Because the city of Cologne is closing the wholesale market in Raderberg for good at the end of the year, three experienced market traders are currently setting up a new fresh produce center in Gremberghoven on the right bank of the Rhine called ABA Köln Frische Centrum GmbH. "The city of Cologne has let us down. But we're not looking back, we're looking ahead," says Nevzat Taskiran (pictured below), managing director of Birkenheyer Fruchthandels GmbH and deputy chairman of the Interessengemeinschaft (IG) Kölner Großmarkt (en.: Cologne Wholesale Market Interest Group). Together with his partners Halil Adam (63), managing director of Früchte Adam GmbH, and Turgay Ilhan (61), managing director of Asya Feinkost GmbH, he has made a virtue out of necessity and founded the fresh produce center in Gremberghoven. "We are building something entirely new here. Everything here will be nicer, cleaner, and better than at the old wholesale market."
© Hugo Huijbers | FreshPlaza.com
The private fresh produce center is being built on a 22,000-square-meter site in the industrial park, where work can be carried out around the clock. "The transport links are very good. For our customers, shopping with us will be better and easier than before," emphasizes Halil Adam. The new, fresh produce center, with a usable area of over 8,000 square meters, PV systems, and modern loading ramps, is scheduled to go into operation on January 2. The decision to build their own fresh produce center was also made to give future generations and the approximately 200 employees of the businesses a future, says Taskiran. "We want to continue the tradition of Cologne's wholesale market."
For more information:
www.koelner-grossmarkt.de/
www.birkenheyer.com/
www.fruechteadam.com
www.asyafeinkost.de
