Italian apple consortium VOG has officially presented VOG 2010, a new strategic plan to implement a commercial and structural reorganisation of the group's 18 cooperatives, to sales partners and growers at its headquarters in Terlano, South Tyrol.
According to the plan, the group's new commercial strategy will be based on simplicity, clarity, efficiency and tailored service, attributes which it hopes will provide a strong foundation for further growth when it is introduced at the start of August.
During last week's presentation, the marketing organisation confirmed plans first announced at the end of last year to reorganise 17 of its existing cooperatives into four pools, allowing them to cooperate more closely on logistics, packing and sales.
The Bio Südtirol Cooperative, however, will continue to organise and market organic apple production as before, VOG's directors confirmed.
The association’s markets, meanwhile, are to be divided into a number of strategic commercial areas based on geography or client similarity, with no more than eight working groups led by individual cooperative directors and assigned to those strategic areas.
Those attending last week's presentation heard how the new strategy envisages each group working according to a shared set of rules regarding fruit transfer, grading and selection.
This consolidation is expected to help guarantee uniform quality standards and continuity of supply across the whole group and throughout the course of the entire season.
From 1 August 2010, all sales will be invoiced centrally by VOG, which will coordinate the group's entire sales activity.
At the heart of the newly reorganised consortium will be the Central Working Group (Gruppo di Lavoro Centrale), which brings together one representative from each of the new pools and which will be overseen by VOG director Gerhard Dichgans.
This team will be responsible for managing commercial strategy, as well as setting out sales objectives and putting together marketing plans in support of the consortium's business.
'The introduction of the new arrangement will allow greater flexibility and guarantee several advantages for the commercial partners with whom we work,' commented Mr Dichgans.
He added: 'Personalised supply, uniform quality, product availability throughout the course of the season: these are some of the benefits of which all our clients will be able to take aadvantage as of this season.'
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