Chiquita Europe president Michel Loeb says the relocation of the group's European headquarters from Antwerp in Belgium to the Swiss town of Rolle is progressing smoothly, with the company continuing to build its presence in Europe and also preparing to launch new products in 2009.
Speaking exclusively to Eurofruit Magazine, Mr Loeb said the group was now working to appoint new staff to fill a number of vacancies. The relocation, due to be concluded next year, has also enabled it to optimise its long-term tax structure, he said.
'We are now looking for the most qualified people to take up various posts in the new offices in Rolle,' said Mr Loeb. 'Putting the right teams in place is a high priority for Chiquita, and it is therefore not a process we are rushing to complete.'
Commenting on the recent sale of German trading arm Atlanta to Belgian group Univeg, meanwhile, Mr Loeb said he expected the commercial relationship between his company and its former subsidiary would in fact be strengthened by the deal.
'In a nutshell, it will be business as usual,' he insisted. 'This will reinforce the relationship we already had with Univeg through Bakker in the Netherlands and we expect to be able to continue to deliver a superior service to our customers.'
Mr Loeb said he also expected the coming 12 months to see a number of new products from Chiquita make their debut on the European market.
'The coming year will be an important one as we seek to expand our product offering,' he said. 'We will focus our efforts on new launches in the banana category, as well as in healthy beverages and snacks.'
The full interview with Michel Loeb appears in the January 2009 edition of Eurofruit Magazine
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