Magazine_October_2023

FRESH TALK
WILL SPREEUWENBERG
Degree in German Literature
‘Truth be told, studying German also made sense. Even in
high school, I had an affinity with the German language. I was
utterly fascinated by the grammar, and the country itself is also
magnificent. My parents and I loved to visit often – it was only a
fifteen-minute bike ride to the border. At home, we almost always
watched the German channels on TV. At university I learned all
about the works of Goethe, Heinrich Heine and the rest, but I knew
I didn't want to spend the rest of my life with my nose in a book.
My heart told me that I would feel more at home in industry.’
Formal or casual?
‘Yeah, my degree has helped me out a bit in my current job at
Aartsen. Most of my business contacts are Germans or people
from German-speaking countries, and so I know how they like
to be treated. Each client is different, but in general I don't initiate
contact with the familiar du, which is much more common in Dutch.
It's better to use Sie at first. But once we get to know each other,
the communication automatically becomes more casual.
Partly because I’m fine talking to German customers who want
to have a bit of a chat. When that happens, they notice that you're
willing to invest in an ongoing relationship. They certainly appreciate
it, which also brings extra benefits.’
Move together, grow together
‘My customer portfolio is extremely varied. I supply market vendors,
cutting facilities, airline caterers, and intermediaries that deliver
fruit and vegetables to restaurants, and even an entire amusement
park. I know all of their first and last names, and have even met
many of them in person. At Aartsen, we focus on building long-term
relationships and partnerships, not on short-term successes.
Our motto is: we move together, and grow together. That means
you need to understand people, their specific needs, and how they
prefer to communicate. You learn to get a feel for it, although it
always remains a challenge. That's one of the things that helps
keep my job so enjoyable.’
Special fondness
‘Another interesting aspect is that my personal interest in fruit
and vegetables evolves as I do. As a salesperson, it's impossible
to avoid – your own favourite products are always the ones you sell
the most of. I have a special fondness for grapes. The species and
varieties are just getting better and better all the time, whether they
come from Peru, Portugal or South Africa. Grapes... just a glorious
product. The same goes for other soft fruits, like mangoes and
mandarins. You can taste the progress that the cultivators are
making. And you can say the same about vegetables too.
Tomatoes are the only thing I really can't vibe with. I just don't
like them that much, you know?
Pedal to the metal
‘It's true, we do work hard at Aartsen. My Monday mornings
begin at 05:00, all other days I start at 06:00, and I go home
early one afternoon a week. Two colleagues and I also alternate
to work for Aartsen on Saturdays, when we plan everything that
needs to happen the following Monday. I enjoy all the associated
responsibilities, being the contact person for my colleagues. We all
share the same mentality, and enjoy putting the pedal to the metal.
It's in our company culture. Aartsen does also move with the times
though. Bit by bit, we are working towards more flexible working
hours. We ultimately need to secure new generations of employees,
after all.’
Twins
'I also gave up playing football recently, because I have more things
to take care of in my personal life. My wife and I have 18-month-old
twins, which is a big responsibility alongside my busy job. I prepare
each morning’s sandwiches the night before, and my wife takes
charge of the girls after that. On Tuesday afternoon, which is my
fixed day off, I pick them up from daycare myself, and every parent
will know that fatherhood brings many more responsibilities than
this. Even so, we have been blessed with an incredible gift, and I
wouldn’t trade them for the world.'
You’re
invited
to grow
with us.
We've met you in Hong Kong
Asia Fruit
Logistica
24 | CULTURES