“The renaming of the Redbridge Worldfresh group of companies is part of a natural evolution of one of the world’s largest produce companies,” says Total Worldfresh chief operating officer Richard Parke-Davies, previously director of Redbridge Worldfresh. “This follows a period of substantial expansion and now is the time to consolidate and provide focus. Following any period of growth, there is a need to shape the business to meet the expectations of stakeholders.”
Atypically though, the anticipated consolidation period at Total Produce has seen rapid growth, both organically and through a series of cross-sector and cross-border strategic acquisitions. This has led to a need for reform. “We have created a model that is efficient, effective and provides a solid platform for growth,” Parke-Davies explains. “We have recognised many opportunities where we can add value to businesses and this move clarifies our commitment to develop and grow the businesses in a controlled and strategic way.
“Initially, with the addition of new companies into the fold, there inevitably has been some confusion. In some cases, there still remains a lack of appreciation of the size and scale of Total Produce, our core competencies and the benefits we can bring to suppliers and customers. The time is ripe to clarify this.
“This is not just semantics. Changing a name takes days, but changing the business paradigm and the mindset of its people can take years. It is not a process you can hasten and we have arrived where we are now on schedule and in very good shape.”
Rather than the outside world looking in on an apparently unrelated group of companies, the aim of the rebrand is to bring a simple, single identity to the Total Worldfresh offer. “Renaming the business units enables us to package all of our core values under one brand and will make communicating our proposition far easier,” says Parke-Davies. “These are very difficult times for the produce industry, but Total Produce has continued to invest in growers and new initiatives. We have a robust balance sheet and an experienced and understanding board of directors. That means we can be a part of the solution to the issues faced by growers and customers. For our customers, we are able to manage produce through our business model in a way that meets their expectations. Within the Total Worldfresh team, we have hundreds of years’ worth of expertise and experience across almost every product category. We have performed strongly through the recession and we have continued to invest in our own people, innovation and in supporting growers - that is no coincidence.”
As well as giving Total Worldfresh a means through which its values can be communicated to customers and suppliers, the repositioning also serves to spread key messages internally across its group of companies. “We are committed to growing the business units and it is crucial that everyone works towards the same goal without duplicating costs,” says Parke-Davies. “In the current economic climate, the fittest will survive and this model provides a unique proposition that will stand the test of time.”
The new structure has been designed with the aim of giving greater levels of responsibility to the people working in each business unit, highlighting their long-term value to the group. “We are very aware that good people are the most important resource in any business,” says Parke-Davies. “The model we have now gives people an opportunity to really shine, to focus on their core activities and to help grow the businesses in a way that can fulfil their own ambitions. There is an element of self-protection there, of course. We want to secure our employees for the long term and the added clarity will enable them to belong to something big and robust, to benefit from the enhanced security and still be in a business with an entrepreneurial and flexible approach. By building brand values that have commonality, individuals who believe in the business will then convey those values to the outside world. What we want is for people internally and externally to recognise what Total stands for, what it does and what it can do for them.”
The formation of the strategic business units was based on well thought through criteria, which included a critical mass capable of significant growth, an experienced team and a level of investment attractiveness. “Each strategic business unit will be capable of contributing size that will deliver economy of scale to our customers,” says Parke-Davies. “Looking at the Total Worldfresh portfolio and the potential in those categories, we can take a view on where the investment opportunities lie.
“The aim is to give individual businesses the identity and support that allows them to grow, whether organically, through acquisition or by bringing in more people,” he continues. “The group’s ambitions are exciting and challenging. Each business unit will be strategically developed to deliver its own target towards meeting the Total Produce goals. I am confident our people will want to be part of that ambition.”
TOTAL WORLDFRESH TO GAIN COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR
Larisha Engelbrecht steps into the newly created role of commercial director of Total Worldfresh, having been financial director of Redbridge Worldfresh for many years. “I will be focused with the entire commercial team on ensuring that each unit is driven in the right direction and that the teams have the support and resources they require to execute their business plans,” she says. “I will also be focused on operations and logistics, and analysing the efficiency of our performance at all levels.
“There is so much opportunity out there for us and so many benefits to be gleaned from maximising the efficiency that the Total Worldfresh IT and processes can deliver. If people have the right information at their disposal, they will make far better decisions and deliver more effectively.”
WALLER TO CONTINUE FOCUS ON BERRY BUSINESS
Ian Waller, sales director of Total Berry UK, has worked for the company through several name changes over the years and he admits that some of the old names will be difficult to shed, regardless of the new identity now bestowed upon the business.
The Summerfruit Company and ReDeva have been joined in recent times by the additions of ASF Holland, T&JB Produce and Africa Blue. The Total Berry division formally brings these companies together with the aim of developing beneficial and non-competitive strategic goals. “It is advantageous to have one, clear identity,” says Waller. “One identity and one message will leave suppliers and customers in no doubt about who we are and what we stand for.
“The Total name is recognised for its financial strength and ability to deliver. The single identity sends a clear message to both our existing supply base and those people who are on the periphery that share those values. They will understand the benefits that will bring to them.
“It gives us a strong platform to communicate that we can provide certainty, stability and longevity and that gives growers the confidence to work with us towards a long-term, mutually beneficial future.”
TOTAL FRUIT TO SPOTLIGHT RETAIL AND NON-RETAIL
Total Fruit retail operations will be managed by Tony Gardner, who joined the company last year. “The creation of Total Fruit provides an excellent opportunity to focus resources and attention within individual areas of expertise,” he says. “Retailers are looking for a cost-effective and efficient vehicle that adds value to their category propositions. Suppliers are looking for a route to market that supports their needs and requirements. This format allows focus and delivery that will meet their expectations.”
Morgan Barrett will be responsible for Total Fruit’s non-retail business and he is confident the renaming will eliminate any confusion that still remains in the marketplace about the business. “Suppliers and customers generally deal with a member of the team rather than a corporate identity, but the repositioning will certainly have the underlying effect of clarifying to people what we stand for,” he explains. “Fresh produce is about personal relationships, but every player needs a team identity to support their operation. Exporters understand they need the whole package, including the processes, but most importantly, they want to get paid.
“Together, Tony and I can offer suppliers access to the UK market. If you place retail, wholesale, foodservice, catering and other non-retail business into one basket, you’re looking at a formidable business and tremendous crop utilisation opportunites. That is invaluable for the grower.”
SECOND BITE OF THE CHERRY FOR TOTAL
The formalisation of Total Cherry, headed by Jon Clark, creates one of the single largest cherry operators in the UK.
“I think that would surprise most people, but if you put all of the pieces together as we have, we have a unique proposition within the UK,” he says. “T&JB and Utopia (now branded Total Exotics) both came into the group with established imported cherry businesses that complement the English cherry crop marketed by The Summerfruit Company, allowing Total Cherry to have a consolidated focus on the category to the benefit of growers and customers. Unlike many other handlers in the UK, we have a strong position in both imported and English cherries. That gives us the whole category proposition that I don’t think anyone can match.”
GANIO STEPS UP TO BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FOR TOTAL IMPORT
Tony Ganio, who previously ran the Redbridge Worldfresh general fruit division, will take on board the newly created role of business development director for the newly branded Total Import division. He believes the new structure will help staff retention. “We have a fairly young team here,” says Ganio. “This restructure gives them the ideal opportunity to take on more responsibility. As a direct result of these changes, the team will feel their own identity and autonomy is enhanced.”
TOTAL TO CAPITALISE ON EXOTIC APPEAL
Jamie Rungay will lead Total Exotics’ retail operations and sees the “tremendous opportunity” that this focus on the category will present. “Customers and suppliers will benefit from the joined-up thinking and co-operation throughout our value chain,” he says. “We are already involved in developing initiatives that will enhance value, share common supply arrangements and support developments in line with supplier needs and customer expectations.
“There is still a lot of opportunity for growth in the exotics area and the combination of Total Exotics operations in the UK provides enormous scope for growers and customers alike.”
Non-retail will be managed by Nick Bainbridge, who has many years’ experience within the company. He feels “the sky is the limit” in terms of future growth potential. “Total Exotics will benefit from tremendous economies of scale and the sharing of information will be invaluable. We have a wide customer base that includes many of Total’s sister wholesale businesses in the UK and being part of a big group always enhances the opportunity for suppliers. We are always looking to drive the business forward and this focused identity will be a platform to do that,” he adds.
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