Copefrut has become the latest company to join Origine Group, significantly enlarging the group’s presence in Chile.
Curicó-based Copefrut exports 150,000 tonnes of fruit to more than 50 countries, including 15,000 tonnes of kiwifruit, 20,000 tonnes of cherries, 2,000 tonnes of pears and 90,000 tonnes of apples, from its four packing plants.
The company recently opened a logistic and commercial platform in the Chinese province of Guangzhou, in order to give a better service to clients in that market.
Copefrut is the second Chilean company to be incorporated into the Origine Group, joining David Del Curto, which has been member for just over a year.
“Origine Group is an important strategic choice for us,” said Copefrut’s sales manager Marco Echenique. “The union will increase the value of our top quality kiwifruit with an internationally recognised brand.
“This is possible only by getting together with other companies and concentrating the resources needed to successfully market our fruit internationally. The value of the companies that participate in Origine Group gives us confidence that we made the right choice.”
Alessandro Zampagna, managing director of Origine Group, said Copefrut’s incorporation would strengthen the group’s positioning as a leading supplier of top-quality kiwifruit throughout the year to overseas markets.
“Copefrut is a very important company, one of the biggest Chilean exporters, together with David Del Curto. Now our production base is more substantial and enables us to carry out more effective commercial strategies on the overseas markets,” Zampagna stated.
“Furthermore, the considerable membership of Origine Group, recently reinforced by the entrance of OP Minguzzi, is an opportunity for commercial projects in other products besides kiwifruit and pears”.
With a turnover of more than €1bn, the Origine Group consortium was founded in 2015 as a strategic alliance between a number of Italian fruit and vegetable companies to supply the European market. Its primary focus is on pears and kiwifruit and its two leading brands, Sweeki kiwifruit and PeraItalia pears, are well known in the international market.
The group now plans to widen its portfolio to incorporate new products.
