Fruchthaus Hulsberg has been located at Bremen's wholesale market in Überseestadt for 20 years now: By the end of the year, however, the long-established food wholesaler will say goodbye to the local fresh produce center and move to the brand new company building in Ganderkesee, Lower Saxony. We spoke to Sales Manager Sebastian Samborski about the approaching move and the development of convenience production.
The idea to leave the Bremen wholesale market for good came about shortly before the Corona outbreak in 2019, Samborski said. "From many aspects, the current conditions at the wholesale market are rather disadvantageous for us. First, we are talking about the operating costs, not only the rental prices, but also the ancillary costs, like those for waste disposal. Secondly, we believe that the wholesale market in Überseestadt has no future in the longer term, if only because of the infrastructure. This part of town is a sought-after area, which is why numerous apartments and office buildings have been built over the years. This is anything but ideal for us wholesale market traders."
In Ganderkesee, Fruchthaus Hulsberg will be able to take waste disposal into its own hands and recycle it on site, Samborski explains.
Doubling operating capacity
According to Samborski, however, the main reason for the move was the available space and location with optimal transport links. "There is a total of 1,900m2 of office and warehouse space available to us at the new location, which is roughly double the current operating capacity. In addition, we will be able to generate our own electricity by means of solar panels. We will clearly be able to benefit from this energy efficiency in the longer term." The company's staff will also be increased by 30 percent at the new location.
Despite Corona, the team of this company, which was founded in 1991, is looking ahead confidently. "As we all know, the restaurant industry has suffered a significant drop in sales and is still suffering from the constraints. Thankfully, thanks to financial aid and subsidies, our restaurant customers have been able to keep the business afloat. Given the shortage of staff and the trend toward system catering, we expect the demand for convenience to increase in the longer term," Samborski continues.
Sebastian Samborski at the current location during FreshPlaza 2019 wholesale market visit.
Quality moves to the fore
What once began in the late 1990s with very small quantities of peeled vegetables and household appliances has now developed into the company's core competence. Says Samborski, "We now offer our foodservice customers a wide range of products, either hand- or machine-processed Freshcut items without any preservatives or additives, from pre-cut vegetables to complete salads and antipasti. Quality is becoming more and more important: With the new location, we are well prepared for the future. Not only because we can expand production capacity, but also because, thanks to greater cold storage capacity on the part of goods procurement, we will be able to buy by the truck instead of by the pallet in the future."
For more information:
Sebastian Samborski
Fruchthaus Hulsberg
Großmarkt Bremen
Am Waller Freihafen 1
28217 Bremen
Tel: 0421 - 427 66 0
Mail: [email protected]
Web: www.fruchthaus-hulsberg.com
