomed visitors and friends to our stands in Berlin, Hong Kong and Madrid.
Mark went on to say: “While 2018 will certainly be a tough act to follow, we are looking forward to activity planned for 2019.”
Another key milestone, of what has been a very busy year for Jupiter, includes the launch of its new quarterly company magazine; Global Roots - the second edition is set to kick off the New Year for the firm in January and offers an insight into who’s on board the Jupiter bus steering the direction of the business.
On the growth front, Jupiter’s certainly ending the year on a high too, after recently making a major acquisition in South Africa of a majority share of a citrus and stone fruit business formally known as Bonaire, with the new venture being named Jupiter South Africa.
Here’s just a few of the other 2018 highlights for Jupiter Group:
- It showcased its first independent and largest stand to date at Fruit Logistica Berlin 2018;
- It made an “exciting” inaugural appearance at the Madrid Fruit Attraction;
- Attended a dinner date with Dragons Den’s Peter Jones CBE;
- Sponsored its first ever Asia Fruit Congress ahead of attending the Asia Fruit Logistica;
- Supported local and international rugby hopefuls with a UK-South Africa exchange programme;
- Continued to build on its charity work, under its Nancy Tweddle Foundation, including: bringing brand new kit to underprivileged youth FC Rockafellas on the Cape Flats, and supporting Adopt-a-Mission to provide food parcels, and a weekly cooked meal, for those less fortunate in South Africa.
You can keep on top of what’s next in the pipeline for Jupiter in its blog.