The international fresh produce trade is coming to terms with the news that one of Israel's leading fruit and vegetable exporters, Oded Jacobson, has died of a suspected heart attack aged just 42.
It is understood Jacobson was taken ill whilst swimming and passed away as lifeguards attended to him.
'It's a big shock to us all,' commented Eitan Zvi, sales manager at Jacobson's company Galilee Export and a former colleague from his days at Agrexco in the UK.
'Oded was a very active and healthy guy with no previous health issues. He ran several marathons and recently completed a half marathon,' he told Eurofruit.
A widely respected and well-known member of the international fresh produce trade, Jacobson rose to prominence during the early years of the new millennium as a key member of what was then Israel's largest fresh produce export company Agrexco.
Building a reputation as a highly capable trader dealing with clients across the globe, in July 2007 he was appointed as managing director of the company's UK arm.
During four years at the helm, he was instrumental in helping to establish Agrexco's Carmel brand as a significant player in the UK market not only for Israeli products but also for a year-round import programme sourced from countries including Argentina, Greece, Peru, South Africa and Turkey.
Following Agrexco's much-publicised collapse and liquidation in 2011, the result of the group's failure to service its debts, Jacobson teamed up with farmers belonging to producer organisation Milouot to establish Galilee Export.
He then set about establishing direct links between the growers and customers, using the expertise he acquired at Agrexco to market a wide range of Galilee-branded products – including avocados, persimmons, citrus, grapes and exotics – to clients in Europe and worldwide.
Zvi toldEUROFRUIThe would be assuming temporary responsibility for the day-to-day running of the company until a new managing director could be found.
Jacobson leaves behind a wife and three children, with whom he lived in Lakhish, a moshav to the south of Tel Aviv.
His funeral was due to take place at 6:45pm local time on the evening of Wednesday 23 April.
