Barendrecht-based Hoofdman Roodzant has absorbed FreshPride’s Asia and Middle East business
Dutch exporter Hoofdman Roodzant has revealed that sister company FreshPride’s Asia and Middle East export operations have been merged into the business.
The group, based in Barendrecht and part of Fruitful Ventures, has specialised in exporting fruit and vegetables to Eastern Europe and the CIS for 30 years.
The group noted that Eastern Europe has seen plenty of new opportunities and where others withdrew, Hoofdman Roodzant stayed.
“That is where we distinguish ourselves,” said general director Christian Schouten.
“We are extremely loyal to our customers and we do not shy away from new opportunities, in fact we enjoy it. That is exactly why the Middle East and Asia suit us so well.”
He pointed out that market access is arranged differently for every product and every country, the trade is highly fragmented, and customers ask for different things when compared with European buyers.
”Because we serve so many different markets, we are attractive to suppliers and exporters worldwide,” Schouten continued.
”We can place a much wider range of sizes and quality grades with our customers across the world.
”That is the expertise we bring, combined with the market knowledge of the FreshPride colleagues now in our team,” he noted.
In the Middle East, Hoofdman Roodzant supplies retailers, wholesalers and foodservice, focusing on Gulf markets including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Iraq and Jordan.
In Asia, it said, it serves retailers, wholesalers, e-commerce platforms, foodservice and industry, from Turkey and India to Singapore, Vietnam, China and Japan.
“We have our own office in Singapore with experienced people, so we know the region very well and can react to market trends and changes on short notice,” Schouten confirmed,
For customers, little has changed, he outlined.
“The same account managers continue to serve our existing customers in the same markets,” Schouten pointed out.
”It is mainly the name, and the fact that we are now one team, so we can make much better use of each other’s expertise.”
Hoofdman Roodzant said that its experience in complex markets now sits alongside its network in Asia and the Middle East, with ”great supplier benefits” – namely, a wider range of markets, each with their own specifications.
”We are going in with a lot of energy, and we hope to build a position as strong as the one we have in Eastern Europe,” the company added.
