New venture provides
platform for expansion,
writes Ray Smuts
CAPESPAN, THE South African fruit marketing giant, faces further challenges on the North American Continent next year as it embarks on a new fresh produce sales and marketing venture and seeks to fulfil its vision of becoming a world leader in the year-round supply of fresh produce.
The R6-billion a year organisation has joined forces with its North American agency, Fisher Bros Sales Inc, whose relationship with this country's fruit industry dates back almost 40 years, to the days of predecessors Unifruco and Outspan.
The new venture amounts to a 50-50 partnership, with Fisher Bros providing management, staff, logistical support, information systems, administration and a well-established distribution network in the USA and Canada.
For its part, Capespan will channel significant volumes of fruit to the venture and source product internationally through its worldwide contact network.
John Stanbury, managing director of Capespan, says the new deal provides Capespan with a fixed platform from which to expand its North American business and should be seen as an extension of the organisation's vision to become a world leader in the year-round supply of fresh produce and value added products.
The new venture coincides with the restructuring of Capespan's European operation to establish direct and closer service with its customer base.
This includes relocating the UK and Ireland selling offices to Sheerness, the Northern European unit to Antwerp and the South European unit to Port Vandre in Southern France. The three new units will be fully operational for the new South African season, starting with pre-Christmas stone and grape sales.
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