Total Produce is no stranger to topping lists of leading companies across Europe, and it has now added the FPJ Big 50 2015 crown to its collection.
Having only begun life as a standalone company in 2007 following a demerger from Fyffes, Total Produce has established itself as one of the goliaths of the European fresh produce trade. It has a group turnover of some €3.2 billion, and operates over 100 facilities in 20 countries.
The company, which is also a major force in the UK wholesale and retail scenes, has been at pains to stress that despite its multinational nature it has the flexibility to adapt to individual markets. “At Total Produce we’re proud to be able to offer the best of both worlds; we’re local at heart and global by nature,” executive director Denis Punter explains.
“Our strategy reflects this. Acquisitions across wholesale operations have increased our local penetration and our already significant national footprint while our investment in retail has broadened the portfolio of services we can offer our retail partners.”
As if to underscore that commitment, the company is setting up its Locally Fresh website venture under the stewardship of market veteran Charlie Hicks, a move set to establish firmer links between suppliers and the market.
In the UK, fresh produce is worth some £380 million, and the company has been busy investing in 2014 to ensure it remains ahead of the game. On the wholesale side, there has been a significant spend in vehicles as part of plans to extend geographical coverage, particularly in the convenience retail and foodservice sectors.
On the retail front, Total Produce has bolstered its stonefruit team, while on the soft-fruit side it has been spending on acquisitions as well as growing and packing equipment to deliver greater efficiencies.
A year ago the company completed a 50 per cent investment in Provenance Partners, a business supplied by a small number of global producers who all boast very high CSR standards.
On the back of what Punter describes as “a very successful year for our UK businesses”, Total Produce has enjoyed a stable share price on the London Stock Exchange after the inevitable ups and downs that followed the global recession.
The company has also embraced the digital age, and has been doing a great deal of direct-to-consumer work through its app, TOP Fruit Hub, which promises to “find the fun in fruit” through games, recipes and competitions.
For the future, Punter says Total Produce – whose directors have stated remains firmly on the acquisition trail – plans to build “not only a bigger company, but a better company”.
“We will continue to expand and develop our wholesale business, particularly into the increasingly important delivered sector,” he says. “In retail, we will continue to extend our reach into mainland Europe and to invest in production; backing our growers, fostering innovation, encouraging new product development and focusing on extending and securing availability while improving, ever further, product quality.”
