Fresh produce importer HillFresh has been handed the Fastest Climber award in the Netherlands’ annual Hillenraad100 list – a prestigious ranking of the hundred leading companies in the Dutch horticultural business.
With turnover of €177m, the company has witnessed an impressive expansion since its foundation in 2007, and the Hillenraad judges praised it for achieving that growth despite challenges from its competitors and the pressure of increasing sales in a relatively short period of time.
“What an achievement!” they wrote. “In just seven years, HillFresh has developed into one of the most important players in the Dutch fruit and vegetable trade.
“At times, they operate with exceptional aggression, as is apparent in the confrontation with Hagé. In 2013, a protracted legal conflict was settled in favour of HillFresh. Moreover, that did not succeed in slowing HillFresh down.”
Rapid growth over the previous 12 months brought Hillfresh to the point where it already need to streamline its organisation in order to keep going, the Hillenraad panel noted.
“There was much focus on optimal reporting, process checks and cost control. That provides a firm basis for steady and preferably organic growth: getting more out of existing clients. Well, alright then, those persimmons were too attractive to not include in the range.”
To that end, HillFresh has based much of its continued successful expansion on a partnership agreements with Spanish suppliers – for example Agricola Antoluz, the largest private grower of persimmons in Spain – and the creation of a business specialising in premium Spanish products in November 2013.
“The business is rapidly on the up,” the judges concluded. “Time will tell [to] which heights this business from the Van den Heuvel dynasty will climb.”
Rijk Zwaan retained top spot in this year’s Hillenraad100, pulling away in sales terms from rival seed developer Enza Zaden in second place.
Another significant player in the fresh fruit and vegetable business to make the top ten was Nature’s Pride, which has seen its turnover grow 47 per cent in the space of a year to €187m.
Meanwhile, Total Produce has overtaken Dutch Flower Group to lead the Hillenraad500+, a listing of the leading companies in the Dutch horticultural business with sales turnover of more than €500m.
Also present in the top five are Univeg, FloraHolland and The Greenery.
The Hillenraad Top Ten 2014
1. Rijk Zwaan
2. Enza Zaden
3. Koppert Biological Systems
4. Incotec Group
5. Beekenkamp Groep
6. Fleura Metz
7. Nature’s Pride
8. Royal Lemkes
9. DNA Green Group
10. Anthura
The Hillenraad500+ Top Five 2014
1. Total Produce
2. Dutch Flower Group
3. Univeg
4. FloraHolland
5. The Greenery
