Magazine_October_2023

COLOPHON
EDITORIAL
Jack.
A great privilege of our profession is that we travel a lot and
therefore get to know other cultures. For me personally, this is
one of the best things about my job. Over the course of all those
years, I’ve had the privilege to experience many different
cultures in a wide range of countries. And because our partners
are producers, we visit those places where we can really get to
know the culture. Not just the big cities with office buildings,
but the actual farms of our partners and growers in the heart of
the production areas. I could write a book filled with anecdotes
about the things my colleagues and I have experienced during
our countless trips.
Colophon
Nonstopfresh
magazine is
published by
Aartsen Breda B.V.
Heilaar-Noordweg 9
4814 RR Breda
PO Box 9555
4801 LN Breda
www.aartsen.com
marketing@aartsen.com
Coverstory
Lennert Stok, a talented illustrator,
created this fantastic illustration
for Aartsen. The cover represents
a small selection of everything you
will read in this new edition with
culture as theme.
Curious about Lennert's portfolio?
Visit lennertstok.com or his
Instagram Droowlen.
Editor in chief
Jack Aartsen
Editorial Board
Sophie Bruijns
Hans de Regt
Masja van Deursen
Lodewijk Varossieau
Arjan Hoekstra
Copy
Wim de Jong
Het Champagne Atelier
Translation
Metamorfose
Vertalingen B.V.
Photography
Bureau Duizend Dingen
Boefkik
Frank Poppelaars
René Dissel
Illustration
Lennert Stok
LECTRR
Design & realisation
Just in Case Communicatie B.V.
Breda
www.jicc.nl
SuperRebel B.V.
Breda
www.superrebel.com
Jack Aartsen
Chief Executive Officer Aartsen
‘Showing interest
in somebody
else’s culture is
very rewarding’
It is often said that you should adapt to the culture of the country
you are visiting. Personally, I have a more nuanced view on this
matter. It is much more important to really understand a culture
first, and especially to respect it, before you adapt your actions
accordingly. Showing interest in somebody else’s culture makes
you realise people are also eager to learn more about yours.
You’ll find that they respond by asking all sort of things about
the Netherlands, that tiny country with its blunt people who
believe you should always speak your mind and where everything
is organised like clockwork. We should take a look in the mirror
from time to time and become aware of how the rest of the
world sees us. It’s simply wonderful to have interesting and
open conversations with people from all over the world, about
their way of living and customs within cultures. Learning to
understand each other’s cultures is great fun.
We have our own culture at Aartsen as well. The characteristics?
It is the culture of a family business, with short and direct lines,
direct communication, the sense that you’re doing everything
together, an environment where people work hard and accept
that they have to perform before they are rewarded. That is the
basis, which was laid many, many years ago. Of course we are
moving with the times, that’s a must. We’ve become more
flexible. Nowadays, people long for more flexibility in their
workplace, so we provide this where possible. We’ve also
become more generous with compliments, a word that previously
did not really occur in our vocabulary. People here still work
extremely hard, but they work fewer hours now, and the work
schedules have also changed. As an organisation, it is crucial
to move on with the times, and flexibility is the magic word.
It’s not always easy, but we always try to find a middle ground.
There is one thing though that will never change at Aartsen:
the sense that we’re united, that we do things together.
We join each other in celebrating successes and dealing with
setbacks. We laugh together and we cry together.
I hope you’ll enjoy this edition. Don’t forget to read the two
columns of our guest columnists Sam and Sungyong;
they’re great examples of what I mean by ‘culture’.
Thanks for this wonderful contribution.
Many greetings from the Netherlands.
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