New joint venture between Omer-Decugis & Cie and PrepWorld will be situated at the Port of Dunkirk
Omer-Decugis & Cie, an international group specialising in fresh and exotic fruits and vegetables, and PrepWorld, a UK-based supplier of fresh-cut fruit, have formed a strategic joint venture called PrepWorld France.
The company will be located at a new logistics platform to be built at the Port of Dunkirk, and will focus on accelerating the development of the fresh-cut market in France, with a broader ambition to serve key European markets.
With a population of more than 68mn people, France’s annual whole-head fruit consumption is reckoned by the FAO to be about 124kg per capita.
And according to the joint venture partners, its market for fresh-cut produce is estimated to be worth around €200mn and has seen consistent growth year on year.
“In recent years, we have seen the fresh-cut fruit category gain strong momentum across European markets, becoming a key consumption driver for products such as pineapples, mangoes, berries and more,” commented Vincent Omer-Decugis, chairman and CEO of Omer-Decugis & Cie.
“Fresh-cut fruit combines the most powerful consumer trends – health-conscious eating, plant-based lifestyle, and convenience – making it one of the most promising segments in fresh produce today whether in retail distribution, or in food service,” he said.
As a market leader in the UK fresh-cut market, PrepWorld aims to bring its category knowledge and insight to France and other European markets.
“PrepWorld are incredibly excited by this new partnership with Omer-Decugis & Cie,” said Benjamin Olins, CEO of PrepWorld, which is a division of BerryWorld, owned by the AgroBerries Group.
“Our team have long recognised the opportunity across France and more widely in Europe, to provide high quality, consistent, fresh-cut fruit, fuelled by our category insights and innovations.”
Ready to collaborate
Omer-Decugis & Cie and PrepWorld said they would collaborate through a co-financed joint venture based on equal ownership.
It will operate as a fully integrated team, enabling both partners to leverage their complementary expertise to establish a market leader in fresh-cut fruit. “Entering this market is a natural step for our group, fully aligned with our long-term vision of integrated produce operations, from farm to distribution,” Omer-Decugis continued.
“We strongly believe that this joint venture, bringing together the complementary expertise of BerryWorld, PrepWorld and Omer-Decugis & Cie, will play a key role in developing the category’s full potential in France.”
Olins added: “In Omer-Decugis & Cie, we have found a complimentary partner; their vertical integration in tropicals and in-depth understanding of the French and European commercial arena, go hand in hand with PrepWorld’s longstanding procurement expertise, excellence in manufacturing, quality and compliance.”
The PrepWorld France site will be situated within Omer-Decugis & Cie’s new integrated fresh produce platform at the Port of Dunkirk, and will apparently provide a sustainable and efficient chain of intake, ripening, and processing.
It is also set to provide easy access to France, the UK, and Continental Europe, the directors noted. “Designed to be the most innovative, produce-driven and customer-focused fresh-cut facility in the country, PrepWorld France will be located within our next-generation logistic and ripening platform in Dunkirk, and will serve as a cornerstone of our commitment to low-carbon, integrated logistics,” said Omer-Decugis.
“The creation of PrepWorld France represents a logical next step in the evolution of our fresh cut offer and the new site at Dunkirk perfectly complements our UK site at Northfleet,” Olins concluded.
“Strategically co-locating our fresh-cut facility alongside Omer-Decugis & Cie’s ripening and logistics platform will ensure we deliver the freshest, high-quality product to market, in the most efficient and consistent way.”
