Best Fresh Group, the Netherlands-based conglomerate of international fresh produce companies, has announced that subsidiaries Citrus World and Jin-Jin are joining forces for the upcoming season.
The merger, which should be completed by the end of September, is aimed at meeting their clients’ demands for a bigger and better product range, according to Kees Kleingeld, who will head up the combined entity.
Jin-Jin, which has six years’ experience of marketing and distributing fresh produce from Asia, will continue to source fruit from the region prioritising food safety and developing tailored programmes for customers. But the company’s commercial activities will be merged into, and administered by, Citrus World, Kleingeld explained in a company statement.
Willem Kokkeel, the managing director of Jin-Jin who pioneered the company’s development, is leaving to relocate to Germany and pursue his own activities. Kokkeel will, however, retain an advisory role for the Best Fresh Group, particularly in the field of Asian sourcing and key account management.
Jin-Jin’s Asian product assortment is expected to enhance Citrus World’s existing product range, which focuses on citrus and tropical fruits, mainly from Central America and the Southern Hemisphere.
“The assortments of Citrus World and Jin-Jin are complimentary and the synergy effects of this merger are expected to be very interesting for both our suppliers and customers,” said Kleingeld.
Kleingeld’s Citrus World team will now include Bram Verbaas, Ralph van der Caaij and Xian Huang. Helien Verhagen, Jin-Jin’s vegetable specialist, will become part of Valstar Holland/Vex, completing its vegetable product assortment with her Asian and European produce range.
