Portugal’s Emergosol has merged with neighbouring vegetable supplier Carmo & Silvério in a bid to streamline costs, boost its product portfolio ahead of a push into new export markets.
Located in Santa Cruz on the Silver Coast, family-run Emergosol specialises in supplying the UK retailers with a range of Portuguese fruits and vegetables including pears, stonefruit, grapes, kiwifruit and vegetables, while Carmo & Silvério main product is tomatoes.
“This tie-up expands our product range and drastically increases our packing capacity,” Emergosol’s Miguel Langan told Fruitnet. “We’re currently upgrading Carmon & Silvéiro’s facility, adding a brand new packing room that will include a grading machine, flowpack line, two netting and labelling lines and extra coldstorage.”
The company has also boosted its sales team and is starting to explore new markets including Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, Morocco and Brazil. Langan said the union was not just about export growth, but also a reaction to the harsh economic climate within which Portuguese companies have had to trade since the financial crisis.
“We have had to make aggressive investments in upgrading our packing facilities in order to cut down on costs,” he noted. “We have made the whole supply chain more efficient, from production right through to logistics.”
The company is also revamping its product range with new investments in Rocha pear production, stonefruit and early apple varieties.
In vegetables, the company has invested in a 20ha farm on which it plans to grow butternut squash, runner beans, broccoli and peas, amongst other vegetables with the aim of broadening its customer base.
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