Dutch fresh produce marketer The Greenery has appointed Ton Wortel, an international retail expert with knowledge of the extensive knowledge of the European and Asian markets, as its new general director – a move that underlines its commitment to adopting a far more customer-focused commercial strategy as it targets a return to profitability following its recent major reorganisation.
Wortel, who will take up the role on 1 July, is regarded as a highly experienced retail organiser with particular expertise in the fields of process management and strategy implementation – qualities which apparently make him ideal to ensure that the far-reaching and wholesale changes put forward by his predecessor, interim boss Okke Koo, become part of The Greenery's operations in the coming months and years.
He has previously worked in both food and non-food retailing, spending two years as chief executive of Media Markt China, eight years as chief operating officer of Media Markt Nederland and six years as managing director of Marktkauf Nederland. Last year, he oversaw an interim restructuring project for Metro Cash & Carry in Ukraine.
'The experience he brings dovetails perfectly with The Greenery's cost-price leadership strategy,' the company said in a statement to announce Wortel's appointment. 'His comprehensive knowledge of international retail will help The Greenery to further sharpen its focus on retail and convert it into value.'
Sharp turnaround
During the first six months of 2014, The Greenery's new strategy has reportedly seen the successful restructuring of its distribution centre network, with its Barendrecht hub now dedicated to retail consignments and its Bleiswijk facility focused on the wholesale trade.
'Already 4 per cent more volume is now being directly shipped from qualified grower sites, and auction buyers can also have products shipped directly from the growers,' a spokesperson for The Greenery noted, adding that the group's future recovery would depend on making fewer mistakes and increasing the efficiency of its logistics network.
'The first six months of this year have also seen a significant decrease in avoidable failure costs. It is important that we continue this trend over the next six months by focusing strongly on the growth in home-based transshipment and implementing new working methods based on the first time-right principle.'
According to The Greenery, members of the producer co-operative Coforta have expressed their appreciation for the 'vigour and drive' with which those results have been achieved.
'We wish to thank Okke for his efforts on behalf of The Greenery and the inspiring manner in which he ushered in the new strategy,' said the spokesperson. 'We wish Ton Wortel every success in his new position.'
