Organic fresh produce trader OTC Holland has marked its tenth anniversary by predicting further growth in the international market and revealing plans to bring buyers and suppliers closer together via a new internet-based network.
'There's still plenty of room for development in the market, and together with our employees, suppliers and customers we will be able to raise this fascinating market to the next level in a sustainable way, commented managing director Fred Kloen, who heads up the company alongside commercial director Edward out.
'Our aims are to further strengthen our market position and further improve our services. We hope to make improvements in, for example, distribution and packaging, and we want to create a digital portal to enable suppliers/buyers to consult relevant documents.'
Importing and exporting organic fresh fruit and vegetables, OTC Holland's aim a decade ago was to become a full-service partner for both retailers and organic specialists, a goal it has been successful in achieving and which will continue to be its priority in the future.
'After a crisis of five years the end of the tunnel seems to be in sight,' Kloen commented. 'A period of economic slump which, just like the recession that followed 9/11, has once again not affected our sector or our company. That gives us great faith in the future.'
The company, which was created by the merger of Kloen and Out's company Tellus Produce with Trabana – part of Tradin Organics – now has a workforce of 22 and branches in the Netherlands, Belgium and the US.
According to Kloen, the organic market has become a lot more professional in recent years, with supply lines between producers and consumers becoming shorter and the availability of products increasing 'substantially'.
Whereas ten years ago, fruit and vegetables from the Netherlands and Belgium were still very much the focus for OTC Holland, today the company's range is notably broader as year-round demand for organic fresh produce around the world reportedly grows.
