19040_NSFM-jan 2022_colorful_Compleet Spreads_LR

nonstop
fresh/
magazine
for the fresh
produce sector
January 2022
TIME TO
SHOW
COLOR!
The most colorful magazine there is.

Dragon fruit (pitaya)
The pink-skinned dragon fruits have
relatively little aroma. This is because
the fruits are generally harvested too
early in the countries of origin and the
fruit does not ripen as with bananas.
The yellow dragon fruit from Colombia,
on the other hand, always tastes sweet.
The taste is somewhat reminiscent of
kiwi. The dragon fruits can be cut and
spooned out.
Also, the fruit can be peeled off and
eaten accordingly. The seeds can be
eaten. The seeds are appreciated by
many when consuming the fruit.

COLOPHON
JACK’S COLUMN
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
Time
to show
color.
Editor in chief
Jack Aartsen
Editorial Board
Martijn van der Zwalm
Hans de Regt
Lodewijk Varossieau
Text
Donuts for Chelsea,
Stefan Verhaar
Het Champagne Atelier,
Natascha Droste
Translation
Metamorfose
Vertalingen B.V.
Photography
Frank Poppelaars
Welcome to our new nonstopfresh magazine,
a better reflection of who we are today.
All editors worked hard in recent months on
this major update of our beautiful magazine.
Interesting articles, beautiful images and
a contemporary design.
Happy reading!
Design &
realisation
Just in Case Communicatie B.V.
Breda
www.jicc.nl
SuperRebel B.V.
Breda
www.superrebel.com
The cherry
on the
cake!
‘Let’s get 2022 off to a good start.’ That’s our New Year’s
resolution as editorial team and the reason why we evaluated
our magazine at the end of 2021. In the 14 years we have been
publishing the magazine, we have repeatedly reflected on our work,
always taking a very critical look at ourselves. Are we still up to date?
Are we interesting enough to our readers? Is the magazine still fun?
Are we still contemporary, do we still stand out? Are we achieving
our goals?
How can we make our magazine even better? Our conclusion:
it’s time to show our true colors! It could be better. It should be
more of a magazine. The style should be a better reflection of what
Aartsen stands for. It should be more colorful! The result is this new
and updated nonstopfresh magazine.
Many readers may not have been aware that we published the
magazine in two languages (Dutch and English). However, to
enhance our international profile, the magazine will from now on
only be available in English. A minor adjustment for Dutch readers,
but good for improving your English. We are entering the 15th year
of our magazine with renewed energy, and hopefully it will also bring
a little extra color to all of our readers.
I would like to wish you a happy 2022. With everything that’s going
on, we really need each other just that little bit more at this time.
It’s easy to lose touch with each other now, as there’s a lot we
cannot do and not much we can do. But we should certainly not use
the latter as an excuse. So let’s all pay more attention to each other.
Just be a little bit nicer to each other. Stay in touch with people,
take initiative. And whether it’s our personal or business relation,
family or colleagues, it all starts with ourselves.
A colorful edition in a colorful world of fruit and vegetables.
For me, colorful stands for the people we work with and who get
all this done. Every day, it’s fun to see how different all the people
we’re dealing with are. I’m not talking about peoples’ skin color,
of course; I’m color blind in that sense. But personalities, cultures,
customs, values and norms that can be so different from each other
are a huge challenge and at the same time a privilege that we
experience every day. You can be colorful here, and this is where
you can really stand out. Let’s all do our best this year to be that
beautiful red cherry on the cake!
Happy reading and best wishes for a fruitful New Year!
Jack Aartsen
NSFM COLORFUL | 5

INDEX
Dragon fruit
like you’ve
never seen
before!
Young talent
42
Carrots &
Peas,
like two
peas in
a pot.
Young talent
60
34
Jack meets Jack. club
14
9119
Members only
Index
08 Psychology of color
How does color influence your perception?
30 Mamba brandstory
The most colorful brand!
32 Aartsen Kids Foundation
We go the extra mile to make a child smile.
41 Guest column
Colorful comedy!
46 Innovation
A Fresh moment in 2022.
56 Aartsen puzzles
How well do you know Aartsen?
64 Food with Floortje
Don’t be fooled!
66 Business in Hong Kong
Aartsen Asia takes flight.
72 History
Preservation of historical apple varieties.
76 The world of Aartsen
The latest news.
80 Health
Are you crazy?!
84 Fresh new product
What nonstopfresh stands for.
87 Asia column
A rainbow of colors in Asia.
26
Meet our junior
trader Kelly
Meeuwissen
Woman
power
at
Aartsen.
18
At the design table.
NSFM COLORFUL | 6
NSFM COLORFUL | 7

PSYCHOLOGY OF COLOR
Look at
me, like
me, eat
me!
So what’s the story
with those colors?
CWhat’s important to you when
you buy a new car, sofa or coat?
There’s a big chance that the
color plays a big role in your
decision, just like the hair color of
your potential partner is important.
A color can attract or repel.
This happens in nature, too,
and it’s exactly what happens
with fruit and vegetables.
That’s what we’ll talk about here.
NSFM COLORFUL | 8
NSFM COLORFUL | 9

PSYCHOLOGY OF COLOR
10OL
Experiencing color
17 million
This all sounds a bit technical. Let’s make things more
concrete by talking about how we experience color.
On the one hand, things like personal interpretation,
culture and context play an important role in determining
which associations a color evokes. On the other hand,
we also have shared experiences. We know this is the case,
because marketing experts and designers consciously
choose certain colors for certain moments.
colors.
After all, they know just how consumers respond or what
feelings a certain color induces. Red, for instance, is a color
that catches your eye and is ideal for quickly attracting
attention. Green stands for life, growth and nature and
creates a sense of calm in many people. Pink can have
a calming effect as well. Orange is associated with fun,
optimism and happiness. Blue radiates reliability and safety,
but also distance. Purple represents style, luxury and riches.
Grey doesn’t really express much. Black is both fashionable
Let’s start with the basics. Color is a phenomenon you
and inaccessible and is associated with both glamour and
can’t overlook. The source of all color is the sun: you can’t
fear, mourning and being cool.
see any colors in the dark. When light hits a surface,
your eyes and your brain team up to let you distinguish
between 17 million different colors.
In nature
Which color your brain identifies, depends on the section of
the color spectrum that is reflected by the surface that the
So these are the general impressions and meanings of color.
light hits. This, in turn, depends on the material of the
This raises the following question: what role does color
surface that’s being illuminated (see * page 13).
play in nature? Nature always prefers function over form.
Generally speaking, it means that plants and animals have
either a striking color or a protective color.
A protective or concealing color ensures that a plant or
animal is not noticed by enemies. A bright color warns
that the species might be poisonous or helps to attract the
opposite sex. Many male animals are extra good-looking
and colorful in order to attract females.
Colorful plants attract insects and other animals. If the
berries of a plant need to be spread around by animals for
the purpose of reproduction, then it makes sense for the
berries to be visually striking, so that insects or birds can
find them more easily. Red berries among green leaves have
this effect.
NSFM COLORFUL | NSFM COLORFUL | 11

PSYCHOLOGY OF COLOR
Colors,
where
do they
come
from?
How do fruit and vegetables actually get the colors
they have? The presence of pigments is a major factor.
Let’s look more closely at two: chlorophyll and anthocyanin.
The former creates a green color, the latter a red color.
Each product has a basic color, which for many fruits and
vegetables is naturally green. As they ripen, they often
turn yellow. The best-known example here is probably the
banana: bananas gradually change from green to yellow as
they ripen. Strawberries, too, start off green and then turn
red as they ripen. The green pigment chlorophyll disappears
and is replaced by the red pigment anthocyanin.
White vegetables, such as chicory, mushrooms and white
asparagus, grow in the dark and so they remain white.
Green asparagus is actually white asparagus, too. If you
don’t keep white asparagus under a layer of earth, the
chlorophyll turns green due to the influence of the sun.
Talking of white: a cauliflower is ringed by leaves that protect
the florets against sunlight. If the sun could shine directly on
the cauliflower, it would turn yellowish. In fact, a cauliflower
can even take on a purple glow if it contains traces of
anthocyanin (which is found in varieties of cabbage).
This happens particularly when daytime and night-time
temperatures are close together. Under these conditions,
the pigment anthocyanin becomes active and quickly colors
the vegetable. By the way, this variety shouldn’t be confused
with cauliflower varieties that have a deep purple color,
because these have been specially cultivated.
Here’s another striking fact: an apple that grows in the
shadow of a leaf will not take on its normal full color,
because this requires sunlight. This is also true of
cucumbers that are covered by a large cucumber leaf: the
cucumber will be yellowish on the shadow side. However,
this doesn’t
affect the taste.
Let’s return to the yellow ripe banana. If a ripe banana is
squashed or bruised, the fruit will very quickly turn brown.
This happens because external pressure destroys cells
in the banana. In combination with oxygen, this leads to
a brown discoloration. This process, which can also be
caused by ageing, occurs in various species.
*
Colors on display
Bananas that have turned brown are fine to eat. For many
people, they are actually a delicacy, recognisable thanks
to the color. Another proof that color matters. Fruit and
vegetables put their colors on display for all to see. They call
out for attention, want you to enjoy them and strive for you
to keep choosing them. A red berry on a plant, a ripe orange
in the orchard and a bright red apple on a market stall all do
the same: they shout out ‘Look at me, like me, eat me!’
Why do we see
a plant’s leaves
as green?
Leaves contain the pigment chlorophyll, which plants and
trees use to capture light and energy. They need this to carry
out photosynthesis (in order to obtain oxygen and sugar).
Only the green part of light is reflected by chlorophyll,
which is the part the plants need least for photosynthesis.
This is the only part of light that our eyes and brain perceive.
Red, orange and blue (the other colors of the spectrum)
are absorbed by the leaf or pass straight through the leaf,
so they are not reflected. This is why we see leaves
as green.
RNSFM COLORFUL | 13
NSFM COLORFUL | 12

AARTSEN CLUB 9119
There’s no better
club than this.
NSFM COLORFUL | 14
NSFM COLORFUL | 15

AARTSEN CLUB 9119
Incredibly proud of
our champs.
We don’t like to pat ourselves on the back, but this is too much fun not to share.
In the autumn, we set up Club 9119: the club of people who have been working at
Aartsen for more than 25 years. The name comes from the approximate number
of days in 25 years.
We do everything we can to help our colleagues grow. This is why we have
10 employees who celebrated their 25th anniversary over the past year.
We are incredibly proud of these stars of ours. They have lived and breathed
the nonstopfresh mentality for 25 years and form part of the core that makes
us so strong.
We recently celebrated the launch of Club 9119 in style.
On 3 November 2021, all of these people started an ordinary
working day that turned out not to be so ordinary after all.
All of a sudden, they were asked to come along ‘for a
moment’. They all went to the Breda branch. Completely
surprised. From Breda, the group – including Jack Aartsen
(who has also spent over 25 years at Aartsen) – flew by
helicopter to Rockanje beach. The helicopter flight was a
little overwhelming and stressful, but in the end all the
members of the club enjoyed this special experience.
Everything had been thought of: a cool jacket, a certificate
and a customised gift. In an atmospheric location, a glass was
raised to everyone’s anniversary and the launch of Club 9119.
It was a wonderful day with a delicious lunch, personal
speeches and lots of fun. It goes without saying that plenty of
great memories were shared and new memories were created.
At Aartsen, not only do we focus on future colleagues,
we also do everything we can to keep good people in the
club for as long as possible. Club 9119 is a good example of
this. Colleagues who have been employed for over 25 years
naturally also belong in the club, which is why Club 9119
has 26 members already.
NSFM COLORFUL | 16 NSFM COLORFUL | 17

At the design table
with Frank van der
Velden & Jaap Bekkers.
BUSINESS IN BELGIUM
Behind the scenes, we are busy creating a
new branch of Aartsen in St. Katelijne-Waver
in Belgium.
In this new construction project, future-proof
construction plays a central role and we are
also working on the creation of Aartsen 2.0.
Jaap Bekkers
Operational director Frank van der Velden
and architect Jaap Bekkers got together to
discuss this extensive new building project…
Frank van der Velden
NSFM COLORFUL | 18
NSFM COLORFUL | 19

BUSINESS IN BELGIUM
CV
Frank van der Velden has worked as the operational director
of Aartsen for 21 years.
Since obtaining a diploma in Business Administration from a
school for higher education in economics and management,
Frank has been involved in eight new construction projects
for Aartsen.
In 2004, it was the warehouse and cash & carry in Breda.
In 2006, the office in Breda.
2008 saw the expansion of Frugro.
In 2011, there was the new building in Venlo.
In 2018, Venlo phase 2.
And in 2019, the office in Breda and the renovation of the farm.
In 2020, Frank was brought on board as a coordinator for the
new building in St. Katelijne-Waver in Belgium. In collaboration
with the construction team, he is trying to achieve the best
possible result.
Jaap Bekkers is architect-director at Grosfeld Bekkers van
der Velde Architecten.
After successfully completing his Architecture degree at
Eindhoven University of Technology, Jaap started his career
as an architect in 2005.
Jaap has been involved in six new construction projects for
Aartsen. In 2005, he designed the head office and the
expansion of the warehouses in Breda. He then turned
his design talent to the branches in Venlo and
St. Katelijne-Waver.
Jaap: Aartsen is growing enormously.
Is this why we are now sitting around the
table for the design of the new building in
St. Katelijne-Waver, Frank?
Frank: you could see it that way, yes. In 2008, in connection
with the expansion of the former premises in St. Katelijne-Waver,
we already started using the plot to the full. In order to be able
to continue growing, we started looking for a new plot in the
surrounding area. The location is excellent: in Belgium,
St. Katelijne-Waver is the heart of the fruit and vegetable sector.
The fruit and vegetable auction is there too, which is very
important. A new industrial development was being built,
where we opted for a plot of around 25,000 square metres.
We first conducted preliminary research into various plots and
have now found the best plot in the most visible location,
right next to the entrance to the industrial estate.
On the way to the auction, you have to pass Aartsen. If you go
to all kinds of fruit and vegetable-related companies, you will
also pass Aartsen. You simply can’t miss it!
‘Aartsen has a
very specific
business process’
Jaap: it's at the roundabout, isn't it?
And the interesting thing about a roundabout is that it slows
down the flow of traffic, which means that you can see the
building more easily. The adjacent highway is also a little
higher up, so you can see the building right away. This is the
entrance to the estate, so it’s perfect in terms of recognition.
Aartsen has a very specific business process. They know
exactly what a building needs and how they want to work
in it. The company building consists of various departments,
including a warehouse, cash & carry and office. The trick lies
in interconnecting these departments in such a way that, on
the one hand, the logistics and work processes make sense
and, on the other, optimal use can be made of the plot in St.
Katelijne-Waver. You can actually see that the sales and
storage warehouses here are connected to each other in a
different way than in Breda or Venlo. Right, Frank?
Frank: there are actually three buildings. We need a
warehouse with cold stores where goods come in, are stored
and go out again. We also need a cash & carry where
customers can visit, where we display products and where
customers can take these products away with them, and we
need an office. There are two important prerequisites:
a manager must have an overview of their processes, so their
office must be right next to the large warehouse where all the
work goes on, and sellers must have an overview of the cash &
carry, because this is where their customers can be found.
The areas for improvement at the Breda and Venlo branches
will be taken into account in the new Katelijne building.
You always try to make things as good as they can be and
continue to improve as a company.
‘How can we
create the most
economical building
possible?’
Since 2016, he has been involved in various plans for the
branches in Breda and Belgium and the design for the new
head office. The initial sketches for this new construction
project date from early 2020. As an architect, Jaap is
responsible for the architectural and structural design.
He monitors the integrity of the process and fulfils the role
of team player.
NSFM COLORFUL | 20
NSFM COLORFUL | 21

Jaap: this leads to an interesting story.
Aartsen came up with the question: ‘How can we create the
most economical building possible?’ Even during the initial
discussions, we asked ourselves all kinds of questions: how
can we achieve this simplicity? How can we achieve
the economical aspect? How can we make the building as
simple as possible? We came to the conclusion that, based
on our own knowledge and experience of the processes
within Aartsen, we know very well how to set up and build a
decent building, but to achieve the best possible result, we
should seek advice from specialists in certain areas.
These people know down to the smallest detail how
specific construction processes and methods work at the
implementation level. From the design phase onwards, we
are already putting our heads together to think about how
we can make the building as efficient as possible.
Efficiency also involves thinking about energy saving
measures that give the building an extra dimension. This
is reverse engineering, as it were. Normally speaking, we
would first elaborate a plan in full and then ask various
contractors to come up with a price, after which the work is
tendered out. This time, we have pushed this element to the
front. The first thing we developed, so to speak, was the most
efficient steel structure imaginable. It’s precisely the
opposite way around: the architecture and the appearance
of the building mainly stem from the way you make it.
We have already noticed that this is leading to something
that will be unique and special, but at the same time super
efficient and economical.
Frank: involving other parties who can view the project from
a different perspective allows you to reach different insights.
Interestingly enough, some things are absolutely a no-go for us,
but if other parties can argue what it will bring us or save us,
then it may be worth discussing internally.
One good example of this is the columns: these were a
no-go for us. Forklifts drive around in the warehouse, people are
constantly on the move and every column is actually in the
way. During the discussions, the construction parties indicated
that you can reduce your steel costs considerably by installing
a few columns.
Jaap: the interesting fact is that these kinds of parties
can link a sum of money to it, and we can link an image.
We were inspired by the idea: why not put columns there?
It provides inspiration that can be very interesting: we will
create an indoor marketplace!
‘If you can recreate
the atmosphere
of a market in the
building, you will
make yourself
unique’
Frank: TADA! Here’s the design sketch. This is an example of a
market hall in Antwerp. You can see that the roof is supported
by very thin columns. Normally, only large columns can carry a
roof, but because you are choosing fine columns and placing
several in a row, you need less steel to make the span. And if
you can recreate the atmosphere of a market in the building,
which no one in the industry is doing but which ties in perfectly
with the fruit and veg, then you can make yourself unique.
Jaap: it’s very inspiring for these ideas to come together
during the discussions. A client might say in the first
instance: we’re not going to have columns.
An implementation consultant might then say: but if you
install columns, you will save a lot of money, and we might
think: it will give us something that will contribute to how
people will experience the building. The client will then
challenge its starting points in order to finally conclude that
it's not actually such a crazy idea after all. The resulting
interaction is very inspiring and really fires us up.
Frank: w hat's great is that this allows you to get input from all
kinds of disciplines. What kind of technology should there be in
a building like this? So far, the sustainability aspect has never
played a decisive role with us, because it always went hand in
hand with very long payback periods. But when you are going
to create new buildings, and energy is only getting more
expensive, you have to take everything into account and
question it. Renewable energy in the form of solar panels.
The insulation values of the building. When we talk about the
ways in which you could earn this back, the wildest ideas come
up. An example is the construction of wells to bring up water
from a very long way down. You can use this cold water to cool
the cooling systems. The cold water that passes through the
cooling systems will warm up, and you can then use this water
for heating inside the building.
Jaap: we also called in an energy expert,
who advised us to minimise the number of square metres in
the building. The smaller the area, the less energy is required
to keep the building at the right temperature. Ultimately,
we came up with a design in which we literally made
the building smaller. We also had an interesting internal
discussion: will we lower the height of the building where
extra cooling is required even further and save more, or will
we maintain the same heights everywhere and increase its
potential marketability in the longer term? This is also related
to the sustainability aspect. You can make something very
specific, but you can also consciously opt for such a hugely
clear structure and such a large degree of simplicity that
the level of marketability and therefore the value of your
property are high in the long term.
Frank: imagine if we come to the conclusion in 15 years' time
that it is too small. We will have created a super clear structure
that anyone could move forward in. That would be ideal! The
experts who are currently involved are not familiar with Aartsen,
so they find it much easier to ask the ‘why’ question.
For example, we had a discussion about fire safety. In Belgium,
the rules are a lot stricter than in the Netherlands. For example,
the building must be equipped with smoke hatches. On the
one hand, you want to insulate the building as much as
possible, and on the other, every smoke hatch is a hole, has an
effect on your insulation value and therefore your energy
consumption.
‘We will not be
taken hostage
by conventions
or prejudices‘
BUSINESS IN BELGIUM
NSFM COLORFUL | 22
NSFM COLORFUL | 23

BUSINESS IN BELGIUM
Jaap: the bottom line is having the courage to question
everything. We don’t simply accept anything as true.
We’re constantly looking for the simplest and most optimal
solution for the question at hand. We don’t see any
limitations in the process. If there is a problem or a question,
we will solve it together. We will not be taken hostage by
conventions or prejudices. When you do this, you reach very
pure, honest and usually good solutions. From the outside,
it might look as if you’re just building a warehouse,
but there's such an incredible story behind it. This will soon
extend to the level of the interior design and color schemes.
These kinds of processes make you really happy, which is
incredibly inspiring.
Frank: it also makes you enthusiastic, which gives you
positive energy!
Jaap: what I find characteristic, Frank, is that we have the
courage to wait before making decisions. Architects always
have the urge to grab their pen and design something
beautiful, but together, we have the courage to wait until
all the frameworks are known. After all, the frameworks will
influence the architectural design, so something that is
rooted in the entire process will emerge.
Frank: the office block is a good example of this.
We know how we are going to build it, but we don’t yet know
who will sit where and how the rooms will be designed exactly.
Staff are becoming increasingly important – retaining people
in your organisation, offering something extra.
Traditionally, we always include a staff room. But what about a
fitness room? Or an outside garden? It didn’t fit into the current
design, and so we went from one to three floors for the office
block in no time. You can add another floor, but you can also
put in a basement.
This is the challenge we will be facing together in the coming
period. What would be better and would fit in with our mission
to build a super economical building: adding a basement or
putting another floor on top?
Jaap: these are the kinds of things we are working on! Once
every two weeks, we meet with the team and discuss where
we stand. Aartsen expressly wishes to keep up the pace
of the process. The simpler you make it, the better you
prepare it, the more efficiently and quickly you can build it,
the sooner a contractor will come on board for a fair price.
Frank: I only have one more ambition at this point, which is for
us to be in the building in December 2022!
‘What I find
characteristic, Frank,
is that we have the
courage to wait
before making
decisions’
MAKE YOUR HEALTHY
irresistible
NSFM COLORFUL | 24

AARTSEN TALENTS
Age: 24
Lives in: Etten-Leur
Born in: Bavel
In a relationship: Yes
Guilty pleasure: Disco (lots of 70s music)
Tastiest cocktail: Strawberry Daiquiri
Favourite snack: Hot Cheetos
Best Netflix series: Clickbait, Bodyguard and When they see us
Who we should follow on Instagram or Tiktok: Moustafa Makhlouf
Biggest bad buy: Don’t really have one…
Finest city: Rome
Favourite clothing brand: Josh V and Abercrombie & Fitch
What dish do you like cooking the most: Lasagne and other Italian dishes
Proud of: My family – sounds very cheesy but it’s really true
Favourite fruit: Mango
Woman
power at
Aartsen!Aartsen is bursting with talent.
And one of these talented people
is junior trader Kelly Meeuwissen.
What does she do, and how does
Kelly feel about working at Aartsen?
NSFM COLORFUL | 26
NSFM COLORFUL | 27

AARTSEN TALENTS
What does your job as junior trader involve?
‘It’s a training position with a mix of sales and buying.
My focus in the buying department is South Africa,
where we do a lot of trading under our Mamba brand.’
Well, I heard you do more, too. ‘That’s true.
Besides my commercial tasks I’m key user for
several modules in Fresh, our new ERP system.
That means I provide Fresh training sessions for my
colleagues. I belong to the young guard and we
often learn from the old guard. In this case it’s really
nice that I can teach them something about Fresh.’
You’ve been working at Aartsen for two years now.
What did you do before? ‘Before I started work
at Aartsen I was still studying. In this period
I combined my studies in Global Law at Tilburg
University with a job as customer care officer at
ABN AMRO Bank.’ Have you finished your studies
yet? ‘Almost. Currently I’m in the final year: I still
need to complete a few courses.’ Your job as junior
trader doesn’t really seem an obvious step to
follow your studies. How did you come to work at
Aartsen? ‘The majority of my family has worked in the
potatoes, vegetables and fruit sector, with their own
stores and at markets. I helped out sometimes,
of course, and as a result I sometimes already visited
Aartsen to buy fruit and vegetables. There came a
time when I needed to take a few more courses to
graduate, but I had to wait until the following
semester. That’s when I decided to start working
full-time parallel to my studies, because I like to be
busy. I heard from my family that Aartsen was looking
for commercial talent and so I immediately
contacted the company. And then things were sorted
pretty quickly.’What made you choose Aartsen as
an employer? ‘Right from the start,
I really liked the atmosphere at Aartsen. It’s nice to
work in a male world and everyone is ready to help
everyone else. I realised this when I was job shadowing
for a day, as part of the training process. It’s a really
nice company and at Aartsen you get plenty of
space to develop your abilities.’ You say you like
working in a male environment, but how do you
hold your ground amidst all those men?
‘Actually that’s really easy. When men communicate
with each other they’re nice and direct, often brief
and to the point. That suits me just great, because
it’s how I am, too. But I think that women have a
different vision of certain processes and this can
certainly bring added value. Moreover, women make
a positive contribution to the atmosphere, of course.
More and more women are joining Aartsen and it
would be nice if these numbers keep growing.’
Why do you think you can grow as a talent at
Aartsen? ‘I find it difficult to say that I’m a talent,
because we all get things done together here.
Everyone wants to help you, and we’re really strong
as a team. Everyone here realises that you need
both experience and fresh ideas. What’s more,
I think it’s important to have a tailor-made personal
development plan – one that gives you the freedom
to set your own development course and speed.’
You’ll soon have completed your studies.
What are your goals? ‘Of course I’ll complete my
studies, but I know for sure that I won’t be working in
the legal sector. However, I haven’t charted a clear
route for yourself. When opportunities arise on my
path, then I’ll surely seize them. But first I really want to
get to grips with South Africa. Besides this, I hope to
continue as a Fresh key user for a long time,
because that makes my work interesting and it’s fun
to be involved in new developments at an early
stage.’ Why would you advise other talents to
choose Aartsen? ‘Together we’ve got a strong
“one team, one task” ethos and that creates the
right spirit. There’s a good mix of experience and
young talent. Moreover, there’s a really good working
atmosphere, there’s space for innovation and
people listen to you, even if you’re new.
Aartsen is a big company, but still small enough for
people to know each other. The company’s growing
fast and so it offers its staff plenty of potential.’
Okay, you’ve told us about all that work. What do
you do to relax? ‘I really like sports. I always have
one training session a week guided by a trainer at
Aartsen. In addition I try to visit the gym by myself
twice a week. And at the weekend, to clear my head,
I always go for a run of about 10 kilometres in the
(Mastbos or Markdal) nature areas in Breda.’
Are you a bit of a health freak then? ‘No way,
I like to be among people and I like looking for nice
places together with friends, to have a drink and
good food. Good places for that are in Breda city
centre and Het Houtse Meer restaurant. That’s my
favourite place – it’s a great location for meeting up
with the girls.’
Totally Kelly!
NSFM COLORFUL | 28
NSFM COLORFUL | 29

MAMBA BRANDSTORY
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
MAMBA
MAMBA
MAMBA
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
MAMBA
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
Get
ready
for a
riot of
color!
For many years, Aartsen has been importing the tastiest fruit and
vegetables Africa has to offer under the brand name MAMBA.
Our current logo certainly catches the eye with its solid capitals
and slick design, but we have given it an update. We are keeping
the trademark capitals, but we’ve given our logo a colorful twist.
Striking color palette
For our restyled logo, we have put together a broad palette of colors
that together express the spirit of MAMBA and Africa. Truly a riot of color!
This new look makes MAMBA even more distinctive. Within this palette,
every product group will have its own color. This will make each of the
groups stand out more. Alongside is an overview of the color combinations
we are going to use. When we add new product groups to the MAMBA
range, we will obviously add further colors to the palette.
Launch in early 2022
Together with our MAMBA partners, we will roll out the new color palette
gradually. We will obviously use up our current stock of MAMBA packaging
before we start using the new colored boxes. However, we can already
announce that the first products in the restyled packaging will be available
early 2022.
Be prepared!
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
MAMBA
MAMBA
MAMBA
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
MAMBA
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
NSFM COLORFUL | 30
NSFM COLORFUL | 31

AARTSEN KIDS FOUNDATION
Ha ppy
We go the extra
mile to make a
child smile.
birt
hd ay.
Every child's birthday
should be a party
Due to various circumstances, not every
parent is able to give their children a birthday
party. That made us at Aartsen sad, so we’ve
arranged a careful selection of fun package
deals especially for these children, with all
expenses paid. This way, every child is able
to throw a party on their birthday.
Yet another great idea from the good people
at Aartsen Kids Foundation.
To find out more, visit:
aartsenkidsfoundation.com
NSFM COLORFUL | 32
NSFM COLORFUL | 33

PLANT BASED
Jack
meets
Jack.
Kaline van Halder
At the end of 2021, Kaline van Halder and Marjolein
Pleune – the founders of Meet Jack – paid a visit to
Aartsen. It was an inspiring afternoon, and Kaline felt like
she was featuring in an episode of Het Klokhuis,
the Dutch educational TV show – she learned so much.
It was literally a case of Jack meets Meet Jack.
Marjolein Pleune
Dutch start-up fed by ambition
NSFM COLORFUL | 34
NSFM COLORFUL | 35

PLANT BASED
We’re
talking
about…
jackfruit!
Jack Aartsen was naturally curious about his ‘namesake’ and
very interested in the emergence and growth of this start-up
focusing completely on jackfruit. And there is no doubt he
also identified with Marjolein and Kaline’s ambition and drive.
Meet Jack produces and sells products based on unripe
jackfruit, as this has a meaty texture. They import deep-frozen
jackfruit chunks that chefs can use to prepare great dishes,
and they also create ready-made plant-based products and
meal components.
Inspirers, not activists
The Meet Jack brand is all about Jack. Jack is adventurous,
travels the world, does cool things and inspires people.
Meet Jack focuses primarily on the food service industry,
but is now also considering conquering the supermarket
shelves. Meet Jack’s target group is flexitarians, people who
are keen on eating less meat. Meet Jack wants to offer a
delicious alternative. Jackfruit is a great plant-based product
that tastes just as good and can be as ‘meaty’ as the real
thing. But Meet Jack doesn’t pit itself against meat. Marjolein
and Kaline deliberately stay away from activism. Meet Jack
aims to inspire. And it’s working. Even in the meat sector,
producers are becoming increasingly aware of the need to
cater to the growing demand for plant-based alternatives.
Launch of Meet Jack
It can weigh up to 35 kilos.
It grows on a tree,
with each tree providing up
to 200 fruits per year. It can
be eaten both ripe and
unripe. It’s sustainable.
It’s conquering the world.
Kaline is half Dutch, half Filipino and was born in the
Philippines, where she grew up with a jackfruit tree in the
backyard. She only knew jackfruit as a sweet fruit, and did
not learn about the possibilities of unripe jackfruit since 2017.
During the BioFach trade fair in Nuremberg, Kaline discovered
a German start-up that prepared dishes with jackfruit.
The use of unripe jackfruit pieces as shredded meat was an
eye opener for her. This is a plant-based alternative to meat.
Kaline travelled to the Philippines almost immediately,
wrote a business plan while she was there, and researched
the possibilities for importing jackfruit into the Netherlands.
When the opportunity arose to participate in an acceleration
programme in the Netherlands, she brought Marjolein,
her friend from university, on board. Meet Jack was born.
Although the entrepreneurial friends had no experience in the
food industry, they jumped into the deep end with confidence
and enthusiasm. They have built a brand by trial and error.
NSFM COLORFUL | 36
NSFM COLORFUL | 37

PLANT BASED
Ongoing product development
Although Meet Jack cannot compete with global brands in
terms of budget, the brand is more agile and inventive.
Small players in a market can innovate and innovation is a
strength, which certainly applies to Meet Jack. For this
reason, in collaboration with producers and potential clients,
they are constantly working on product development.
Meet Jack can introduce new products very quickly,
which sets it apart from the establishment. They take their
cues from market trends, and of course the culinary creative
team of Meet Jack is well aware of the endless possibilities of
jackfruit. The brand currently offers a wide range of products,
including curries, rendang and gyros, as well as meatballs
and croquettes. All vegan.
If you want to go fast, you go alone.
If you want to go further, you go together.
Working together on the fruit for
meat lovers!
Sustainable ambitions
Kaline and Marjolein are busy building the Meet Jack brand
and increasing customer loyalty. They also want to do
business sustainably by helping local farmers in the
Philippines and supporting the local economy.
Sustainability is an important issue, and jackfruit does well in
this area due to the natural way jackfruit grows. It’s a jungle
crop, which means it doesn’t need anything extra to grow.
No irrigation, no added nutrients, no pesticides, hardly any
water used. And the more you pick, the more the tree
produces. Furthermore, the production of jackfruit does not
cause deforestation. On the contrary, jackfruit actually
encourages reforestation.
Alongside its sustainable goals, Meet Jack also has growth
ambitions. To be able to grow, the brand needs to increase its
financial leverage. Marjolein and Kaline are convinced of their
mission, brand and product, and are looking for investors who
feel the same way and can give Meet Jack a boost. Based on
the following principles: If you want to go fast, you go alone.
If you want to go further, you go together. Working together
on the fruit for meat lovers!
NSFM COLORFUL | 38
NSFM COLORFUL | 39

New logo, same brand, same quality.
Colors on
display.
‘You really should eat more blackberries
and blueberries. They’re good for you!’ says
my mother when I drop by to see her the
other day. ‘I read it in a magazine from the
supermarket.’ Unfortunately she’s forgotten
just why they’re supposed to be good.
So I find the magazine and read that fruit
with a purple or blue color contains lots of
anthocyanins that help prevent dementia
and forgetfulness. ‘Might be a good idea if
you fetch a few cartons of blackberries and
blueberries for yourself this afternoon,’ I say
with a cynical undertone.
GUEST COLUMN
When I call her the next day and ask if she
got round to visiting the supermarket, she
says she did. Thing is, she forgot to buy the
blackberries and blueberries.
Luckily she bought a bag of sweet potatoes
and mandarins instead. ‘And orange
vegetables and fruit contain lots of betacarotene,
and that’s good for your immune
system. So I’ve got plenty of energy to pop
back to the shops again. Hahaha.’
‘Maybe you should write a shopping list
before you do that, Mum. Otherwise you’ll
forget the blackberries and blueberries
again this afternoon. Because you don’t
eat enough berries,’ I joke. Indignant
noises at the other end of the line. ‘Not so
cheeky, Rob, I did write a list.’ ‘So then
why did you forget to buy blackberries and
blueberries?’ I ask. ‘I forgot my glasses,
so I couldn’t read the list.’ I sigh. ‘So what
did you buy?’ I ask her. ‘Carrots. I can’t
actually remember just why I went to the
shops, but carrots have got lots of lutein
and zeaxanthin and that’s good for your
eyes. So next time I’ll be able to read my
shopping list again.’ In that case, I suggest,
she should immediately snack a few
carrots. ‘I’d love to, but I’ve forgotten where
I put them,’ answers my mother.
The right selection of products in perfect packaging ensures unique and highquality products.
Ginger, lime grass, baby corn, pointed asparagus, dragon fruit, nashi pears, carambola,
pomelo, coconut, passion fruit, tumeric, galangal and okra.
That's Yami.
Of course, this story isn’t literally true, but it
could have happened like that. The palette
of colors on your plate each day really
does ensure that this rainbow shines in
your body as well. Eat colorfully, and you’ll
automatically live colorfully, too. Purple
and blue, for instance, help to keep you
calm and balanced. Red supports a healthy
complexion. With orange you don’t need
to spend a fortune on vitamin pills. Just
remember that this color coding doesn’t
work if the purple/blue color appears in
things like sweet peppers and bread.
Then it’s some kind of mould – and the
color blue will, above all, get your intestines
working double-overtime. And efficient
discharge of waste products is a job you
can happily leave to green vegetables such
as spinach and kale.
Rob Scheepers is a comedian who makes
both theater and television shows.
Rob is also a ‘tonpraoter’ (a comedy style
at Dutch carnival), a fanatic Twitter user and
columnist for magazines and radio shows.
NSFM COLORFUL | 41

YOUNG TALENT IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Looking for the
most creative
dragon fruit
picture.
During each editorial meeting, we take a critical look at
nonstopfresh magazine. This constructively critical approach
helps us to keep each other focused and surprise our readers
in every edition. This leads to new ideas and impulses.
During the previous editorial meeting, I suggested working
with young and talented photographers for our magazine.
I know from experience how difficult it is to get these types of
assignments. Earning your place at the table, particularly if
you have just left the protective environment of your degree
programme, can be very difficult. Which makes it all the better
if you are given a helping hand, and a platform. This ties in
perfectly with Aartsen’s ‘grow’ concept. After all, Aartsen aims
to grow together with the very best partners, suppliers,
products and employees. With that in mind, I went looking for
a photographer who could take a creative photo of dragon
fruit in the context of our ‘colorful’ theme. This led me
to Sifra Kuipers, via a lecturer from St Joost School of
Art & Design in Breda. Sifra is a young and ambitious
photographer who was keen to take on the challenge.
Sifra, fellow student Ids van den Booren and I discussed the
image in depth beforehand. She was given the freedom to
surprise the editors, staying within the context of the theme.
To optimise the image and to give Sifra confidence,
we refined the material together in the studio of the
School of Art & Design where necessary. Both images are
genuine works of art and have given the editors renewed
energy for the upcoming magazines!
Sifra told me that she felt the assignment was very instructive,
and she gained a great deal of inspiration. It has strengthened
her resolve to achieve her ambitions. Firstly, she intends to
graduate in 2022 and also aims to grow her own company.
She would like to have her own studio where she can take
photographs and organise relevant events. This ambitious
young talent wants to do commercial work and also help
people with design projects. We hope that the platform of
nonstopfresh magazine will help her to achieve her ambitions!
Frank Poppelaars - photographer
We went through the whole process together, from drawing up
the quotation to the final image. Sifra found the project to be
very positive. She does not normally do studio photography,
so experimenting with fruit and color in a studio certainly
meant stepping outside of her comfort zone for a while.
It really appealed to her creativity. At college she does a lot
of work in the social design arena, which involves genuinely
taking people and the environment into account when
designing. With her own company, she mainly focuses on
photographing products in free environments. Everything was
different in this project, and Sifra was very enthusiastic about
that.
NSFM COLORFUL | 42
NSFM COLORFUL | 43

YOUNG TALENT IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Dragon fruit By Sifra Kuipers, St Joost School of Art & Design
Dragon fruit By Sifra Kuipers, St Joost School of Art & Design
NSFM COLORFUL | 44
NSFM COLORFUL | 45

FRESH INNOVATION
‘Fresh will
finally go live
in 2022’
‘Together we are witnessing a historic moment
at Aartsen: In 2022, we will be experiencing
the strongest growth in 115 years’
Forget the takeovers. Forget the milestones.
In 2022, we can expect a life-changing moment in
the Aartsen history. In recent years, our dedicated
colleagues have made huge efforts to get Fresh,
our new custom-made ERP (Enterprise Resource
Planning) system, up and running. This system will
take Aartsen to the next level. We are trading up
from a 90s VW Polo to a hypermodern
tfull-option Mercedes.
NSFM COLORFUL | 46
NSFM COLORFUL | 47

FRESH INNOVATION
‘We are
trading up
from a 90s
VW Polo to a
hypermodern
full-option
Mercedes’
jJack Aartsen looks back on the old ERP system,
which was developed in-house by the third
Aartsen generation.
‘We have worked very successfully with this
system for 35 years, but the time was ripe for
a new system. With the benefit of hindsight, we
started this project too late. The public still sees
us as a forward-looking, innovative, role-model
company in the fruit and vegetable sector.
In many ways I agree with this, except for one
caveat: when it comes to innovation and IT,
we really are behind the curve.’
NSFM COLORFUL | 48
NSFM COLORFUL | 49

‘This was not
the easiest
choice, but
certainly the
best one for
Aartsen and
the future’
t
NSFM
Three years ago, the company decided to catch
up in a big way. ‘We invested in expanding the
team of colleagues and in setting up an in-house
IT department. Five years ago, this department
did not even exist. Now we have six colleagues
working there.’
While choosing an off-the-shelf system would
seem the most obvious move, Aartsen walked
its own path and went for a bespoke solution.
Together with Thinkwise, it developed its own
custom-made ERP system. ‘This was absolutely
not the easiest choice, but certainly the best one
for Aartsen and the future.’
Jack is really proud of the team of colleagues that
run this project. ‘The plaudits do not belong to me,
by to these driven colleagues. They put their heart
and soul into this project. I hope for them that it
will be a great success.’
FRESH INNOVATION
NSFM COLORFUL | 50
COLORFUL | 51

FRESH INNOVATION
‘This
system will
take Aartsen
to the next
level’
rRenewing an ERP system after 35 years in a
large organisation like ours is a transformation of
incalculable significance. ‘This system will take
Aartsen to the next level. There is no way back
- success is the only option. The system will bring
our ambitions for the coming years back within
reach. This makes its historic significance many
times greater than everyone in our organisation
realises.
For years, my personal goal has been to get us all
aiming to be the best fruit and vegetable company
in this sector. I do not need to be the biggest, nor
the fastest: I want to be the best. At any rate, that
is what we are striving for. We were really behind
the curve. I always compare it to a VW Polo.
We were driving the world’s fastest Polo. While it
zipped along the motorway at 250 kilometres an
hour, it was just held together with cable ties.’
The new ERP system is comparable to a big
Mercedes with standard features and plenty of
potential –like a car that creates a new driving
experience. ‘From this point on, we can start
planning for the future again.
In recent years, our outdated ERP system
prevented me from making a plan. Soon, however,
we will be driving with a powerful basic engine that
will really let us achieve our ambitions.
Once again, we have the potential and capacity to
make a great leap forward.’
NSFM COLORFUL | 52
NSFM COLORFUL | 53

‘We have
been able
to achieve
this thanks
to a fantastic
team’
s
NSFM
The past five years have seen the strongest growth
in Aartsen’s 115-year history. ‘This is thanks to our
fantastic team of ambitious colleagues.
The company is like a runaway train that is racing
along the tracks and I can no longer hold it back.
All I can do is ensure that our organisation keeps
the train on track, because I am convinced that
it will keep on going for the next five years.’
When Fresh goes live, Aartsen will have gained
a sales-boosting ERP system. ‘It is a truly
custom-made solution. In terms of innovation,
we will soon have new data at our disposal.
Five years ago, I would never have imagined
that we would be employing a data analyst.
We will soon be using these data to take new
steps commercially. We will also be able to make
efficiency improvements in our warehouse.
Data equal knowledge, and knowledge equals
power. That is something we were never able to
leverage, but soon we will.’
Fresh will go live in 2022. ‘There is so much going
on in our organisation right now. People are being
trained, taking courses and feel involved.’
FRESH INNOVATION
NSFM COLORFUL | 54
COLORFUL | 55

AARTSEN PUZZLES
Just sit back and enjoy
these puzzles.
6
1. AARTSEN'S SOUTH-AMERICAN BRAND
2. A NONSTOPFRESH BRAND
3. AARTSEN'S MOST COLORFUL BRAND
4. IN THIS COUNTRY WE ARE SOON STARTING TO
BUILD A BRAND NEW AARTSEN BRANCHE
5. HERE YOU CAN FIND AARTSEN ASIA
5
1
3
6. THEY MAKE CHILDREN SMILE
7. THEME OF THIS MAGAZINE
8. HERE YOU CAN FIND AARTSEN'S HEADQUARTERS
9. ASAIN FRUIT MENTIONED IN THE MAGAZINE
10. AARTSEN'S ITALIAN BRAND
11. AARTSEN'S FAMOUS PAY-OFF
4 16 9 24 23 11 11 9
2
15 9 15 5
4
9 9 13 17 23 24
5 23 20 1 18 15
29 28 24 4 12 24 4
12 1 2 17 3 28 18 24 2 9 13 1 28
9
7
10 28 20 28 16 18 20
8 5 23 2 9
9 10 12 3 16 1 13
10
10 9 26 13 28
E C C A P I T O T 9 O A L S
U I C O N U S A 1 E D B Z M
L O R D U E R 1 E A L W Z I
B A I O L K 9 X N A V O P L
T G A P L B U A C Z E L I E
O I P R U G C K W Z G L L V
Z A U L T N S O O E E E P G
W Z C R O S N D B D T Y T R
L H E C F U E O N N A S O E
S E I R R E B N I A B V O E
I Y I T F O N D A R L Z T N
W A K F E N E E R G E L Y Z
I M H S E R F P O T S N O N
K I M A M B A E G N A R O H
11 24 28 24 17 28 26 3 16 23 17 29 NSFM COLORFUL | 57
KIWIS
LIPZZ
LZV
MAMBA
NONSTOPFRESH
OKUKU
ORANGE
RAINBOW
RED
SMILE
TOOTY
UNO
VEGETABLES
VIOLET
WHITE
YAMI
YELLOW
AARTSEN
AKF
APPLES
BERRIES
BLACK
BLUE
CAPITO
CLUB9119
FREZZ
FRUIT
GRANDEZZA
GREEN
GREENZ
HOLLANDSGLORIE
ICONCANADA
ICONUSA
INDIGO
See the results on the next page.
NSFM COLORFUL | 56

RESULT AARTSEN PUZZLES
Result puzzles.
Inspired
by colors
MAMBA ADVERTISEMENT
of Africa
1 G R A N D E Z Z A
2 A A R T S E N
3 M A M B A
4 B E L G I U M
and its
5 H O N G K O N G
6 K I D S F O U N D A T I O N
7 C O L O R F U L
products.
8 B R E D A
9 J A C K F R U I T
10 C A P I T O
11 N O N S T O P F R E S H
E C C A P I T O T 9 O A L S
U I C O N U S A 1 E D B Z M
L O R D U E R 1 E A L W Z I
B A I O L K 9 X N A V O P L
T G A P L B U A C Z E L I E
O I P R U G C K W Z G L L V
Z A U L T N S O O E E E P G
W Z C R O S N D B D T Y T R
L H E C F U E O N N A S O E
S E I R R E B N I A B V O E
I Y I T F O N D A R L Z T N
W A K F E N E E R G E L Y Z
I M H S E R F P O T S N O N
K I M A M B A E G N A R O H
C O L O R E X P L O S I O N
MAMBA
PRODUCE OF AFRICA
NSFM COLORFUL | 58
NSFM COLORFUL | 59

YOUNG TALENT SCOUT
A colorful combination
Writing a
cultural history
of carrots and
peas.
Jos Spijkerman, philosophy and spatial planning student in Groningen,
won a grant from Flevo Campus Almere to do research into the cultural
history – and present – of the iconic vegetable combination of carrots
and peas. What biological, industrial and cultural processes are fundamental
to them ending up together in our meals? And why are they often found
together in the first place? Is it because they form such a colorful combination?
For nonstopfresh magazine, he explains what he learned from his research.
NSFM COLORFUL | 60 NSFM COLORFUL | 61

YOUNG TALENT SCOUT
“Why are carrots and peas put together in a jar?”
I wondered every time I walked by them in the supermarket.
Last year – half-jokingly – I submitted my research proposal
for an essay competition organised by Flevo Campus, a
research and knowledge institute in Almere. The winner
receives a grant and their essay is published in Flevo
Campus’ annual essay collection. There was a research
topic that had intrigued me for quite some time, and which
fit in well with the theme of the essay competition, namely
the history, present and future of the food system. I entitled
my proposal: “peas, carrots and how we got here – a
cultural history of the most iconic vegetable duo”. To my
surprise, I won.
This is probably the background to the nationalist myth that
the orange color was developed in honour of Prince William of
Orange, the first leader of the Dutch Republic. Although the
Dutch probably did play a role in popularising the orange color,
it is very unlikely that this was part of a nationalist campaign.
The purple carrot had the tendency to stain pottery and the
white one was less tasty, so it’s not surprising that the orange
one was most popular. But recently, colorful carrots have started
reappearing in supermarkets as “forgotten vegetables”.
A trend watcher told me this is because we are developing an
appreciation for (bio)diversity, as part of the growing emphasis
on sustainability.
So now suddenly, I was a carrot and peas researcher. The history
of carrots and peas is an interesting one. Let me start off with
peas: these little fellas were among the first crops to be
cultivated by humans. In the Neolithic Revolution, the first crops
to be cultivated were often a combination of grains
and legumes (such as peas). These made for carbohydrateand
protein-rich meals, which ensured that people could
remain living in one place to produce their foods. Harvest
surpluses became more common, in turn causing a growth
of agricultural production, trade, professionalisation in crafts,
population growth and cities. And this was all thanks to peas
(as well as some other things, of course).
The vegetables we eat have changed size, shape, and color
throughout history. We used to eat overripe peas, until the French
elite found that unripe, they were sweeter. They combined them
with young carrots and a new dish was invented. Poorer people
usually ate big, sturdy carrots because they were easier to
produce and store. It was a cultural statement to eat these
small, young vegetables, because only the rich could afford
them: it was labour-intensive to produce them in this way.
Whoever wanted to appear rich, copied this fad. This is
probably why the combination of carrots and peas became so
popular. Although in my research, I found that other people and
companies have their own origin story of this combination.
“Why are carrots and peas put together in a jar?”
Peas also played a big role in the history of agriculture and food
production. Austrian monk Gregor Mendel researched the pea
plants he grew in the yard of his monastery. He strictly monitored
their traits (pea shape, pea color, flower color, stem shape) and
the variation in their inheritance. So when he crossed a pea
plant with green peas with a pea plant with yellow peas, he
wrote down exactly what happened. Was the pea color passed
on to the next generation? What about the generation after?
In this way, Mendel and his peas established the laws of
heredity and he became the founder of genetics.
For my essay, I interviewed some pea breeders, who told me
that they still use Mendel’s findings in their work. Of course, the
laws of genetics he discovered are still applied, but not only
that. Even Mendel’s method of pushing two flowers together
to make them reproduce is still used today. By selectively
cultivating in this way, breeders aim to create the perfect pea.
For farmers, this means having a pea plant with stems that are
all the same shape, so machines can be developed to harvest
them. For food costumers, this largely means a uniform shape,
size and, of course, color. I was told that the green pea has
recently changed color, for they used to be a brighter green.
Unfortunately, the pea breeders could not tell me why.
This change in color is more clearly visible in the history of the
carrot. Old texts and paintings show carrots in all sorts of colors:
purple, white, yellow, red. They travelled along with merchants
and traders, appearing and reappearing in Europe, with
different colors in different periods of history. Orange carrots, too,
gained popularity from time to time. But the orange color really
started dominating when Dutch traders started growing them
on a bigger scale and centralised their trade.
Because the vegetables we cultivate and eat, have changed
color throughout history, we can try to imagine what the future
will look like. To ensure a sustainable future, we will need to focus
on biodiversity, also with our vegetables. Looking at the history of
the carrot, we learn that colors can vary greatly. We know how
we can influence this in our breeding processes by applying
Mendel’s laws. This basically means we can alter our vegetables
to meet our wants and needs in a completely natural way.
I like to think that in the future, we will combine purple carrots
and yellow peas in a jar. This may not seem an appetising color
combination to us today, but who knows what the future
will bring?
My essay will be published in April 2022 in the
Flevo Campus Essay Collection.
NSFM COLORFUL | 62
NSFM COLORFUL | 63

Is it meat
or is it fruit?
It’s delicious!
FOOD JACKFRUIT RENDANG
Floortje Bruijns studied Nutrition & Dietetics and now focuses her professional
life on everything to do with food. As she explains it, food makes her blissfully
happy. So she shares an exciting recipe with us for nonstopfresh magazine.
This time, she is using the fruity alternative to meat: jackfruit rendang.
Recipe for 3-4 persons
Ingredients for Bumbu
(pronounced as ‘boomboo’)
• 2 tablespoons coriander
• 0.5 tablespoon cumin
• 5 candlenuts
• 50 g ginger root, peeled
• 50 g laos root, peeled
• 40 g turmeric, peeled
• 5 Spanish red peppers, remove the seeds and pith
• 3 rawit chili peppers, remove the green stalk
• 3 medium-sized onions, peeled
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• Generous pinch of salt
Other ingredients
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 500 ml coconut milk
• 2 tins of young jackfruit, well rinsed and drained
• 4 kaffir lime leaves
• 2 stalks of lemongrass
• 2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce
Preparation
First, prepare the bumbu. Roast the coriander
and cumin in a dry pan until you can smell
them. Then place all the ingredients of the
bumbu in the food processor or blender and
mix them until you have a smooth purée.
Heat a saucepan on the cooker. Heat the
coconut oil in this and fry the bumbu on a
medium flame until it thickens. This means
the moisture has evaporated. Add the
coconut milk, jackfruit, kaffir lime leaves and
lemongrass to the pan. Add salt to taste.
Let this simmer on a low flame for at least
1.5 hours and stir occasionally.
When the jackfruit is completely cooked
and has properly taken on all the flavours,
remove the pan from the flame. Now add
two tablespoons of sweet soy sauce.
Serve with pandan rice and, for instance,
green beans, pickled cucumber and red onion.
NSFM COLORFUL | 64 NSFM COLORFUL | 65

BUSINESS IN HONG KONG
So what's been
going on in
Hong Kong?
“It was just a matter
of breaking through
some walls.”
Aartsen Asia relocated again to a much larger office in the second half of 2020.
The move marked a new step in preparing for our company's further growth
and development, and was enabled by our ongoing expansion in collaboration
with partners around the world. The end result: an impressive and inspiring
workplace for our team.
More than a year has since passed, and - you guessed it - we thought it
was high time to check in with Menno van Breemen (managing director,
Aartsen Asia) in Breda and Pui San Poon (head of administration & finance,
Aartsen Asia) in Hong Kong to see how things are going at Aartsen Asia.
NSFM COLORFUL | 66
NSFM COLORFUL | 67

BUSINESS IN HONG KONG
Continued
growth.
Additional space
"When we relocated last year, we knew we had
several options to expand if we needed to",
Menno explains. We were - and remain -
convinced that we'll continue to grow in the
coming years, so we definitely wanted to take
the next step and build in some extra leeway.
This would allow us to realise our next expansion
at the same location: we opted for an office space
with room to expand on both sides. "It was just a
matter of breaking through some walls."
Things were starting to get pretty crowded with
a staff of 24, so we seized the opportunity to
expand to the neighbouring offices.
I don't expect our growth to slow down in the
coming years; with the right people, there's no
stopping us."
NSFM COLORFUL | 68
NSFM COLORFUL | 69

BUSINESS IN HONG KONG
Working from Hong Kong and
the Netherlands
Menno has been working from Breda since September
2021. He explains: "We finalised all our decisions on
the expansion while I was still working in Hong Kong,
and realised the design in close collaboration with Pui San.
Pui San speaks Dutch and the local language, which
makes it much easier to work with local subcontractors.
We also worked together during previous relocations."
Pui San: "So we had already built up quite a bit of
experience. I've been with Aartsen Asia for seven years
now. I was employee number 4 in Hong Kong, so I've seen
a lot of expansions and relocations and always supported
Menno throughout those processes. He's a bit of a control
freak, but I always keep him up to speed on everything
that's going on." Menno: "She knows exactly what I want
and expect, so it's been smooth sailing. I never had to
worry about anything."
Aartsen
Asia
takes
flight.
The Asian market offers enormous potential
and the Aartsen Asia philosophy is proving very
successful. We also have a young and highly
motivated team: everyone is working incredibly
hard, and they all love what they do.
The opportunity to expand certainly came at the
right time. We now have more meeting rooms,
more call boxes so that sales people can talk to
suppliers or customers in a quiet environment,
our pantry has doubled in size and the office
offers an even more impressive view. In terms
of design, layout, materials and furnishings,
Aartsen Asia has continued along the path set
out by Jan Geysen of Puur Interieur. With his
input, the team managed to make optimal use
of the available space.
"It was a bit stressful for me at times. I know what he
wants, so I had to be on top of everything that was going
on and check all the products and furniture that were being
delivered extra carefully. By the way, I'm not doing all this
alone. Gijs Aartsen also joined our 'moving office team'.
I also have a team of people supporting me who can take
over tasks when I'm busy organising a relocation
or expansion."
As Menno explains, it's all about teamwork: "Pui San
obviously plays a crucial role, but we should also mention
the IT department in Breda. They do a lot of important work
behind the scenes that isn't necessarily visible, but makes
a huge difference to what we do. IT has played an
important role in the company's relocation, expansion and
growth. In fact, we wouldn't be able to grow if it weren't
for the IT department."
Having lunch together ...
A friendly atmosphere and a cosy
lunch area
Last year, we deliberately chose to apply the design
concept from our Breda offices to the Hong Kong branch.
A good example would be the pantry, which allows for a
clear separation between work and lunch time.
The office will retain this atmosphere after the expansion is
completed. As Pui San explains, the space is heavily used.
"It's become a hub for all sorts of activities and local and
non-local colleagues. A space where people can stop
talking about work for a while. You notice people really
make a conscious effort to drop by. There's a great
atmosphere, and we've even been organising monthly
lunches where everyone cooks something at home and
brings it to the office to eat together. That's not really
common in Hong Kong; most companies simply don't
have enough space.
Hong Kong floor space prices are so high that many
companies are happy to let their employees eat lunch
outside. We also organise Happy Friday drinks at
5 o'clock to boost team spirit. New staff tend to settle
into the team in no time, it's pretty much automatic."
Future outlook
The team does seem to be constantly adding new recruits.
Pui San: "When I first started here, there were only four of
us. I'm still amazed at how quickly and consistently we're
expanding, but it's great to be a part of that process. We now
have the capacity to expand to 38 workstations. We don't
know how long it will be before we outgrow the office again,
but there's a lot of room to make things better now."
Full speed ahead!
"As Menno puts it: 'If everything
seems under control, we're just
not going fast enough".
NSFM COLORFUL | 70
NSFM COLORFUL | 71

HISTORY
Foundation preserves
historical apple varieties
Good
taste is
never
lost.
Frits Doornenbal
The Netherlands is not a particularly large country,
but if you drive from south to north you can easily
cover a distance of about 250 kilometres.
Nynke Zijlstra
Copywriter Stefan Verhaar drove from Breda, in the
south of the Netherlands, to Friesland in the north
of the country to listen to the story of Nynke Zijlstra
and Frits Doornenbal of Stichting Fruit yn Fryslân
(Fruit in Friesland Foundation).
The mission of this foundation, established in 2004,
is to preserve old fruit varieties, including apples,
and to share knowledge about them.
NSFM COLORFUL | 72 NSFM COLORFUL | 73

HISTORY
Over 250 varieties
of apples planted in
an orchard.
In Friesland, the landscape is even more wide open
than in the rest of the Netherlands. You can see
very far, as there is little to obscure your view of the
horizon, which makes the Dutch cloudscapes even
more impressive. In the north of the province, you can
feel that you’re close to the Wadden Sea, even if you
cannot see it yet.
Over 250 varieties of apples
Frits and Nynke tell me that they have compiled
a list of over 500 historical Dutch apple varieties.
“In an orchard in Sint Nicolaasga, we have now
planted around 250 Dutch varieties. We collect apple
varieties in Friesland, some people bring their apples
to exhibitions, and we also obtain some old varieties
abroad. There are associations and clubs like our
foundation all over Europe, and we share knowledge
and exchange varieties with them. We graft all the
cuttings ourselves and create new fruit trees in this
way,” says Nynke. “We try to plant several trees of
each variety in our orchards to avoid risks. We also
document everything, because a good archive is
very valuable.”
Historical source
“Some of the trees we now have in our orchard are
varieties that we learned about through historical
research and managed to locate in England,
Germany, Denmark and other countries,” says Frits.
The foundation bases its search for apple varieties
on historical documents and other sources. In
the second half of the 18th century, the gardener
Johann Knoop, who hailed from Germany, wrote
several important books on fruit varieties. In his book
Pomologia (1758), for example, he described more
than 100 varieties of apples. The book is beautifully
illustrated with pictures that were hand-colored by
the daughters of his then publisher.
Oldest Frisian variety
One of the apples that Knoop extensively describes
is Doeke Martens, probably the oldest Frisian variety
and the variety the foundation is most proud of.
This apple derives its name from Doeke Martena,
a 16th-century descendant of a historical family of
local nobles that owned a large stone manor house
in the north of Friesland: Martenastate. Today, the
renovated estate still plays a role in the work of the
foundation. Nynke: “In the current estate, we created
a pear tree tunnel, a path lined with historic varieties
of pear trees that form a canopy over it.” Frits adds:
“we occasionally plant orchards on estates or in other
people’s gardens. Not on a large scale, because
it isn’t our core business, but we enjoy planting in
special places like Martenastate.”
Taste explosion à la Sonnaville
We can talk about apples until the cows come home,
but what do these historic apple varieties actually
taste like? Time to find out! I am handed the beautiful
Pink Pearl with its pink-red flesh. Bellida is also
surprising: a lovely taste. But one variety really stands
out: Karmijn de Sonnaville, which is crisp, fresh and
sweet with a touch of acidity. In the US it is rated
as one of the best apples in the world. According to
Nynke, Karmijn de Sonnaville is almost like a slap
in the face due to the intense flavour combination.
A taste explosion. She wasn’t lying. This apple is a
great way to end a wonderful afternoon.
If you would like to find out more about Fruit yn
Fryslân, visit www.fruitynfryslân.nl.
__________________________
Past and present
There is a big difference between the historical
apple varieties preserved by collectors and
commercial cultivation. Frits explains: “apples
should be picked ripe, and eaten on time. A lot of
apples aren’t immediately ready to eat when they
are ready for picking – they need time to develop
their flavour after they have been picked. To ensure
optimal taste with the best structure and all the
aromas, you need to put off picking the apples until
they are picking ripe.
The apples in supermarkets are often picked before
they are ripe in order to slow down the ripening
process and ensure consistent quality levels for a
longer shelf life. Furthermore, the appearance and
size of an apple play an important role nowadays.
Six shiny apples per kilo, that’s the requirement.
But with a historical variety, there is a great deal of
variation in terms of shape and size.” Commercial
apples are subject to different requirements than
historical apple varieties, and Frits and Nynke are
now well aware of this difference between past and
present.
__________________________
Frits and Nynke have
compiled a list of
over 500 historical
Dutch apple varieties.
NSFM COLORFUL | 74
NSFM COLORFUL | 75

THE WORLD OF AARTSEN
The
Wor
ld
of
Aar
tse
n
Proud sponsor
Dutch Hockey.
Aartsen recently became a proud sponsor
of the Dutch Hockey Club in Hong Kong.
DHC Hong Kong, founded in 1949, is the oldest
field hockey club in Hong Kong. In the past,
membership was restricted to Dutch nationals.
But times have changed and DHC Hong Kong is
now a truly international club with players not just
from the Netherlands, but also from Hong Kong,
the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina,
Germany and many other countries.
DHC Hong Kong has two men’s and one women’s
team in the Hong Kong Hockey Association.
Grandezza wear
in Asia’s wholesale
markets now!
Our trusted partners are always going the
extra mile for Grandezza. New stylish Grandezza
sweaters and T-shirts can now be found in local
wholesale markets in China, Thailand, Hong Kong
and others will soon follow! Grandezza has
developed into a premium brand with a year-round
presence and is on top of the market.
Top growers in Australia and South America
supply their products under the Grandezza label,
which is a hallmark of outstanding quality.
The Grandezza wear is designed to further
promote and extend our label’s brand presence.
We wish our partners a successful selling season
with the new Grandezza wear!
Cherry season in full swing.
Since the cherry season is in full swing it’s a great time to have our own branded
tram back in the streets of Hong Kong. This year we updated the design with our
private label Lipzz. Also this year, this "The best cherries are always on top" tram is
a collaboration between our Australian partner Tasmanian Cherries by Reid Fruits,
our customer Sun Lee Laan Wholesale Food Limited and Aartsen fruit and vegetables.
Grow toghether.
Let’s go together team outing for
Breda, Venlo & St. Katelijne-Waver
We can only grow together. And a fun and informal
gathering certainly makes a good contribution to
that! Our Venlo, St. Katelijne-Waver and Breda
branches enjoyed chips and burgers from the
Hieper de Pieper food truck. A hard-working team,
it was great to see you all together!
Grow your
career
together
with Aartsen.
Anniversaries
18/06/2021 Jurgen Boomaerts Breda 25
30/06/2021 Wim van Poppel Breda 35
01/07/2021 Pascal Stabel Breda 25
01/07/2021 Enzo Zeekaf Venlo 25
02/08/2021 Jeffry Kuypers St. Katelijne-Waver 12.5
01/09/2021 Jack Nuiten Breda 25
30/09/2021 Frans Jongerius Venlo 25
06/10/2021 Ignace van Nuffelen St. Katelijne-Waver 12.5
NSFM COLORFUL | 76
NSFM COLORFUL | 77

SIZE
DOES
MATTER.
THE WORLD OF AARTSEN
It took a while, but it was more than
worth the wait. Aartsen’s new LHV,
short for Longer and Heavier Vehicle,
has been delivered and is now ready for
use. The LHV is an articulated lorry
that can carry an extra 14 pallets, so
40 pallets in total per journey! Now that is
what we call efficient haulage! Both of
our Aartsen drivers, Maikel and Michel,
recently obtained the required certificate
and are now authorised to drive our
new lorry. We will initially use the LHV to
move goods between our Breda and
Venlo branches, but we will of course
also consider future needs. Another great
example of how we constantly
keep our ever-growing organisation
nonstopfresh.
Project PineAPPle
everything is changing.
Project PineaAPPle is back!
Unfortunately, technical issues
caused a considerable delay.
Thankfully, we were able to
achieve the desired result with
the adjustments we made and
we are now continuing with the
project. The final test phase has
begun, and we will now focus
completly on planning the go live.
To be continued…
Five-day
Christmas
countdown.
We ended 2021 in a festive way together.
It was a busy week, but more fun than ever.
During the five days before Christmas,
we provided a delicious breakfast and
lunch every day. Everyone enjoyed the
nice surprise and tucked in!
The
Wor
ld
of
Aar
tse
n
NSFM COLORFUL | 78
NSFM COLORFUL | 79

HEATTH
No,
Are you crazy?!
that’s just how
much I enjoy
'Getting out of bed between four
and six in the morning. Hardly
time for a lunchbreak. Missing the
Friday afternoon get-together with
friends because of work calls.
Are you crazy?! I’m totally crazy!’
When his friends in the pub call
him an absolute madman, our
colleague answers with a laugh:
‘No, really, that’s just how much I
enjoy my work!’, and everyone
goes quiet… Our sector really does
start early in the day, it is what it is,
but at the same time, we are
constantly investing in the wellbeing
of our people in other areas.
From sports during working hours
to a healthy lunch and flexible
working hours, Aartsen strives to
promote our colleagues’ well-being!
my work!
NSFM COLORFUL | 80
NSFM COLORFUL | 81

HEATTH
2
Burgers vs. vegetable soup
Just grab a quick sandwich when you have a
moment – at Aartsen, we aim to move away from
this mentality. We want our colleagues to take the
time for a lunchbreak. In Breda, we already serve
healthy lunches, and it is very much appreciated.
So no burgers and fries with ketchup and
mayonnaise for us – in our restaurant, we serve
fresh soups, freshly made salads and healthy
juices. These are all made with Aartsen’s own fresh
produce, of course. In the future,
we aim to roll out these "restaurants" throughout
Aartsen, so all our colleagues can take the time for
lunch and enjoy a fresh and healthy meal.
3
How do you handle work pressure?
In our world, which is changing ever faster, the wellbeing
of our people is now an important issue for us.
We realise that we work at top-sports level, and this
sometimes demands a lot from our colleagues.
But we also want to treat the people who belong to
our family with care and consideration. How do you
handle work pressure? The pressure of a phone
that is constantly ringing? An email inbox that is
filling up fast? A list of tasks that keeps getting
longer and longer? In the future, we want to provide
our colleagues with more guidance and support, for
instance by making a timetable that fits the work
activities.
Moreover, this should be a timetable that is realistic,
that does not give you the sense that you are falling
behind before you have even started. We provide
tools for achieving better balance, so that you can
do your work better.
No,
Are you crazy?!
that’s just how
much I enjoy
my work!
1
Performing at Champions League level
The work that we achieve daily at Aartsen is TOP-LEVEL
SPORT. We work at the Champions League level. And we are
convinced that we can only reach the highest possible level
with the help of our healthy and lively staff. This is why, at
many of our locations, we enable them to do sports training
during working hours. Our colleagues receive one-to-one
coaching from a personal trainer to help them achieve their
personal goals. In the coming years, we are going to further
expand these sports facilities, so that we can make sport
during working hours possible for all our colleagues in future.
That way, we will have the strongest team in the fruit and
vegetable sector.
4
The new flexible way of working
For a long time, a very long time, we were far away
from the idea of flexible working. Our colleagues
work ‘our hours’, we apply for holiday leave well in
advance and the work goes on. But this style of
working is no longer future proof.
The new generation is ready for flexibility, ready for
taking an afternoon off more easily, ready for work
that can easily be coordinated with a Friday afternoon
get-together and ready for picking up the kids from
school more easily. All this makes us realise that
work really needs to be in balance with a person’s
private life.
So, if this can support our people’s well-being, we
are happy to start thinking this way too in the future –
one step at a time!
NSFM COLORFUL | 82
NSFM COLORFUL | 83

FRESH NEW PRODUCTS
nonstopfresh new
products available
at Aartsen.
Shine
Muscat
Fresh new product:
Korean seedless grapes
Varieties: Shine Muscat
Country of origin:
South Korea
Taste: Crisp flesh
texture, muscat flavour
with low acidity
Size: Brix 17-20. Around
700-900 g per bunch; number
of berries in a bunch is 40-45
Season: July to December but
can be stored till February
Extra information:
Korean shine muscat is
growing really fast in terms
of both supply and demand.
S
D
Driscoll's Organic
Fresh new product:
Driscoll’s Organic berries
Varieties: Raspberries,
blackberries and blueberries.
Country of origin:
Spain and Morocco
Supplier: Driscoll's
Size: Fully recyclable
punnet 125 g
Season: From 2022
Brand information: Driscoll’s is
committed to growing only the
finest berries. Family-owned and
operated for over 100 years.
Extra information: The organic packaging
is produced with an emphasis on the use of
renewable resources and supporting biodiversity and
now available in paper with 94% less plastic.
B z
Baby vegetables
Fresh new product: Baby vegetables
Varieties: Mini carrots, mini mix rainbow carrots,
mini zucchini, mini fennel, mini leek, mini turnip,
mini eggplant, mini beetroot, patty pan, mini cabbage.
Country of origin: South Africa
Size: Baby
Season: (Almost) year-round
Extra information: Most baby vegetables are
early-harvested vegetables from standard size
varieties, but some are separate varieties.
Zespri Organic
Fresh new product: Zespri Organic
Varieties: SunGold and Green
Country of origin: New Zealand, Italy and Greece
Supplier: Zespri International Limited
Size: Green available in sizes 33, 36 and 39 in modular bulk
packaging. Sungold available in sizes 25, 30 and 36 in
modular loose packaging.
Season: Sungold
European season: From November to January
New Zealand season: From May to December
Season: Green
European season: From December to May
New Zealand season: From May to December
Brand information: Zespri is the world’s largest marketer
of kiwifruit, selling kiwifruit in over 59 countries.
Extra information: The stickers on the organic kiwis,
the plastic used and the ink on the boxes are better
for nature.
NSFM COLORFUL | 84
NSFM COLORFUL | 85

Matured in an
alpine-mediterranean
climate
We excite consumers
in every season.
Rigourously
controlled
Year-round
availability
From small
family-owned
farms
Enticing varieties
for all tastes
Special quality
thanks to the
different seasons
‘From country
to country’ with
Aartsen Asia.
‘Colorful’ is a suitable theme for
Aartsen. After all, we are an organisation
that offers perhaps the widest range
and biggest diversity of products in
our sector. As a result, our products
represent the entire rainbow of colors!
Nothing is too outrageous for us.
You name it, we handle it!
Menno van Breemen has been the Managing
Director of Aartsen Asia in Hong Kong since 2012.
Colors in Asia
Asia has built up almost its entire
history around colors and their
significance. Colors are found
everywhere. Take the elements
of happiness, health, longevity
and superstition, for example.
In the Far East, the following five
colors are the most important:
red, yellow, green, black and white.
In Asia, colors do not necessarily
have a significance because of their
visual character; they also have
thoughts and forms of faith
attached to them. In the Far East,
colors are related to the wind
direction, planets, animals, numbers,
energy, seasons, phases of the
moon, yin and yang, the climate,
constellations and even fruit.
The most important color in Asia is
red. In our Western culture, this
color may make us think of
Valentine's Day or love, but in Asia,
it represents joy and happiness.
Yellow stands for royalty and wealth,
but it is also related to spirituality.
The color green represents
‘refreshing and healthy’. This color
also has a link with Jade, as well as
money. Black is the symbol of
power and authority. In China, black
also represents honesty, and the
color white is associated with death.
For example, white or silver paper is
burned when someone dies.
You may well have heard of the
famous tradition of giving red
envelopes at Chinese New Year.
In the Chinese culture, this is a gift
that is given to unmarried young
people or by a boss to his team of
employees, for example. Either way,
people are always nice and happy
around Chinese New Year, because
they know it is time for the red
envelopes!
Colors in business
Subconsciously, this truth applies
to many: if you want to achieve
something or wish to be successful,
knowledge of a culture and traditions
can make all the difference.
Doing business in Asia involves
different cultures – successful and
long-term relationships go hand in
hand with a knowledge of different
cultures, and this also includes a
knowledge of colors. Where should
you sit when you enter a room, how
should you behave in a group, how
should you handle the traditions?
For example, you might mistakenly
give a white scarf as a gift to a
Chinese business contact...
People often think that it matters
little whether or not you follow the
right etiquette, because Asian
business contacts are always nice
and respectful and ‘they’re already
a good customer’. However, it is
extremely important for the
relationship. Even though they might
say that everything is fine, to really
get into the inner circle of your
busines relations, you will need to
go beyond just communicating as
you always do. Once you manage
to do that, a customer might
suddenly become a true partner.
This takes time, a lot of it. There is a
saying about an orange: it's orange
(obviously) and can mark the start
of a successful relationship. In the
West, the skin is thin, and you can
quickly build a relationship, but you
only reach one piece of the whole.
In Asia, and especially in China,
you have to make a lot of effort and
really work to understand the other
party. It is a time-consuming
process, because the skin is very
thick. But if you manage to get
through the skin, you really are in,
and they will let you into every
piece. This is the foundation of a
far-reaching relationship that can
take the collaboration between the
two companies to a higher level.
The road to success is long.
Colors in this pandemic
For a long time now, the various
countries on the COVID-19 world
map have been turning green,
yellow, orange and red. Things have
been going up and down like a
yo-yo, as well as from left to right,
and the end is unfortunately not yet
in sight. This makes travelling the
world to visit our partners very
difficult. About four months ago,
my family and I traded Hong Kong
for the Netherlands. In our view,
this was a bigger step than the
journey we took 11 years ago from
the Netherlands to Asia. Over the
past four months, there has been
contact with my team in Hong Kong
every day (despite the travel
restrictions). We are proud of the
team, and with today's technology,
the control is there and we are on
the right growth path.
We have expanded the team
considerably in the last six months
and now have many languages in
the office color palette (from
Vietnamese and Korean to
Japanese and from Mandarin and
Cantonese to Spanish). Growth is in
the pipeline, and with the expansion
of the office, we are once again
ready to invest and build on the
further development of our great
company!
We can therefore say that we have
turned over a new page in the
Netherlands to add a touch of color.
With all the associated challenges.
One thing is certain: we are really
looking forward to it. Both with the
team in Asia and in Europe, we will
create a beautiful and colorful
painting!
To a happy future!
ASIA COLUMN
marlene.it marlene marlene.apple
NSFM COLORFUL | 87

A fruitful partnership is
about growing together.