The AgroCap Group based in the Netherlands has announced it is expanding into Spain with the formation of Agro Marketing Cool Fresh España, trading as Cool Fresh Spain and with offices in Valencia and Huelva.
According to Johan in 't Veld, chairman of AgroCap, the move is a logical extension of the group’s international sales and marketing network.
'AgroCap has for many years been successful in exploiting contra-cyclical investment opportunities,' he commented.
'Whilst a number of sourcing and sales subsidiaries have been established in overseas countries, Cool Fresh Spain now also creates a strong base from which to supply top quality European fresh produce, directly to our worldwide clients.'
Launching the new venture at Fruit Attraction in Madrid this week, In 't Veld said the strategic plan for Cool Fresh Spain would entail not only participating in the European sales network of its sister companies, but also to supply Spanish produce direct to clients in the Africa, the Middle East, South America and the Far East.
'This creates a huge advantage, with the synergy between Spain and other companies in the AgroCap Group facilitating the supply of year-round programmes,' he noted.
'For instance, Spanish citrus follows directly on South African citrus; and Spanish grapes fill the gap between the end of the Egyptian grape calendar and the start of the Peruvian grape calendar.'
A team of Spanish fresh produce professionals have been employed to run the company, all with several years' experience in supplying top-quality Spanish fruit and vegetables to clients across Europe.
The team will be led by Paco Noguera, who says the Spanish fresh produce industry has always been noted for its contribution to the country's agricultural economy.
While Spain's agricultural sector currently faces considerable challenges, Noguera said it could not be ignored that for many years Spanish fresh produce exports had boasted excellent quality and had been competitive on price.
'We do however see an immediate need to create a business model which is based on growth through global partnerships as described by Johan in 't Veld,:' he conceded. 'It is specifically from this perspective that we see huge opportunities for AgroCap in Spain.'
