Eurofrutas

João Mendes has been appointed managing director of Portuguese importer Eurofrutas. Mendes, 54, was formerly managing director of Chiquita Portugal and most recently deputy managing director of Bargosa Fruit Company.

“Together with Paulo Figueira who represents and carries on the company tradition, Mendes will be aiming to amplify the service offered to our customers, increasing our efficiency and reactivity to the various requests that arrive from different strategic markets,’ said Raffaella Orsero, managing director of Italy’s GF Group which owns the Portuguese company.

Since its creation in the mid-1980s as an importer and distributor of bananas, Eurofrutas has become one of Portugal’s leading players with operations in the country’s main fruit markets including Lisbon, Oporto, Coimbra, Algarve and Braga. As well as controlling a significant share of Portugal’s banana imports, the company also offers a wide range of fruits and vegetables from around the world.