Magazine website - Aartsen - 2023

COLOPHON
EDITORIAL
In memoriam
Floris Boers
16-09-1994 / 12-08-2022
Floris Boers joined the
Venlo team in April 2014
and worked for Aartsen for
over eight years. When we
think of Floris, we first see
his smiling face and infinite
energy in everything he
did—a colleague who was
always there for you and
excelled in his work.
Coverstory
We would like to introduce you to Giuseppe Seggio, the uncle of
Cono Seggio. We have been working with this family company for more
than 20 years. They are the specialists when it comes to prickly pears.
Giuseppe Seggio keeps himself busy with the field staff. Last year
2 acres of prickly pears. have been covered, this resulted in a season
that started a month earlier. They are the first with covered production.
Besides all the above, Seggio Fruit packs their prickly pears in our
private label Capito since it has an outstanding quality. We receive them
in the colors green, yellow/orange and red. The color doesn’t only show
the maturity level of a prickly pear, it is a different variety, and each
variety has its own color and texture.
Jack.
What is Aartsen's ambition? That's the question!
Our ambition is to constantly strive to be the best in the fresh
produce sector. This can only be achieved through continuous
improvement, improvement, and more improvement. Not being
easily satisfied, but always striving for the highest achievable.
Not choosing the easy path, but rather being challenged to
choose the difficult one. Being very protective of your reputation
and always delivering on your promises. Continuously listening
to others while maintaining your own dose of stubbornness.
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
Editor in chief
Jack Aartsen
Editorial Board
Sophie Bruijns
Hans de Regt
Masja van Deursen
Lodewijk Varossieau
Arjan Hoekstra
Copy
Wim de Jong
Stefan Verhaar
Het Champagne Atelier
Translation
Metamorfose
Vertalingen B.V.
Photography
500 WATT
Leon van Bon
Bureau Duizend Dingen
Nick Franken
Boefkik
Frank Poppelaars
Allen Fung
Illustration
Studio Xaviera Altena
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
‘Always putting
the team above
the individual’
Not being afraid to make mistakes and actually making them,
but learning and never repeating them again. Always putting
the team above the individual. Quality over quantity. Continuously
working on your internal culture and making it one big family.
Never making excuses, but finding solutions. Not pointing
fingers at others, but looking in the mirror. Rejuvenate our
organization while respecting the elderly. Never thinking that
we have already arrived, never putting it on autopilot. Accepting
each other's weaknesses and valuing each other's strengths.
Taking risks is part of the game, but doing so thoughtfully and
always having a plan B. Enjoying successes, but always
remaining grounded. Not looking to the past, but to the future,
where we have influence. Taking care of the people who are
also good to us. And a whole dose of passion, a lot of passion.
Will we ever become the best? I don't know, but we'll make
sure we've done everything we can and that we've laughed
more than we've cried together.
We've been making our magazine since 2007, it can
always be better. That is why we have looked in the mirror
once again and made changes. New editorial team, new
creativity, new looks, and here's the result. The best issue
ever? That will always be the next one.
Enjoy reading.
AMBITION | 07

INDEX
18
nonstopfresh
and future proof
The growing ambition of Aartsen
54
Travel report
Growth in Italy
40
Giant pumkin
Index
A competitive sport, with many
growers entering their pumpkins in
contests around the world to see
who can grow the largest pumpkin.
10 World of Aartsen
The latest news.
26 Fresh products
Marlene: New explosions of flavour.
28 Partner: Still
Our reliable logistics partner.
30 Fresh talk
Cesar Robles Lastra.
34 Nonstop growth
New branch in St. Katelijne-Waver.
38 Client: La Provençale
Within 24 hours from field to custome.
42 Fresh food: recipe
Pumpkin crush.
50 Nonstop travel
5 Travel reports.
61 Guest colomn
Gagan K. Khosla from India.
62 Interview
6 questions to Mink & Vimvipa.
66 Private label
Frezz.
68 We run Aartsen
Competing at the highest level.
74 Fresh: ERP system
We f*cking did it.
76 Grower: Pandol
A collective ambition to be the best.
79 Fresh bites
Short ambitious story's.
84 Beek Vooruit
Sponsor of Beek Vooruit.
89 Column Menno
Ambitious Asia.
82
Leon van Bon
From professional cyclist
to ambitious photographer
44
Future
heroes
Young and ambitious:
I’ts the kids turn
08 | AMBITION AMBITION | 09

WORLD OF AARTSEN
world of
Aartsen
Jubilees
Mark Nooijens
Finance Administrator
Since February 22, 2010
Part of the Aartsen
team for 12.5 years,
on August 22, 2022
Johannes Kruitbos
Account Manager Venlo
Since July 19, 2010
Part of the Aartsen
team for 12.5 years,
on January 19, 2023
Maxim Maes
Warehouse crew member
Since August 16, 2010
Part of the Aartsen
team for 12.5 years,
on February 16, 2023
Dio de Craen
Quality Controller
Since March 2, 1998
Part of the Aartsen
team for 25 years,
on March 2, 2023
Berlin fair
"NO STAND, BUT YOU CAN STILL
STAND OUT WITH US".
Our team was present at Fruit Logistics
in Berlin. Great to meet up with our
existing partners and to discover many
new potential contacts. Fun fact: we
only visited the fair as a visitors with five
commercial colleagues.
HOCKEY IN HONG KONG
Aartsen is not only a sponsor of sporting clubs and
events in the Benelux, but even the Dutch Hockey Club
in Hong Kong plays in Aartsen uniforms. Score!
Classic
Christmas
Friday, December 23, was all about an
Aartsen Classic Christmas. All teams were
given time to enjoy a huge Christmas breakfast.
Our canteens were decorated in full Christmas
style, and presents were waiting under the tree for
everyone. After breakfast, everyone opened their
one-of-a-kind gift: a scent workshop with a one-year
supply of perfume. Now, that’s a celebration!
You become a member of club 9119 when you
have been part of the Aartsen team for 25 years
or more, and that’s something! We are proud
and grateful that we now have 25 club members.
On December 2 2022, the club went out for the
first time, and we plan to make this a tradition.
We started with a cup of coffee at the head
office, then with an old BBA bus to the centre
of Breda, a city walk with a legendary guide
and finishing the day with a delicious lunch.
Everyone returned to Aartsen with a smile.
One of the club members remembers:
"All my muscles are sore from laughing;
I had a fantastic day".
Singelloop
On Sunday, October 2, 2022, the
Running Team Aartsen consisted of
over 100 die-hard runners. Aartsen
is the proud main sponsor of the
10 km of the Bredase Singelloop,
and we look forward to the next
edition of the Singelloop on
October 1, 2023.
City bus
in Venlo
It’s time to switch it up and change.
Aartsen continues to grow and seeks
people who want to grow with us.
Throughout 2023, two buses powered
by Aartsen will drive around Venlo,
hoping people will join our team!
10 | AMBITION AMBITION | 11

WORLD OF AARTSEN
35 restaurants had
a table reserved
for Aartsen. Each
team enjoyed a
smallscale dinner.
The title says it all - at the end
of November, on November
19th to be exact, it was time to
party. At Aartsen, we like to do
things big and well.
Throughout the center of Breda,
no fewer than 35 restaurants had
a table reserved for Aartsen. Each
team enjoyed a small-scale dinner.
Afterwards, everyone was
transported to the party location
in Volkswagen vans, tuk-tuks,
and old-fashioned school
buses. The Best Party Ever was
made there, and the teams from
Aartsen’s Benelux locations
enjoyed an unforgettable party.
12 | AMBITION
AMBITION | 13

WORLD OF AARTSEN
The Best Party Ever
was made there,
and the teams from
Aartsen’s Benelux
locations enjoyed
an unforgettable
party.
Everyone was
transported to the
party location in
Volkswagen vans,
tuk-tuks, and
oldfashioned
schoolbuses.
14 | AMBITION AMBITION | 15

You grow
apples_
Grower Vissers / The Netherlands
we grow
your part
of the pie.
Aartsen offers everything in the world of fruit and vegetables.
We will do anything to deliver fruit and vegetables fresher than
fresh to one of our Benelux destinations: Breda, Venlo and
St. Kathelijne-Waver. Or to Hong Kong. We call this ‘nonstopfresh’.
aartsen.com

FRESH SPECIAL
INTERVIEW
Jack Aartsen (58)
Chief Executive Officer Aartsen
(on the right with Jasper, Marcel and Menno)
THE GROWING
AMBITION
OF AARTSEN
Nonstopfresh
and future proof
fresh
special
2023 promises to be a remarkable and
busy year for Aartsen as the company
is experiencing turbulent growth. The
team knows the challenges ahead, and
everyone is willing to chip in to fulfil our
ambitions. We sat down with Jack Aartsen
and the newly board of directors and
discussed the company's future.
In this interview, Jack is as candid as he is business-minded. As
colleagues and business relations know, Jack does not dwell on prior
victories. "It's not my style. I prefer to devote my energy and time to
today's and tomorrow's challenges."
To fill our readers in on the latest developments within Aartsen: the
ERP computer system "Fresh" has been operational since November.
The construction plans for the new St. Katelijne-Waver site in Belgium
are ready to be implemented. With the appointment of Jasper van
der Sandt and Menno van Breemen, Aartsen's board of directors has
grown younger, and the entire team is energized for the future.
At the start of the conversation, Jack can't suppress his enthusiasm
when talking about "Fresh". "Five years ago, all the IT specialists
I consulted advised us to take a standard ERP package and build
our organization around it. Our implementation team decided to turn
it around. Over the past four years we have designed a new computer
system, meeting our requirements. This company has never invested
so much in a project in which I have been so little involved. It is a world
achievement for all colleagues who have put their heart, soul, time and
energy into it. I'm super proud of it, also because it says everything
about the atypical company we want to be in our sector. We're quirky,
sometimes stubborn, and in the end, distinctive. We make our own
choices, have our vision and never choose the easy way. Everybody
can take the easy route and most people ignore the difficult path. But
not with us. For more context: we are not quite there yet with Fresh.
The ERP system now scores a 6.5. That should be an eight this year,
not a seven or a 7.5 but an 8. The following applies to everything we
do in this company: we either do it well or don't."
How do you get every employee on board with your vision?
"There is a tremendous family-like connection. That's why we always
talk to each other in the we-form. I can't do anything here alone;
working closely together is ingrained in our culture. In principle,
people come first, not the position someone holds and the amount of
experience or training they may have had. Nothing will get me angrier
than seeing someone disrespected by another person."
"At Aartsen, we are all equally important and equally driven. Regardless
position or job title. Everyone makes an important contribution to our
organization. And vice versa, Aartsen ensures everyone working for
us is satisfied, and we have a small staff turnover. Our people are our
capital and our most significant treasures."
I've heard everyone works extremely hard here.
"Yeah, incredibly hard, and everyone has a winners mentality, and we've
been winning many "races". Sometimes you have to protect them from
themselves. We have been going through a tremendous growth spurt
in which turnover and the number of colleagues have doubled quickly.
Our development is fantastic, but I've been saying for years that we
can't keep up with our current growing organisation and shrinking office
buildings. Our commercial department doesn't see this as a problem;
as far as they are concerned, the express train should keep rolling.
This spirit says it all, and I agree [laughs]: if keeping up with our enormous
growth is our biggest problem, our problems are insignificant!"
Soon, the expansion and renovations will start.
"The new location in St. Katelijne-Waver will be ready in the first
quarter of 2024 and will have double the capacity, it will be our most
stunning location to date. The wonderful thing about this location
is that it will serve as an example for all future sites. This site is our
new office standard with a fully equipped gym and a restaurant full of
healthy options for our employees. In short, we will take even better
care of our people in these tailor-made construction projects than we
do now. It's one of those fun tasks I can keep busy with in the coming
years. We'll realize a new master plan for the Breda location in four or
five years as well."
Then this conversation brings you to the third significant step
already taken at Aartsen. What considerations were at the basis
of the expansion of the management board?
"We are switching from a three- to a four-person board to secure the
future of our company. We want to maintain the line we have followed
as an independent corporation, and at the same time, we are creating
space for a new generation of managers to whom that future belongs.
Such a decision is not a solitary one for me. It fits my philosophy
that you should always keep an open mind to young people's ideas.
Besides travelling, they are a great source of inspiration for me. You
will not hear any negative stories from me about the so-called youth
of today. I'm rigorously on their side."
"With Menno (CCO) and Jasper (COO), we've welcomed two very
talented and capable thirty-somethings to the board, who are welltrained
for their positions. They face an enormous responsibility and
will certainly have to learn something or two, but with my utmost
support. I am already grateful to them for wanting to grow into this
position over the past few years. They became co-shareholders
because I think that's best for the company, and everyone at Aartsen
knows the work they've put in to achieve these goals."
Aartsen has been a family business for over 116 years.
In that sense, their appointment is extraordinary.
"Certainly, it is the first time in our history that two people without our
last name have joined the management board and as co-shareholders
of Aartsen. And now I naturally expect the question that has been
asked me a hundred thousand times before: aren't your sons Gijs
and Freek already destined to succeed father? The answer is that their
seats are not automatically reserved in advanced for them here. I know
too many family businesses where that eventually went wrong. Who
knows, that succession will soon be reserved for them. As a father,
I would, of course, be very proud of that. But they must seriously want
it and have the ambition and the right personality. We will see. Their
involvement and interest are already great. Just as they are both very
enthusiastic about the appointment of Menno and Jasper."
Another expected question, then: what will change for you at
Aartsen with the new board of directors?
"Before I combined the positions of commercial and general manager.
Now, I will only focus on the last role. My main focus will be supervising
our three directors and our second management layer in the coming
years. What else? Now, I'm in a luxurious position where I can choose
to do the things within the company that I enjoy most—thinking about
the new locations for our offices, creating marketing campaigns and
aligning everyone's vision for tomorrow and the future. Hopefully,
I can spend more time with my precious wife, family, relatives and
friends. At 57, I want to find a better work-life balance. No one needs to
be afraid that I will wander through the halls as an old, grey man, getting
in everyone's way and asking unnecessary questions. I never want to
hold Aartsen back, everyone knows to send me home immediately
if this happens!"
18 | AMBITION AMBITION | 19

FRESH SPECIAL
INTERVIEW
From left to right:
Jack Aartsen,
Menno van Breemen
Marcel Hendriks
Jasper van der Sandt
20 | AMBITION AMBITION | 21

FRESH SPECIAL
INTERVIEW
Marcel Hendriks (49)
He has been working for
Aartsen for 8.5 years. In
addition to Aartsen's financial
ins and outs, as CFO, he is also
responsible for the IT policy.
Fresh | "One of the first significant assignments
I faced at Aartsen 8.5 years ago was implementing
a new ERP system. We initially opted to introduce
a standard application, as has been done by many
companies in our industry. However, extensive
internal research showed that this solution would
not suffice for Aartsen. Our working method differs
too much from what a standard application
could offer. We have set up our processes very
differently, so we had to look for a system based
on customization. We, therefore, started from
scratch on a Thinkwise low-code platform with
the development of our own Fresh."
Team spirit | "Our project group proudly built the system itself in four
years with help from our IT partner Thinkwise. The system is innovative
and a great example of our team spirit. Everyone had to pick up extra work
because our main focus was developing Fresh, transiting to an entirely new
system required much effort. It feels like we've all been reset and rewired."
FreshAsia | "In 2023, we'll continue to develop Fresh in the Benelux,
while Fresh Asia will also be launched. My main priority is to find and keep
the right individuals to realize these tremendous ambitions. It all starts with
the people you work with."
Dates | "Fresh also enables us to collect the data that optimize
the processes at Aartsen. The next step is expanding our business
intelligence tools, increasing effectiveness and efficiency and making
faster and better decisions. We are at the beginning of this journey, but
as far as I am concerned, it's one of our most promising projects to start"
Finance | "Our organization is covered against problems, but many
other industry companies face difficult times. Apart from the high energy
prices and the substantial indexation of wages due to new collective
labour agreements, suppliers and customers of Aartsen are confronted
with rapidly increasing general costs, which can't always be incorporated
into the prices of our products. Entrepreneurs in the Netherlands, Belgium
and Germany will have a challenging time."
Jasper van der Sandt (32)
As a Small Business & Retail
Management student, Jasper
van der Sandt joined Aartsen
as an intern. Since January 1,
he has been our company's
Operational Director/COO
and co-shareholder.
"I was taught everything about the fruit and vegetable trade at home. My
father has been active in the sector and my mother is Jack's sister. I visited
this company regularly as a kid and it was always part of discussion when we
were together with the family. I never thought I would come and work here."
Trainee | "During a Christmas family dinner, I still hadn't found an
internship, and luckily uncle Jack invited me for an interview the following
Monday morning. Since then, I have always worked with Aartsen. First in
commercial positions: overseeing imports from Spain. Later, I became
a member of the commercial management and in recent years I have
mainly been involved in supervising overseas imports."
Fresh | "I was closely involved in the development of Fresh. It is one of
the most important developments within Aartsen. The innovations and
expansions we implement must keep up with the doubling turnover and
caring for our personnel."
People | "As a management team member, it's my responsibility to keep
the company operating in all its departments. By further growing our
Human Resources department, we can continue putting our staff first.
Every person here is part of the engine of our company."
Family trait | "We invest in people at Aartsen and often train them
ourselves so they can continually advance in their careers. For myself?
I have always had the ambition to end up in this position, and everyone
knows I worked hard to get here. I hope that in the coming years, the
work will remain challenging for me [laughs]."
22 | AMBITION AMBITION | 23

FRESH SPECIAL
INTERVIEW
Menno van Breemen (37)
has worked at Aartsen for the
past ten years as Managing
Director of Asia in Hong Kong.
Since January 1, he's been
appointed as our company's
Commercial Director/CCO
and co-shareholder, now with
the Breda headquarters as a
permanent location.
Asia | "The significant contrast with the
Netherlands is that everything runs 24/7 in
Asia. In our sector, for example, the working
day starts at 1 a.m. Everyone is constantly on
it and doesn't stop working during the weekend.
You automatically adapt to this dynamic and we
raise the bar for ourselves there every week.
We constantly hype each other up. I want to take
that work ethic and mentality to the Netherlands
and Belgium. With that drive, we continue to
build on the evolution of our company."
Breda | "I'm the one who had the most difficulty
moving back home compared to my family. It felt
like I was leaving my child, Aartsen Asia, behind.
You miss the city, speed, life, hustle, and bustle.
I live in Breda; if you look out the window, you'll see an occasional car
passing by. Fortunately, we work so hard at Aartsen that I don't have
much time to stare out the window [laughs]. This was the best move for
my family and me, with a view to the future within our company. I will stay
involved with the team in Hong Kong as I'm still managing them and in
my new role as CCO of the entire group, my involvement will not decline.
I want to seize this opportunity and put my heart and soul into the growth
of our organization. I like to say: if everything seems under control, we
are just not going fast enough."
Ambitions | "I am driven, energetic, impatient and tenacious by nature.
I'd rather bang my head against the wall ten times than give up. That
drive will come in handy again in my current position. As a commercial
department, we face critical challenges. I want our commercial teams in
Breda, Venlo and Belgium to operate much more as a unit. By exchanging
figures and other factual information more adequately, we keep each
other sharp and strengthen Aartsen's clout on the global market. This also
includes integration with our team in Asia. With our new ERP system Fresh,
we have the engine for it. I was listening to people and coming up with
ideas to retake steps. I emphatically want to focus much more on data.
Relying solely on the old gut feeling stems from the era before digitalization.
The feeling is hugely important, but the strength will be the combination."
Core Values | "When I was active as an entrepreneur during my university
days, I was often one of the youngest in that industry, and again when I
started at Aartsen Asia. A decade ago, I couldn't even tell an apple
from an orange; I succeeded because I was allowed to grow within the
business. As a manager, I now want to return the favour: I want people to
become independent thinkers, learn from each other and make sure they
can handle their responsibilities while continuously growing and trusting
that we have their backs."
Do you
know what
we really grow?
Grow
24 | AMBITION
FOLLOW US:
Agrícola Don Ricardo
Donricardocuentaoficial
Don Ricardo
Don Ricardo

FRESH PRODUCTS
APPLES FROM ITALY
The Marlene ® range has
been expanded recently
and now the Marlene ® brand
also includes the Giga ® and
RedPop ® apples. All of these
apples stand out for their
unique flavour and add a
new dimension to the wide
range of Marlene ® products.
In addition to these two,
their producer VOG also
introduced Cosmic Crisp,
an incredibly crispy and
juicy apple.
Protected by the Alps,
these apples enjoy over
300 days and 2.000 hours
of sunshine a year. The
extremely favourable soil
and the strong temperature
difference between night
and day also play a key role
in giving these apples their
distinctive colour, flavour
and crunch.
Mighty Good
Blessed with a fruity bouquet and
a sweet-sour bite that will only get
better with time, Giga ® is resourceful,
firm and imperishable. Yep: it’s
unusual. It’s the odd apple out. And
it can’t wait to tell you exactly how
different it is: Pure but tempting,
abundant but graceful. Grand,
maybe, but never without a cause.
Giga® is an apple no one will forget.
Little big sweet
Dark red, glossy, neither big nor
small - RedPop ® is a red jump, a
crispy bite, a burst of flavor with a
unique taste that seduces all. Ready
for a new sweetness? Red pop is
the perfect snacking apple.
New explosions
of flavour
Heavenly taste
Cosmic Crisp ® is an apple that has
an attractive, rich-red coloring with
small white dots. It offers a perfect
balance of sweetness and tartness
– with a crispy and juicy texture
that evokes a heavenly taste with
every bite.
26 | AMBITION
AMBITION | 27

PARTNER
STILL
STILL
going strong
partner
OUR RELIABLE LOGISTICS PARTNER
Arthur Musters
Countrymanager STILL,
The Netherlands
All forklift trucks that drive in
the Aartsen warehouses have
been supplied by STILL for
years. A dynamic, international
company whose history dates
back to 1920, and it speaks for
itself that we selected STILL
as our partner for our internal
logistics. The company is
a leader in intralogistics,
mobile automation and
sustainable business. Arthur
Musters, director of STILL’s
Dutch branch in Hendrik-Ido-
Ambacht, explains
The Gaul of the Roman Empire
"Logistics, I love it. The Netherlands is a logistics hotspot in
the world. All new developments in the sector come together here.
The Dutch are also delighted to take the lead and stick our necks out
business development-wise. We’re not arrogant; it’s more of a quirky
trait. We choose our path, and the positive effect counts. I know that
Aartsen thinks the same way."
Hydrogen-powered forklifts
"One of the major trends in our field is sustainability. In February, our
Dutch location was awarded the energy label A+++++. A certification
that, in addition to our ISO certificates, I am proud of. Our top goal is
zero emissions. We want to set a good example in this. We already
get most of our electricity from solar panels. Most of our lease cars
are electric, and we are now considering whether we can also use
a heat pump. Electric forklift trucks have been on the market for
years, but slowly, the market is moving towards hydrogen-powered
propulsion—everything must change for more sustainable energy
consumption. Many forklift trucks now run on hydrogen: we do it!"
Robots do the work
"The other major trend is automation. That’s a hot topic. Particularly
during the pandemic, many customers had issues due to thirty
to forty percent of staff loss in their warehouses, so numerous
companies have started thinking about the possibilities of automation
at an accelerated pace. Innovations in the field of autonomous mobile
robots gained momentum as a result. Our company has the solutions
for this and responded flexibly by investing heavily in subsidiaries that
program the software. Not only giants such as Bol.com and Amazon
are reaping the benefits of self-propelled forklifts and warehouse
trucks. Smaller companies in, for example, logistics, production
and retail also benefit. The continuity in your business operations,
the safety and the environmental aspect, are decisive."
Orange Heart, Orange Blood
"Before this, I was active in the telecom field for a large corporate
group. Think of it as a supplier of services – a business that’s not
tangible, and I missed the identity that I found at STILL. We carry
much Dutch pride within us, and I like to think that our hearts are
orange, and we bleed orange as well. We want to be the best
employer in our industry. We ensure that people consciously choose
a job at STILL and stay with the company. Our employees are proud
to work for STILL."
Women in Engineering
"With the current shortage in the labour market, recruiting the right
people is a mission in itself. The shortage of technical employees is
upsetting. It can still keep me awake at night. It’s a shame that such
a beautiful profession is not considered sexy. For me, the knowledge
of a technical professional is just as valuable as that of a lawyer.
At STILL, we now also prefer to talk about service engineers and
mechatronics specialists. It’s not that, as a mechanic, you only do
heavy work. Precision mechanics and control technology require
completely different capacities. This may be the field in which we
interest even more women. Out of seven employees in our new
business development department, four are now women. We are still
on the right track."
28 | AMBITION AMBITION | 29

FRESH TALK
CESAR ROBLES LASTRA
interview
CESAR IS HAPPIEST WHEN HE TRAVELS
Discovering
the world
Name
Aartsen branch
Age
Place of birth
Fruit
Vegetable
Dish
Season
City
Drink
On his bucket list
Did you know?
Cesar Robles Lastra
Hong Kong
28 years old
Léon, Spain
Flat peach
Red bell pepper
Seafood paella
Summer
New York
Red wine
Skydiving, South America,
Afrika and watching the World
Cup live
During his Erasmus exchange
year in Budapest, Cesar visited
17 countries!
Cesar Robles Lastra (28) recently came
back from his trip to the Netherlands and
in the meantime he also attended the
international fair Fruit Attraction Madrid.
Traveling is in Cesar’s blood and to no
one’s surprise, the position of Commercial
Trader for Aartsen Asia suits him perfectly.
We are happy to get a hold of Cesar in
between trips and are delighted to share
his story and contagious enthusiasm.
At the age of twelve, Cesar undertakes his first solo adventure
abroad. He is going on a trip to Ireland, where he will spend the
summer with a host family, learning English. A great success, and in
the years that follow more summers are spent in English speaking
countries, from the UK to the US. Cesar: "When I was sixteen, I got
the opportunity to go abroad for a full year. My mom thought it was
a waste of money to spend so much just on summer holidays. So she
sent me abroad for a full year. And that’s how it started: from then on,
all I wanted to do was travel."
30 | AMBITION AMBITION | 31

FRESH TALK
CESAR ROBLES LASTRA
From the States to Hong Kong
After one year of living the American dream as an exchange student
in Montana, it’s time for Cesar to go to university. "I combined two
degrees: business administration & management, and international
trade. In my third year I was finally allowed to study abroad. As an
Erasmus exchange student I studied in Budapest. For my last year of
university I moved back to the US. To finish up university and after the
year abroad in the US, I had to complete my final theses in barely one
month. I think that has been one of the biggest achievement of my
life so far. I’ve never worked so hard as I did during that month and I
spent so much time and effort in it." After obtaining his two bachelor
degrees, Cesar joins a masters program in which he is selected to
represent his region working as an International Trade Advisor. Quite
the opportunity, since only a few students are selected to join the
program. But for Cesar it meant something else: he would finally be
able to travel again. "For me, it was an opportunity to discover a new
part of the world. Because of my background they wanted to send me
to the United States again, but I insisted on going to Hong Kong and
thankfully, I got the position there."
Protest and Covid-19
The arrival in Hong Kong was not entirely pleasant, Cesar tells us.
"Every day, there were riots on the streets and pretty soon after my
arrival the pandemic started. It was difficult to find opportunities,
and possibilities to travel were limited." But then, out of nowhere
an opportunity presented itself: Aartsen was looking for a Spanish
speaking employee. "I started work on December 8th as a International
Trader, which is such a dynamic job. I’m responsible for the import
of Spanish produce, the Indian market, now in transition to Vietnam
and we have just shipped the first container ever from South Africa to
Bangladesh. There’s so much to do!"
With less and less restrictions in place, the job turns out to be
perfect for Cesar. "As a sales person I appreciate this type of work.
Constantly looking for ways to push for more sales, discovering new
markets, and lots of traveling. All the traveling makes this the best job
for me right now! However, what I appreciate equally is the feeling of
being part of a family. I feel so welcome and it is because Aartsen
is a family business. You are important as a person, you’re not just
another employee. It’s not just about numbers, Aartsen truly cares
for you and looks after you. As a newbie I got such a warm welcome.
Everyone was willing to help me out to get started."
Opportunities to grow
It is exactly the work environment that allows Cesar to thrive.
"The business is doing well and that motivates me to work even
harder. Besides, Aartsen gives you all the opportunities to grow,
to develop the skills you need, to move to the next position. While
always considering where your qualities and ambitions lie. Whatever
opportunity they give me, I’ll be here to take it with both hands. It’s
important for me to keep growing and developing myself. Whether it
is to develop a new potential market like Bangladesh, or expanding
the existing ones in Vietnam or India." With his colleagues from all
over the world, Cesar feels at home in Hong Kong. "The secret behind
the company’s success is the diversity of the team. There’s so much
to learn from each other, everyone has a different background and
brings in new knowledge or a different approach. And when you work
this well together, you get the best results."
32 | AMBITION

NONSTOP GROWTH
INTERVIEW
interview
THE NEW
BELGIUM
BRANCH
IN ST. KATELIJNE-WAVER
Our colleagues from Aartsen
Belgium, have something to look
forward to. Halfway through 2024,
the new Aartsen branch opens in
St. Katelijne-Waver. It will be twice
the size of our present office at the
existing site. With a new location also
comes innovation, and architects
Jaap Bekkers and Jan Geysen explain
the six biggest highlights of their
ambitious design plans.
34 | AMBITION AMBITION | 35

NONSTOP GROWTH
INTERVIEW
6highlights to look out for
Jaap Bekkers (left) is a partner at Grosfeld Bekkers Van der
Velde Architects in Breda. Jan Geysen (right) is the owner
of Puur Interieurarchitecten in Antwerp. Together they
are responsible for the design of Aartsen’s headquarters
in Breda. Grosfeld Bekkers Van der Velde Architects
in Breda also designed the Aartsen Venlo office. Puur
Interieurarchitecten created the lunch zone in Aartsen
Venlo and the offices in Hong Kong.
St. Katelijne-Waver will be Aartsen’s most energyefficient
location
Doubling in size doesn’t mean that the latest location will
consume twice as much electricity. Jan: "We took a very
critical look at energy demands. With the help of an expert
in industrial construction, we thoroughly calculated how
to keep the energy requirement as low as possible. For
example, the warehouse will have a lowered roof level.
This way, we reduce the number of cubic meters that
permanently have to be cooled there." Jaap: "By insulating
the warehouses efficiently, the cooling installations at St.
Katelijne-Waver are smaller than in Breda and Venlo, and the
whole building is engineered so that energy consumption is
economically justified and efficient."
All business processes connect seamlessly with
each other
Jaap and Jan have previously been involved in Aartsen’s
construction projects and are already familiar with internal
business processes. For the enormous workplace of St.
Katelijne-Waver, everything has once again been examined
and questioned down to minor details. Jaap: "We have
incorporated all the logistical and functional aspects into
a newly designed layout. Where will the trucks dock, and
via which routes? Where do the staff and customers come
in? Where are the cash and carry and offices located?
And what does that mean for fire safety? We metaphorically
moved through every Aartsen’s departments during the
planning process to ensure we left no stone unturned."
Jan: "One revision always followed up one of the improvements
in these discussions, and in this aspect, even if the design
plans had to be adjusted again, Aartsen takes enough time
to dot the i’s and cross the t’s."
The people of Aartsen are the backbone of the company
Our starting point for the design was always: how can
we create the best structure where everyone can do their
best work and bring their A-game? Jaap: "In Sint-Katelijne
Waver, once again, a top priority was exceptional employee
facilities. At first, we thought we could accommodate all
office functions and staff facilities on two levels. Later on,
we decided to add a third layer. Now, they’ll have a staff
restaurant, a gym and a rooftop terrace! All facilities are for
both warehouse and office employees. The staff floor is also
the cherry on top of this project. We mixed very subtle but
still distinct concrete textures to finish the facade, and we
feel it’s the distinguished second layer of the building. Again
the emphasis is on Aartsen wanting the best for its people
by dedicating this to the team. The company asks a lot
of them, but they also get plenty in return."
A contemporary office space with an atmosphere
that fits the character of Aartsen
As is typical in most offices, you won’t find carpet tiles,
painted walls and a suspended ceiling in the new location.
The offices in the new site are anything but boring! In St.
Katelijne-Waver, they exude the same industrial atmosphere
as the warehouses. With concrete floors and open ceilings,
the pipes and climate control systems remain visible for a
bold and authentic industrial look. Jan: "All these techniques
have an aesthetic that we believe fits the identity and
no-nonsense personality of Aartsen. By adding wood and
plants, the spaces radiate warmth."
Appropriate facilities for international drivers
The international drivers and customers for our Cash & Carry
station have also been considered. They can enjoy a coffee
in a specially designed indoor truck stop, and there will be
sanitary facilities with which Aartsen, as a company, sets a
new standard. Jaap: "The management is fantastic, and as
architects, we were repeatedly confronted with how special
this company truly is."
St. Katelijne-Waver will look stunning
The complex is built in a beautiful high-profile location near
the Rijksweg 6 and will attract attention because of its grand
appearance. Jan: "You hire an architect to design a space,
and they can easily obtain building permits. But it’s much
rarer when an architect is hired to add architectural value to
such a building, and we feel blessed to have been hired to
do just that." Jaap: "We get the freedom to use traditional
building materials uniquely so that you will have a building
that distinguishes itself from the rest. For example, the
window cavities in the prefab concrete office facades arise
from the functional requirements of the spaces behind them.
This leads to an idiosyncratic composition in the facade, and
form meets function. The sheds are finished with standard
sandwich panels in a matt brushed aluminium finish, creating
a "soft" counterpart to the hard concrete. This facade finish
reflects the surroundings’ colour and softens the building’s
largeness." Jan: "Aartsen offered us the opportunity, time
and confidence to develop these solutions, and we came
up with a way to turn an industrial building, with all the
standard requirements, into something unique. That makes
an assignment like this just as attractive and challenging
as designing a villa."
Artist impressions of the
contemporary office space
36 | AMBITION AMBITION | 37

CLIENT
LA PROVENCALE
Within
24 hours
from field to
customer
client
La Provençale opened its first
store on January 8, 1969, in the
heart of Luxembourg. The store
sold luxury ranges from around
the world. Currently, La Provençale
has 30,000m2 dedicated to
professionals in the food industry
and small to large shops. Logistically
we’re solid with over 150 trucks
cooled by cryogenic nitrogen
to ensure daily deliveries to our
clients in Luxembourg and the
neighbouring areas of Germany,
Belgium and even France.
What role do fruit and vegetables play in
La Provencale’s assortment, and why do customers
specifically come to La Provencale for fruit and
vegetables?
La Provençale is a partner in all branches of the food
industry: from the spice shop on the corner to Michelinawarded
restaurants. We are also a distributor in all major
retail chains based in the Grand Duchy with a permanent
range of more than 400 fruit and vegetable references.
We guarantee that we offer kitchen products from all
over the world.
Which fruits and vegetables do you buy from Aartsen?
We’ve been buying an expansive range of fruit and
vegetables from over a hundred items for over five years.
The professionalism and quality of the Aartsen products
have ensured that we’ve expanded in all segments with
and for our customers.
Which fruits and vegetables are grown or explicitly
cultivated in Luxembourg?
For a few years, we’ve partnered with local growers,
such as potatoes, asparagus and strawberries. They
guarantee freshness and quality, and within 24 hours;
it goes from the field to the customer’s plate.
What are your most sold products?
Our range of local potatoes accounts for a large volume
because they are made in different segments: thin or
firm skin, freshly peeled, fries and crisps.
Which are the most unique products?
La Provençale can import any product from around
the world to meet the needs of the most demanding
customer. This can range from fruit and vegetables
for our Asian customers to edible plants and flowers,
specifically for the top restaurants.
The magazine’s theme is ambition; what is the
ambition of La Provencale? And specifically for
the fruit and vegetables department?
Despite a challenging economic future, our ambition is
to always guarantee our customers the best.
For international readers, where is Luxembourg
located, and what is a typical character trait of
the Luxembourger?
Luxembourg is located between Belgium, Germany
and France, and we’re a proud country. We’re primarily
known in Europe for our significant growth in business
and employment and multilingualism.
38 | AMBITION AMBITION | 39

AMBITION
GIANT PUMPKIN
Love,
ambition
and a bit of luck
Gerjan Puttenstein founded
GiantPumpkins.nl to,
as the name suggests,
grow giant pumpkins!
From an early age,
Gerjan has been interested
in growing plants and
studied Plant Sciences
in Wageningen.
"A few years ago, I started growing
pumpkins in my vegetable garden.
In addition to different types and shapes
that can be developed, there are also
many differences in size. After seeing the
Atlantic Giant on the packaging of one of the
pumpkin seeds, I wanted to try this too."
How does one grow a pumpkin this large?
In mid-April, the seed for the pumpkin goes into the ground. In early
July, the flower is pollinated. Then the pumpkin has a few months to
grow into what it is now. With no less than 17 kilos per day, you can
almost see a pumpkin grow. If you don’t pay attention, the pumpkin
will have succeeded in an hour. Part of the success is the size of the
plant. To grow a record size pumpkin, you need at least 100 square
meters to give the leaves as much sunlight as possible. The more
leaves, the more energy goes to the pumpkin. But it starts with the
seed; for that, I use the strain that every competition breeder uses,
Atlantic Giant. These are larger seeds than usual, germinating faster
and yielding more giant pumpkins.
A secret recipe
The first year was a success, and I grew some big whoppers.
From that moment on, the pumpkins had to get bigger because
they hadn’t reached the size of the photo on the seed packet;
they could still be lifted by hand. With the pumpkin seed of a Dutch
champion, I grew a pumpkin of more than 100 kg for the first time.
I now grow pumpkins of more than 500 kg, such as the giant pumpkin
in the Netherlands in 2018, which was 510 kg. Pumpkins are pretty
easy plants; harvesting a pumpkin of 1000 kg is possible with love,
attention, and a bit of luck with the weather and circumstances.
It’s a real showpiece of organic cultivation.
Next years ambitions
It is my ambition to grow an enormous pumpkin every year. I used
to have a Ford Ka and wanted to produce a pumpkin heavier than
my car. But now I have a bigger car, so I have a new goal. Next year
I’m thinking about growing a 700 kg pumpkin; I’ll need an enormous
greenhouse and a little luck. In addition to the competition pumpkins,
I also have a few hectares of pumpkins for sale. There I grow about
50 different species for decoration and consumption. Did you know
that you can eat giant pumpkins? When you cut it open, it smells
like vanilla.
Gerjan Puttenstein
40 | AMBITION
AMBITION | 41

FRESH FOOD
RECIPE
Pumpkin
crush
Floortje Bruijns studied Nutrition and
Dietetics and now focuses her professional
life on everything that has to do with food.
As she says, food makes her more than
happy. For nonstopfresh magazine,
she covers a range of food-related topics
and treats us to some surprising recipes!
This time, her ingredient of choice is
the pumpkin.
Name
Age
Place of birth
Fruit
Vegetable
Dish
Season
City
Drink
On his bucket list
Did you know?
Floortje Bruijns
28 years old
Breda, The Netherlands
Dutch Strawberries
Asparagus
Indonesian rendang
Spring
Ghent, Belgium
Caffè Americano
Trip to Tokyo, skydiving,
cooking class of
Sergio Herman
Floortje cooks every working
day at Aartsen
Ingredients
• Medium-sized
orange squash
(Red Kuri)
• Medium-sized
acorn squash
• 5 cloves of garlic,
peeled
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 70g butter
• 100g pine nuts
• 200g feta, block
• Himalaya salt
• 15g dill
(roughly chopped)
Method
Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Rinse the
pumpkins and pat dry. Cut the pumpkins in
half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
Cut the pumpkins horizontally into pieces
of roughly equal size. Do not peel – the skin
will soften in the oven. Arrange the pumpkin
pieces on a baking tray with 3 cloves of
garlic. Sprinkle olive oil and salt over the
pumpkin and bake for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan
over a medium-high heat and add the pine
nuts. Stir with a wooden spoon for about 5
minutes or until the pine nuts turn a golden
yellow colour. The butter should darken a
little. Remove the saucepan from the heat
and grate the remaining 2 cloves of garlic
into it. Cut the feta into 5mm thin slices.
Coarsely chop the dill.
Remove the pumpkin from the oven
and flatten the softened cloves of garlic.
Rub them into the pumpkin. To serve the
pumpkin, use a wide tray. First, spread
out the pumpkin, then spoon the pine
nut mixture over it. Crumble the feta and
sprinkle the dill on top. And there you have
it: a yummy pumpkin dish.
42 | AMBITION
AMBITION | 43

AARTSEN KIDS FOUNDATION
Floris (6)
loves music
Future
eroes
Tiësto of the future? Here he is, Floris,
son of colleague Menno van Breemen.
The living room of Floris’ parents
is regularly used as a backdrop for
making music or dancing to it. And
one thing he knows for sure: he wants
to spin records. Tiësto, watch out!
Floris: "It would be cool to be a DJ,
and Tiësto is my hero; I love his music!
Armin van Buuren? I don’t like it that
much, but that’s okay. You can’t like
them all. I’m lucky my mom and dad
think it’s cool that I want to become
a DJ growing up. They sometimes go
out themselves; I think they used to do
that often. My parents really like DJ
music, just like me. They don’t mind
that I dance in our living room. I often
do that with friends; I think my moves
are the best. I hope my parents will
come and watch the sets I play when
I grow up. Do I want to be famous in
other countries? I don’t know yet.
Holland is already big, of course. But
who knows. I don’t have a DJ name
yet, either. Although Floris, the DJ,
sounds pretty cool."
YOUNG AND AMBITIOUS: IT’S THE KIDS TURN
Ambition starts with dreaming. About what you want to be when you grow
up. We asked the children of colleagues at Aartsen and it turns out that
children dream big and know exactly what they want. Remember these
names: Floris, Hayden, Liv, Jill, and Tijn, because these children are on
a mission to make their dreams and ambitions come true.
It is the mission of the Aartsen Kids Foundation to make children’s
dreams come true and to give a positive twist to the lives of children who
could use a little help. Because every child should have the right to a future
and be able to dream of playing for Ajax, performing as a DJ, or having a
career as a doctor. Or as Floris says, "Get ready Tiësto!"
44 | AMBITION AMBITION | 45

Tijn (6) will
be the next
Freek Vonk
Jill (9) sings,
dances and
improvises
A snake around your neck? A
tarantula on your arm? For Tijn, son
of colleague Niels van Nunen, that’s
all his heart desires. His dream? To
become like Freek Vonk. Luckily, Tijn
is anything but afraid.
Tijn: "I am a total 'animal lover. I
especially like scary animals like
snakes, spiders, cheetahs and
jaguars. I had a snake around my
neck for the first time. Scary? No, not
at all. It was cool! Mom sometimes
thinks it’s creepy, all those animals.
Luckily, dad is less afraid and even
held a giant yellow spider in his
hands. He also has to go to Africa for
his work. Recently he was in Africa
with a car in the wilderness and
saw elephants walking there. When
I grow up, I want to do the same.
Maybe with daddy. Becoming like
Freek Vonk (famous Dutch biologist)
when I grow up would be very cool.
My favourite animal is a jaguar,
which I recently saw at the zoo for
the first time in real life. Jaguars are
so beautiful! All my friends want to
become football players when they
grow up, but I prefer to dive into my
dinosaur books in my free time, and
I want to work with animals when I’m
a grown-up."
Singing, acting and dancing…Leave
the performances up to Jill, daughter
of colleague Roy Mureau. Her dream?
A career as a singer and actress.
She is already well on her way, with
her first performance in the Efteling
(amusement park) recently.
Jill: "Last week, I performed my
own version of The Lion King for my
parents. Together with my cousins and
my little brother, who had to be Simba.
At the last moment, he decided he
didn’t want to be Simba anymore,
and I had to grab a stuffed animal.
Improvisation is also part of acting! I
have enjoyed singing and performing
since I was a baby. I sing everywhere,
and sometimes classmates want
me to stop singing. But I just like it
that way. When I sing, I automatically
always have to laugh. One day I hope
to participate in The Voice (TV show).
And when I grow up, I want to play in
musicals. A while ago, I was allowed to
act in a musical of the Efteling, which
was great. It was a small role, but I
loved it. After high school, I want to go
to art school. My mother always says:
singing and acting are fun, but also
make sure you have something else on
the side. Because earning money by
singing is not that easy. My favourite
singers? Suzan & Freek, Snelle and
Flemming!"
46 | AMBITION AMBITION | 47

Hayden (7)
wants to go
big!
Liv (6) will be
ready for you
soon
No ball is left unkicked for
Hayden, son of colleague Bobby
Matabadal. His dream? To become
a professional football player. Either
in the Dutch national team or at
an international club: Barcelona,
Madrid, or Manchester. Or "just" at
Ajax. All sports teams would be nice
if you ask Hayden.
Hayden: "What do I love about playing
soccer? Kicking the ball my hardest,
and the excitement of a game. But
also that you play together. I’m not
the best on the team, but we often
win because we play together. That’s
what I love about soccer, you’re
never alone. By the way, I play at The
Gunners, in the Haagse Beemden in
Breda. My father sometimes helps
us when we train; I really like that. He
works at Aartsen and my mother at
Rituals. Their work is very different
from what I want to do later, but they
think my dream is awesome. My hero
is Messi. So when the Netherlands
played against Argentina, I found
it hard to pick a favourite. In the
Netherlands, I am for Ajax, by the
way. But I don’t know where I want
to play later. Barcelona, Madrid,
and Manchester: all these clubs are
cool. Many of my classmates want
to become professional footballers
when they grow up. Maybe later we
can all play together in the Dutch
national team. I would love to play
with everyone!"
Liv, daughter of colleague Dennis
van den Bemd, has a mission: to
make people feel better. That’s why
she wants to become a doctor when
she grows up. This is also because
her grandfather is clumsy and often
needs medical attention.
Liv: "My grandfather is really clumsy.
He even had a cut in his hand, and
a few weeks ago, there was glass in
his foot, which hurt a lot! Grandma’s
neck and shoulder often hurt. That
is why I want to become a doctor
to help my grandparents feel better,
but I want to help everyone in the
Netherlands if I can. I would love
it if I could help other people later.
Children, older people… I don’t really
care. I’ve known forever that I wanted
to be a doctor. Just like my sister,
by the way. She is only 4 years old,
but she already knows she wants to
become a doctor too. Maybe one day
we can start our own practice; that
would be nice! Did my parents make
me caring? Dad works with fruit,
but mom works with handicapped
people. Maybe because of her, I
want to help other people so much.
I actually think so. By the way, mom
and dad want me to become a doctor.
Grandpa and grandma? I think they’ll
be happy too!"
48 | AMBITION
AMBITION | 49

NONSTOP TRAVEL
AART & IBRAHIM - MOROCCO
5Page 51 - Morocco
Page 52 - Turkey
Page 53 - Spain
Page 54 - Italy
Page 58 - Thailand
travel
reports
Meeting
potential
partners
Morocco is a country full of potential
and not unknown to Aartsen or Ibrahim
and Aart. Yet, every new trip and
meeting we take is fresh and exciting.
For this trip, they had a clear goal:
check in with our partners and try and
develop new ones. In total, Aart and
Ibrahim visited three production areas:
the mandarin region of Berkane 1 , the
soft fruit region of Laarache 2 and the
vegetable region of Agadir 3 . They
got to see our existing partners and
a potential new one in Casablanca.
The journey started in Berkane, where we had a tour through
various packing stations and mandarin plots. In addition to
clementines, we visited a potential partner that mainly produces
oranges from Sidi El Kacem (central Morocco). Last June, we
received a shipment of oranges, which we still had to improve
the packaging technically. However, the fruit was of superior
quality.
From left to right:
Ibrahim Essaidi,
International Trader
Aartsen, Mohamed
Ramdani, grower
clementines, Aart
Bezemer, Commercial
Manager Aartsen
Strawberry fields
of Laarache
From Berkane, we drove 650 km to Laarache. Laarache is
known for its avocados and soft fruit. Particularly the latter
has been booming in recent years. From Laarache, we drove
to Casablanca to meet with partners and one potential partner
who is an expert in stone fruit (which we’re hoping for). We’ll
start working together next season.
From Casablanca, we continued the voyage to Agadir. We visited
another potential partner who exports clementines. We saw the
packing station and Agadir clementines ripen earlier than Berkane,
so they were already in production; fascinating to visit. This
season we’ll already be adding "small" clementines to our range.
Our second to last stop was Maisadour, originally a French
company specializing in corn and also known for its red lettuce,
peppers and zucchini. During the spring, we’ll make a small start
with importing corn from them. Our last stop on our whirlwind
tour was Pepperworld: a grower of pointed peppers, which was a
swift and straightforward deal to also start working together.
MOROCCO
2
Ibrahim Essaidi checking
some mandarins at grower
Agadir
1
Conclusion
We have had a wonderful and positive visit, and our goals are
absolutely reached with six new potential partners with whom
we will start slowly working.
3
AMBITION | 51

NONSTOP TRAVEL
MENNO & AART - TURKEY
NONSTOP TRAVEL
RICHARD & MIGUEL - SPAIN
From left to right: José Miguel Gallardo,
Richard Uijtdewillegen, Commercial
Manager Aartsen, José Navarro Flores,
Miguel Peragón-Jimenez, International
Trader Aartsen
The vegetable
garden
travel
Richard and Miguel embarked on a five-day
work trip to Spain to visit Almeria and Murcia’s
vegetable area, visit suppliers and acquire new
business. For Richard Uijtdewillegen taking a
trip like this was business as usual, having done
it many times before and with years of experience
in the vegetable business. Funny enough, with
his Spanish roots, it was Miguel Peragon’s first
visit. Luckily Richard and Miguel soon became
teachers and students of each other.
From left to right: Mustafa Dönmez, Menno van Breemen,
Mert Kepece, Aart Bezemer, Niyazi Özküçük, Berkay Özküçük
Undiscovered
possibilities
Last September, Menno and Aart went on
an inspiring two-day visit to Antalya in
Turkey. Aartsen already imports various
vegetables and tomatoes from this region
for our branches in the Benelux, and we
even import apples for the Asian market.
TURKEY
First, the pair travelled to Demre, a large production area of
mainly fruit and vegetables, to meet up with the Babacan
and the Özküçük family. They’ve been working together
closely and successfully for quite some years now.
Menno: "Even though you communicate daily with
your partners, seeing these perfect circumstances
for growing fruit and vegetables with your own eyes is
always a special moment. Due to the vast amount of
water available in Demre, the possibilities for growth are
enormous. Combined with healthy production lines and
the professionalism of our partners with state-of-the-art
warehouses, we can proudly offer products to our clients
every week. We were so warmly welcomed everywhere we
went, and it was even difficult to leave one appointment so
we wouldn’t miss our next one. In our eyes, that is a true
partnership!"
Aart: "On the second day, we visited an enormous berry,
cherry and grape farmer who is one of few to have a sizeable
bordering plot and uses the latest hypermodern cultivation
methods. This producer, Or Agro, has several unique varieties
of blueberries and, to top it off, also works with a modern
packaging line to process these blueberries. In that regard,
you can see that Turkey has made significant progress in
recent years. We also visited an apple cooperative sorting
Granny Smith apples. Again, we were so positively surprised
by the quality, presentation and professionalism: gorgeous
apples in perfect production and ideal for our Asian
customers, given the geographical location."
In two days, they drove over more than 600 km and met
lovely people. Antalya made a lasting impression on Menno
and Aart, as the region is packed with undiscovered
possibilities to be explored in the coming years.
Almeria 1 and Murcia 2 have been called the vegetable garden of Europe, which is most
noticeable in the Almeria area. Here you find many greenhouses in relatively small
areas. The site is even noticeable from outer space due to sunlight’s reflection on the
greenhouses’ white plastic. In Spain, greenhouses mainly consist of plastic, unlike the
Benelux, which is why Almeria is nicknamed ‘el mar plastic or "the sea of plastic".
You also notice that a lot of the business being conducted consists of quick and
speculative day trading. The attitude they have is "here today, gone tomorrow."
We visited different partners and warehouses to discuss the upcoming winter.
Manual work is still being done in warehouses, and for Miguel, it was an excellent
opportunity to see what steps are required before we receive a box of bell peppers
or cucumbers in the Benelux. Yet, robotics is gaining popularity. You can see robots
supporting the process and moving pallets on a guided path over tires or rollers.
In Almeria, we work with several strong greenhouse partners with various vegetables
that operate under our private label UNO. There are always opportunities to grow
worldwide, but we believe we’re well-represented in the Almeria area.
When visiting Murcia, we find open-ground vegetables, such as leafy vegetables,
broccoli, cauliflower and leeks. You see, the cultivation is spread over a larger
area, which also gives our partners more risk if its weather circumstances
suddenly change.
Of course, we try to minimize this by working with multiple partners to supply our
customers with all kinds of fruit and vegetables all year round. Suppose it rains on
the coast, and it is dry inland. In that case, they can still collect products inland and
always harvest somewhere better.
At Aartsen, we have a straightforward and transparent communication strategy
with our (potential) partners. As mentioned, we have our own brand UNO in Spain,
in which we produce large quantities of fruit and vegetables. With UNO, we also
want to challenge our partner each time to deliver continuity in quality and supply
during any season. And we want to toward our partners for this effort if they meet
our standards by creating added value for the UNO brand. By the way, we always
pray to the weather gods!
To sum up, our journey had multiple purposes; business-wise, we made great
strides with existing and hopefully new partners. Miguel’s first visit to Almeria
and Murcia tasted like more!
SPAIN
1
2
Cuevas del Almanzora
52 | AMBITION AMBITION | 53

NONSTOP TRAVEL
JOSJE & BART - ITALY
Growth in Italy
travel
Josje Machielsen between the olive
branches in Puglia.
The most popular apple of Italy, Golden
Delicious. From our partner of the Capito
apple’s in Katelijne. Mezzacorona Group.
Our loyal prickly pear partner from Sicily,
Giuseppe Seggio.
Josje and Nunzio Spataro.
Grape grower from Sicily.
ITALY
I travelled more than 10.000 km in the Aartsen Mini
Cooper and visited over thirty partners. Before my
trip, the only words I knew in Italian were cappuccino
and pasta! Thankfully I took an extensive two-week
course with Regina Coeli before I set off to the land
of vino, gelato and familia.
Calabria
After being on the road for three days, 25 hours,
my stop was at the company O.P. Monte in
Calabria, where I was welcomed by Vicenzo
and Alessia. After this stop, I was off to Sicily.
Sicily
The first Italian grapes we receive each
season come from Sicily. There are growers
in Sicily with whom we have worked for more
than 20 years. I spent two weeks in Sicily with
some lovely families (Spatarfrutta, Chessari)
and visited our loyal transporter Cappello.
I made great strides with my Italian during this
period. During the day, I got the experience of
a typical workday and in the evening I could
learn a lot from the Italian food culture. In the
weekend I had time to explore the beautiful
area and take excursions. Besides grapes,
Sicily is also famous for its blood oranges
(Taroccos), I had the change to visit these
fields as well with Il Galletto.
Apulia
After observing for two weeks and learning
about the products here, I continued my
journey to the "heel of the boot", beautiful
Apulia. Here I visited Orchidea and Giuliano.
Two impressive companies with a completely
different structure than in Sicily. Here too,
I didn’t have to worry for a second. There
was a schedule from early in the morning
until late at night. This way, I could also
optimally practice the Italian language here
and learn a lot about both businesses.
I drove up via the East coast, with a stopover
in stunning Ancona and resumed to Trentino.
Here I visited V.O.G. and ended my stay in
Trentino with a visit to the Mezzacorona
group. Everything is bilingual in the North of
Italy; even the German language is preferred.
It was also a few degrees cooler here, which
is better for the apple harvest.
54 | AMBITION AMBITION | 55

NONSTOP TRAVEL
JOSJE & BART - ITALY
Veneto
The final week of travelling alone has arrived, and I kicked
it off at Ortofruit in Veneto; whom we have worked with
for more than fifteen years. They specialize in red lettuce.
They are inspirational and charming people. Everything
was super organized, and I was lucky enough to explore
the area with them.
Emilio Romagna
I spent a day in Alegra with Guglielmo, where we saw
the kakis and kiwis in production and visited two more
warehouses. Again a well-organized company with a
progressive view of the future.
My last week of travelling and meeting Bart
After travelling alone for six weeks, I picked up my
colleague Bart Gouw in Bologna. I told him about my
travels, our inspiring partners, and standout fruit and
vegetable selections. Together with Bart our focus was
mainly on visiting partners of vegetables, again a new
twist compared to fruit. We drove back down to the
Puglia region, then to Basilicata. Via the Western coast,
we returned safely and full of inspiration on Dutch soil.
In Italy, I really felt that I had visited several countries all
at once, with each region having its own exciting
cultures and captivating traditions.
Bart, Josje and Antonio D'Annunzio.
Below a Fiat 500 show in the centre of Catania.
‘I really felt that I
had visited several
countries all at once’
In the field from one of the growers
in South-Tyrol from V.O.G.
56 | AMBITION AMBITION | 57

NONSTOP TRAVEL
NIELS & MENNO - THAILAND
FRESH BITES
FRESH BITES
Teler/Made
F
Fresh inspiration
"Screw It, Let’s Do It"
From left to right: Mark Huisman, Succha Singh Namdhari, Gursev Singh Namdhari,
Niels van Nunen, Menno van Breemen, Sahil Khullar, Sithinan Banditrattana.
Potential in a
beautiful world
of exotics
This is not about a
grower from Made,
but about the fact that
nonstopfresh magazine
will continue in English
from now on. Aartsen is an
internationally operating
company with partners
all over the world. English
is the most appropriate
language, in other words:
Tailor Made. This may
sound and read like a
grower from Made
(Dutch village near Breda)
to a Dutch person. But to
prevent confusion and
to create a Tailor Made
magazine, English is the
language we will use.
We hope to create a
beautiful magazine that
is accessible to everyone,
no matter where you
come from. From Made
to Mumbai.
AMBITION
CONDITION
A
C
Ambition condition
From "Het Ambitie
bureau" the platform
for young, driven, and
ambitious people. Lieke
van der Zanden inspires
people both online
and offline on a daily
basis to make the right
choices that help them
shape their dreams into
reality with success
and balance. One of the
fundamental elements
she teaches people is
to pay attention to their
ambition condition.
hetambitiebureau.nl
A motivational book by
Sir Richard Branson, the
founder of the Virgin Group.
It emphasizes the importance
of taking risks, being resilient,
and having a positive outlook
in both life and business.
Branson’s charismatic writing
style and adventurous spirit
inspire readers to pursue their
passions with confidence.
This book is a must-read for
anyone looking to gain a fresh
perspective on success.
"Nothing to Lose,
Everything to Gain"
A memoir by Ryan Blair
detailing his journey from a
gang member to a successful
entrepreneur. It serves as
a motivational guide for
overcoming obstacles and
achieving success. With its
raw and honest account of
Blair’s struggles and triumphs,
this book is a must-read for
anyone seeking inspiration
and practical advice.
The Little Gardener
Team Aartsen at Asia Fruit Logistica.
THIALAND
The yearly Asia Fruit Logistica fruit and vegetable
trade fair was the perfect opportunity to visit
Namdhari in Thailand. So Niels and Menno went
to Bangkok to meet up with the representatives
of Namdhari.
Namdhari carries all kinds of exotic products. Think of delicious fruits like apples,
mango stone, pomelo, papaya, guava, dragon fruit, rambutan, and sweet tamarind,
to name a few. Besides fruit, they are also known for chilli, eggplant, asparagus,
baby corn, lemongrass and young coconuts. For the past years, Aartsen has noticed
a high demand in the Benelux for these products. It’s also an excellent opportunity
for Aartsen Asia to expand within southeastern countries and keep evolving with
our brand Yami to ensure that all these top-tier fruits and vegetables are distributed
weekly amongst the Benelux and Asia with proper certification.
After a 2-hour drive from Bangkok, Niels and Menno arrived at a massive warehouse
in an area where young Thai coconuts grow exceptionally well. Thai coconuts are
well-loved among connoisseurs as they are known for their highly concentrated
sweetness. "After tasting a freshly cut coconut, we couldn’t agree more".
"After an extensive tour, we further finalized our collaboration with Gursev and Mark
to join forces and laid the foundation for further development in our partnership".
For Niels and Menno, their visit was highly educational, and they can only conclude
that the potential is enormous in the beautiful world of exotics.
"With Namdhari, we have a solid upper hand that can provide Aartsen with highquality
Yami products all year round".
Growing together successfully – nonstopfresh.
I
In the Hillenraad 100 list
Aartsen has been
a constant presence for
many years. Only 1% of
companies in this sector
make it onto the list. We are
therefore particularly proud
to have achieved 6th place
in the 2022 edition. The
jury report was especially
positive, highlighting our
"no shortage of ambition,"
"clear focus," and "slightly
unconventional approach."
It was also great to be
mentioned as the world’s
largest supplier of kiwis
choosing Aartsen.
Finally, with 115 years of
history, it was noted that
Aartsen is “anything but
an elderly digital illiterate”
thanks to the introduction
of our own ERP system,
Fresh. However, as
Hillenraad indicated,
there is no shortage of
ambition, so next year
we aim for the top 5.
List of 100
most influential
companies in the
Dutch horticultural
sector.
A charming children’s book
about a young boy who
dreams of becoming a
gardener. Despite facing
challenges, he perseveres
and works hard to turn his
dreams into reality. With
beautiful illustrations and a
heartwarming message, this
book inspires young readers
to pursue their passions.
The book is illustrated by
Bernadette Watts, a renowned
English children’s book
illustrator and author.
"Elon Musk: Tesla,
SpaceX, and the Quest
for a Fantastic Future"
An in-depth biography by
Ashlee Vance that examines the
life and work of the visionary
entrepreneur and inventor. The
book covers Musk’s co-founding
of PayPal, Tesla Motors, SpaceX,
as well as his mission to change
the world with sustainable
energy, space exploration,
and colonization of Mars. A
must-read for those interested
in innovation, entrepreneurship,
and the future of technology.
"Ambition" equals "growth".
58 | AMBITION AMBITION | 59

GUEST COLOMN
Gagan.
Gagan K. Khosla
CEO NGK Trading India.
Appreciated customer of Aartsen Asia.
‘I recognize the
same ambition
within Aartsen’
A lot has changed in fruit and India since I started
30 years ago. I remember, importing fruit wasn’t even
allowed in 1999; this slowly started to change, and we
began exploring with sending air shipments to India.
This ambitious fire we felt in our stomaches made us
into the strong company we are today. I recognize the
same ambition within Aartsen. We learned from
our mistakes, avoided pitfalls, adapted to change,
cultivated partnerships on all six producing continents,
and worked with the best of the best. As we grew, so
did the market presence of our trading partners, with
their brands soon becoming examples of consistent
quality and high demand.
Ambition is a core value of any progressive business,
along with other good practices like integrity, honesty
and sustainability, which form the foundation for
growth. Gradual ambition is what I have seen most
successful (fruit) businesses have. They have set
high goalposts to match their purpose but then
realistically corrected them to meet the needs of
all stakeholders. We, as a company, believe in this
tempered ambitious growth where our supplier’s
and growers’ interests are taken care of, and our
customers and consumers get the best and freshest
produce. We actively chase new product lines
and supply partners, but also keep expanding our
distributor network and logistics reach, and this
sustainable growth is the crux of our ambition.
NGK hopes to keep growing and getting more
powerful in years to come and do what is best
for our trade partners as the market and product
spectrum in India expands.
AMBITION | 61

INTERVIEW
FAIR MADRID
Fruit
attraction
interview
Madrid
6 QUESTIONS TO MINK VAN DEN GOORBERGH AT THE MADRID FAIR
Mink van den Goorbergh
International Trader
Aartsen
With what purpose did you go to the fair?
Aartsen’s objective was to find new shipping
agents to expand its range of products
from Spain. We prepared for the fair by
doing a bit of canvassing. That resulted in
the scheduling of a series of meetings with
potential future shipping agents.
My personal goal was to get to know the
people who I’m in contact with on a daily
basis a little better. Partially due to the
coronavirus pandemic, there were still some
shipping agents that I’d never met in person.
It’s great that I got to see these people in
person for the first time.
What was your first impression?
It’s magnificent. There are so many
companies and people that it’s hard to do
it justice in words – you really need to have
been there.
Did you have any special meetings?
Special meetings? I had plenty! As for which
went best, it’s difficult to narrow it down to
just one – they were all equally special to me.
The type of conversation and connection you
have varies from person to person.
However, I have to single out the stand of
Frutas Montosa (a long-standing Aartsen
partner) for the warmth of their welcome.
They wouldn’t let me leave until I’d had
my fill of food and drink. The stand had a
wonderfully Spanish atmosphere, and I finally
got to meet my contact Juan in real life for
the first time. In spite of that, we were soon
chatting like old friends.
What are your highlights of the fair?
The fine dining, obviously. Joking
aside, it was genuinely good fun to have
dinner with the shipping agents every
night. You have more time over dinner, so
the conversations naturally become more
informal. I didn’t have a single bad evening.
What would you do differently next time?
Sometimes I wish I could spend more time
with the people that I get on well with, but
that isn’t always possible, as the days tend
to be filled with meetings. Easier said than
done, in other words.
How would you describe this experience?
As the most educational week of my career
up to this point! You carry the experience you
gain in a week like this with you your entire
working life.
62 | AMBITION AMBITION | 63

INTERVIEW
FAIR ASIA
Fruit
logistica
Asia
interview
6 QUESTIONS TO VIMVIPA K. AT THE BANGKOK FAIR
Vimvipa
Kamheangpatiyooth
International Trader
With what purpose did you go to the fair?
I went to the fair to promote Aartsen Asia to
potential suppliers and customers, and also to
meet face-to-face with our current partners.
What was your first impression?
Aartsen’s minimalist booth was absolutely
outstanding at the fair. It was quite a statement!
Many visitors said our branding was very
modern and simple, in a good way of course.
Did you have any special meetings?
Yes. Aartsen also hosted dinner parties with
partners after the fair. I found those moments
remarkable because everyone was more
relaxed and because the conversations were
non-business-related, we got to know each
other more as a person, not just as a fruit
merchant.
What are your highlights of the fair?
Meeting partners in person after having
communicated with them only by email
and phone since I joined the team was
truly amazing.
However, as someone who works in the
commercial office and knows the products
only from pictures, I was also very excited
to see (and taste) fruits of many different
varieties and origins in one afternoon!
What would you do differently next time?
Bring a tablet and more business cards!
Instead of having to rely on fuzzy handwriting
on scrap paper, a tablet would let me keep
track of all meetings, contacts and relevant
details in a shared folder. I also lost count
of the number of handshakes, but many
contacts left without a visitor card because
they ran out very fast.
How would you describe this experience?
As the most educational week of my career
up to this point! You carry the experience you
gain in a week like this with you your entire
working life.
64 | AMBITION AMBITION | 65

PRIVATE LABEL
FREZZ
Meet the quality of
organic farming, Frezz.
Organic and bioproducts are a
relatively new category for Aartsen,
which we want to explore with our
private label Frezz. Frezz represents
the world’s most flavorful and iconic
organic fruit and vegetables.
Aartsen’s home brands are usually
connected to specific origins.
However, Frezz is unrelated to a
particular source and is distributed
worldwide and all organic products
are directly imported from our
existing and new potential partners.
We choose to use distinct colours
per product type, and so far,
we’ve allocated oranges and apples
from Australia, citrus from Spain,
and more items to come. Frezz is
about simplicity and the authentic
taste of fruit and vegetables and
is recognizable by its distinctive
colours and catchy branding.
Lemon growers Campisi.
Ludovica Campisi and
Dario Campisi.
66 | AMBITION AMBITION | 67

WE RUN AARTSEN
We
run
team
Aartsen
Leo van der Giesen
Without enormous
challenges, there are
no sporting victories.
At Aartsen, we want to
be the best and aim for
the best; we can’t lose.
Always striving for the best performance – that is, Aartsen.
To highlight this, we like to unite our name to sporting
events such as the "Bredase Singelloop" in Breda and
"Venloop" in Venlo. Around our location in St. Katelijne-Waver,
we participated in the Urban Trail in Mechelen for several
years. This nonstopfresh magazine, we present several
runners. Enthusiasts who put their best foot forward at
Aartsen and during sports. They run Aartsen.
Aartsen
68 | AMBITION AMBITION | 69

WE RUN AARTSEN
Leo van der Giesen
International Trader
Joep Meeuwissen
Warehouse Crew Member
Ibrahim Essaidi
International Trader
Joep Meeuwissen
What are the similarities
between Aartsen and
sport? At Aartsen, you
are competing at the
highest level.
Maintaining your fitness is the most important
thing you can do as you age. Once a week,
I try to run. I also work out here in the Aartsen
gym. Sports are still tremendous fun, and I
strive to run faster every time. Over the years,
I have participated in all but one edition of
the Singelloop. I’ve slowed down a bit, but I’ve
replaced running fast with having a lot of fun,
and the Singelloop is a perfect day to have fun.
Aartsen stands for taking on challenges and
developing new things, which is also vital in
sports. Without enormous challenges, there
are no sporting victories. At Aartsen, we want
to be the best and aim for the best; we can’t
lose.
I think Aartsen is the most beautiful fruit and
vegetable company in the world, and I enjoy
my profession. I have several South American
countries under my care and am responsible
for the sales department.
The younger employees who start here make
me happy. They strive to take the company to
the next level and celebrate its success. We
now have a lovely team with young talents and
experienced people, and Aartsen is thriving.
I’ve been working here for 23 years and that
time has flown by. I also enjoy the volunteer
work I do with the Soepbus in Breda. And, of
course, being and staying healthy makes me
feel blessed.
I recently became an assistant warehouse
manager at Breda, and I hope to develop
my knowledge and skills and take on more
responsibilities within Aartsen.
In sports, my ambitions are slightly smaller.
I play soccer every Sunday with friends, but
without training for the game. What are the
similarities between Aartsen and sport? At
Aartsen, you are competing at the highest
level, and unfortunately, I can’t compare
my ball skills to Aartsen’s ambitions. But
compared to like Champions League soccer,
the similarities are easy: both compete to be
the best in the game.
For the past seven editions, I ran the
Singelloop and I will participate again next
year without too much training. Besides
work, all my free time goes into a new hobby:
renovating. My girlfriend and I just bought
our first house, which we are renovating with
my father-in-law and my dad. This inspiring
project will keep us very busy for the next
six months. Great food also makes me very
happy! Especially if it’s something I haven’t
eaten for a long time and you taste that first
bite: delicious!
I ran the Singelloop once in one hour and five
minutes and would love to do it again. I hope
to finish my next Singelloop within 45 minutes,
which is a bit ambitious. I didn’t even train for
my first run, but ran on commitment and the
endorphins kicked in.
At Aartsen, you are in control of your own
success. There are always possibilities and
you will be given the responsibilities if you
show that you are committed and want to.
My ambition within Aarsten is to become
responsible for more products from France
and Morocco. If you want to improve, you
have to work and your hard work will pay off
in the end. Funnily enough, this applies
to working at Aartsen and splaying ports.
I studied International Business & Languages
with French as my primary language. I have
always wanted to do something in sales
and put my language studies to good use.
I am lucky to have found a dream job where
my skills and passion come together, and
thinking, I’m only twenty-five. That feels quite
unique. At work, I’m happiest whenever I can
challenge myself and prove myself, and it’s
noticed. I enjoy travelling and getting to know
new people and cultures in my private life.
Which is another plus to be working for such
an internationally operating company.
70 | AMBITION AMBITION | 71

Ibrahim Essaidi
If you want to improve,
you have to work, and
your hard work will pay
off in the end.
Join running
team Aartsen.
During the Singelloop on October 1st, 2023.
On October 1, 2023, the 36th edition of the Singelloop
Breda will take place, a traditional event that happens every
year in the first weekend of October. Join the Aartsen 10km,
there is always a place reserved for you. "Nonstopfresh applies
to numerous areas at Aartsen, also when it comes to fitness,
vitality, and sportsmanship, we like to be at the forefront."
The Singelloop route runs through the historic center of
Breda, along beautiful canals and remarkable buildings,
and ends at the Grote Markt. It is a fantastic running event
that highlights the cozy and Burgundian atmosphere of Breda.
The Bredase Singelloop is known as a top running event and
is considered the most enjoyable running competition in the
Netherlands because of the thousands of spectators, music
groups, DJs, and dance groups along the route.
For more information, please contact
marketing@aartsen.com.
72 | AMBITION

FRESH
ERP SYSTEM
So what is Fresh? Fresh is Aarsten’s self-developed computer
system, which holds all logistics, commercial and financial
matters. "We opted for 100% customization as we couldn’t
find what we needed in the existing market. We developed
our system with an internal project team of eight people and
Thinkwise. Now, we can see detailed processes within the
application and we have a sustainable automation solution
that ensures that we remain at the forefront of our industry
for the next decade," says project leader Mathijs Buzeijn.
With Aartsen and Thinkwise joining forces, they’ve built an
application that aligns with the logistical, commercial and
financial processes within Aartsen and its employee culture.
We have had in between releases, but this version is the real
deal says Mathijs. We are grateful for our team and colleagues
as we have extensively tested the system with 25 key users,
which asked for much patience from everyone. We’ve gone
from a Volkswagen Polo to a Mercedes S-class with only
a few setbacks. Our test runs were on the weekends and
Monday - the busiest sales day for us - so getting to this
point (of launching the system) took plenty of energy,
but we made it.
Fresh’s new ERP package will be used at the warehouse
locations in Breda, Venlo, and St. Katelijne-Waver; we are also
actively developing a suitable application for the Hong Kong
branch. We aim to fully integrate both applications within
Fresh, to have one solution for the entire Aartsen group.
Aartsen focuses on perfecting the system and isn’t rushing
to market the ERP package more widely. "Aartsen is a
unique company in the sector and and the system is fully
developed for our organization. Fresh is the starting point and
we will take significant steps within IT. Let’s say this launch is
phase 0, and we already have 4 phases planned. Stay tuned!"
Aartsen celebrates its ERP system Fresh going
live with a celebratory day for its employees.
Aarsten has been developing this system in-house
for four years with their IT partner Thinkwise.
On Friday, the 21 st of November 2022, they finally
launched "Fresh" with a festive company-wide
celebration.
Mathijs Buzeijn
Application Manager Aartsen
Team Aartsen celebrate
the Fresh go live.
74 | AMBITION AMBITION | 75

GROWER
PANDOL
The Pandol family
focuses on keeping
standards high
Pandol is a company
owned by growers and
has become one of
the country’s top 10
producers of grapes.
This ranking wouldn’t
be possible without
maintaining a close
partnership with a
significant number
of quality growers
throughout California
and the Southern
Hemisphere.
This means that by
working together,
there are many
different options for
attaining the maximum
value For the fruit.
76 | AMBITION AMBITION | 77

GROWER
PANDOL
FRESH BITES
Andrew Brown
Export and domestic sales
When I think about ambition, I think of sacrifice.
Sacrifices that others are not willing to make.
Sacrifice to do something that might be
unpopular at the time, but you know in your gut
it is the right thing to do. Sacrifices that will help
you to achieve the goals that you are set on
accomplishing. It is not about being the biggest
or having the most - but maximizing what we
have and perfecting our influence.
I grew up with a competitive spirit and always
do my best. This takes sacrifice, with plenty of
failures along the way. The journey will one day
become part of the story and will always provide
a positive lesson, outcome, or goal to keep
reaching for.
6 interesting facts about
growing giant pumpkins
#1. Giant pumpkins can weigh over 1,000 pounds and
are prized for their impressive size and shape.
#2. Growing giant pumpkins requires a lot of space,
as the vines can reach up to 30 feet in length.
#3. The soil should be well-drained, rich in nutrients,
and have a pH between 6.0 and 6.8 to grow giant
pumpkins successfully.
#4. Giant pumpkins need full sun exposure for at least
six hours a day to grow properly.
#5. The seeds of giant pumpkins should be planted in
the late spring to early summer to allow enough time for
the fruit to grow to its maximum size.
#6. Growing giant pumpkins is a competitive sport, with
many growers entering their pumpkins in contests around
the world to see who can grow the largest pumpkin.
FRESH BITES
‘ambition’
equals
‘growth’
X"Xaviera Altena is an
illustrator from Rotterdam
whose work is frequently
seen in a range of
publications worldwide,
including The New Yorker,
The Guardian and Die Zeit.
For her illustration for the
Aartsen new T-shirt, she
found inspiration in the
concept of "ambition".
To her, "ambition" equals
"growth". After all, it’s
only through growth that
you’re able to learn and
achieve your ambitions. The
connection with Aartsen’s
ambition to deliver an
impressive range of beautiful
products to its customers
is obvious.Xaviera has
attempted to capture this
circular narrative in a single
image, highlighting the role
of farmers and the outcome
of their ambitions."
Pandol’s ambition to be the best grape grower
and shipper is a daily sacrifice: Pandol Sugar
Crunch is a perfect example of something
special and unique. The Pandol family has
focused on keeping standards high, and with
that comes a focus on the people that make
that happen. Many of the people have been here
for a long time. This has cultivated a collective
ambition to be the best we can be on all levels.
Pandol knows the emphasis on standards and
accountability contributes to the legacy of
success in the export markets.
We take the time and focus to put the fruit
first to replicate this unique grape and eating
experience. Others might take that success and
build too fast or plant too many. We view every
day as a gift to be better and deliver our finest
selection to the customer.
When we collaborate with a customer, it is
a process and something we care about
deeply. We know the success of both parties
is symbiotic, and you must trust each other
completely. We trust Aartsen and recognize the
endless possibilities of working together whilst
feeding the world our exceptional fruits.
At Pandol, we know that, in the end, our fruit
speaks for itself, but the sacrifice, approach, and
ultimate care for our products and customers
keep us going onwards and upwards.
WHEN FRUIT
MEETS
FURNITURE
Architect and professor Frank Jacobus has delved
into the realm of AI-generated art to question:
"what happens when fruit becomes furniture?"
His playful new series titled "Fruity" presents a
vivid collection of "juicy" fruit chairs — where ripe
cantaloupe, passion fruit, grapes, and papayas
become quirky new seating options.
AMBITION GROWS VERTICAL
The future of horticulture lies in the city. Several
studies have already been conducted on green
cities. Even now, green buildings and cities are
being designed, such as an apartment building
in Milan where balconies and rooftops are
richly "planted" with trees and bushes. Or the
Smart Forest City project in Mexico, where a
city is being built with a staggering 7.5 million
trees. The idea is to build a completely selfsufficient
city. The development of the green
city was the central focus at the Floriade 2022
World Horticultural Exhibition, around the
theme of Growing Green Cities.
78 | AMBITION AMBITION | 79

AARTSEN GEAR
T-SHIRT
Limited Harvest
Aartsen recently introduced "Limited Harvest", a unique collection.
This second ambitious T-shirt is created by illustrator
Xaviera Altena. We like to take on the challenge and surprise
colleagues and our relations, but are only too happy with unique items
from a cool collection: Limited Harvest. Not just simple merchandising,
but something special. Will it stick to T-shirts? Who’s to say. We will
surprise you, https://aartsen.com/en/ambition.
ORDER YOUR
T-SHIRT NOW.

AMBITION
INTERVIEW
FROM PROFESSIONAL
CYCLIST TO PROFESSIONAL
PHOTOGRAPHER
LEON VAN BON
As a professional cyclist,
Leon van Bon won two stages
in the Tour de France and a
silver medal at the Olympic
Games. After he stopped as
a professional cyclist in 2012,
he explored a different passion:
photography. He now can be
found along the cycling course
at classics such as the Tour
of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix,
the Tour de France and the
World Cycling Championships.
For nonstopfresh magazine,
Leon photographed the giant
pumpkin farmer and the
women’s team of Beek Vooruit.
We wanted to know how he
captured the perfect image
and photography ambitions.
Casual encounter
We coincidentally met Leon as a photographer during the Bredase Singelloop,
a running event where Aartsen is one of the main sponsors. While runners were
racing towards the finish in the rain, our question was short and sweet: would he
like to take some photographs for our ambition issue? He was pretty honest that
pumpkins and women’s soccer is not his speciality, but he was curious enough
to take on the challenge. As editors, it’s impressive that a former top athlete now
takes professional photos as a photographer and steps outside his comfort zone.
The story behind the photo
The aspect that distinguishes Leon from other sports photographers: he always
looks for surprising perspectives. You won’t find many generic photos of an
athlete at the finish line, but an image that says more about the competition,
the person or the moment than what the results or scores tell you. Leon van Bon:
"I always try to capture the rider’s emotion in the heat of the battle. I like people
who show their emotions. I prefer to work with freedom and trust from the client
and without a tight schedule. You capture a striking image by always keeping your
eyes open and never stopping looking around."
Challenging photoshoot
"At the photo shoot with the giant pumpkin, it was put on a terrace of a busy
restaurant, I had no idea if it would work and how the photo would turn out
exactly. The same goes for the women’s soccer team: everyone was lined up in
the warehouse. These challenges make it fun for me!"
Ambition is like the Opera House
"At one point during the last World Cycling Championships in Australia, I sat on
a bench opposite the famous Sidney Opera House. Then I thought if you can
build that as an architect, that is your life’s work. I aspire to take pictures as the
architect who made the Sidney Opera House, and since that moment, the photo
has been my screensaver as a constant reminder never to forget my ambitions."
82 | AMBITION
AMBITION | 83

SPONSOR
BEEK VOORUIT
Beek
Vooruit
PROUD SPONSOR OF THIS AMBITIOUS
SOCCER CLUB
Around the time of the
name change of Aartsen
in 2019, the idea emerged
to sponsor a soccer club
as it would be great for
publicity, as everyone
knows the shirt sponsor
of Barcelona (Rakuten),
Ajax (Ziggo) and Real
Madrid (Emirates), right?
The main question was,
which club would best suit
Aartsen and nonstopfresh’s
global ambition? Their eye
fell on the all-female soccer
club "Beek Vooruit"!
From left to right: Kim Houtepen,
Isa Poppelaars, Maartje van Wolven,
Esther Wolthuis, Amy Schalk, Anouk Oomen.
A selection of the women’s soccer team of
Beek Vooruit.
84 | AMBITION
AMBITION | 85

SPONSOR
BEEK VOORUIT
‘Vooruit
means
forward
in Dutch’
Numerous clubs would be proud to wear the Aartsen name on their shirt, but in the
end, the local amateur club from Breda stole their hearts. So what made Beek Vooruit
so special? Was it because of their excellent past performances? No, the highlight in
club history is winning the championship in 1996 and being promoted to the second
division. Was it because their coach Jack Sweres is a former professional? Or was
it because the name would sound impressive being shouted in stadiums, Vooruit
meaning Forward in Dutch? No, it was their shared ambitious drive.
Beek vooruit
Beek Vooruit is about ambition and values: the urge to move forward and grow.
This is what Beek Vorruit recognize in themselves and the Aartsen team: aspiring to
do better every day. Of course, one day, Beek Vooruit wouldn’t mind playing soccer
in the first division with beautiful soccer plays and a well-stocked trophy cabinet.
Still, their combined purpose is much broader than that and perhaps healthier than
famous clubs.
Family club
In addition to sporting ambition, Beek Vooruit also has social pursuits. Like Aartsen,
the club is at the heart of the community and offers a sporting platform for diverse
individuals who wants to contribute to local club life. Just as Aartsen is a family
business, Beek Vooruit is a real family club, and the people within the club are
looked after. Or as Beek Vooruit themselves describe it: “A beneficial club, where
fun, performance and respect are of prominent importance. We play to win but not
at all costs”.
Jack Sweres
coach men’s team
Beek Vooruit 1
Hans van Wolven,
coach women team
Beek Vooruit
Beek Vooruit is only the beginning
As players on the field and in the workplace, we want people to see Aartsen as a
club you would like to belong to. The plan is to look for more clubs similar to Beek
Vooruit and see the Aartsen name on shirts in Breda and Venlo, St. Katelijne Waver
and Hong Kong. And the championship and being promoted to the first division is
also delightful. As long as there is progress, we’re your biggest supporter.
Women are numero uno
Women’s soccer is on the rise worldwide, the last World Cup was finally refereed
by a female referee, and there is a lot of interest in the upcoming World Cup.
For the women, the name Aartsen on their shirts confirms the growth of women’s
football and the club’s ambition. No one would have considered sponsoring a
women’s team five years ago. It makes them extra proud that Aartsen offers
their team this opportunity, and they will do everything they can to uphold their
reputation. Developments are also going fast in the Netherlands, and perhaps
the national women’s team is now just as popular as the men in Orange? That
certainly applies to the women in Orange from Beek Vooruit; they occupy an
important place at the club. Regarding ambition, women and men are equals;
they both go for numero UNO.
Ambitious coaches
Planning to advance to the first division, Jack Aartsen is not afraid to apply
some pressure on the trainers. Jack Sweres (NAC Breda) and Hans van Wolven
(including RBC) can stand Jack’s heat as former professionals. The difference
for them is that it’s still an amateur club where they feel at home and appreciate
the atmosphere. And both coaches are incredibly proud of Beek Vooruit: “The
players keep the club together and ensure a thriving club life. If something needs
to be done or arranged, the women say, come on, let’s go!”. What does the future
hold? We want people to see Aartsen as a club you want to belong to. The plan
is to look for more clubs similar to Beek Vooruit and see the Aartsen name on
shirts in Breda and Venlo, St. Katelijne Waver and Hong Kong. As long as there is
progress, we’re your biggest supporter!
86 | AMBITION AMBITION | 87

COLOMN
Menno.
Ambition is a recurring theme in Aartsen, as we always look
to improve. You may wonder if we're not proud of our past
achievements. On the contrary, we are incredibly proud of
what we have achieved as a team for the past 115 years.
We're just not one to sit back and watch what happens.
We want to be at the forefront of it all.
Ambitious Asia
When Aartsen set up our Asian branch, we surprised the world
as we were confident that we could extend our business to the
Far East. Within our plans, we try not to look at what others
might do or think but at what feels right within our ambitions.
Ten years later, we move almost 10 million fruit boxes annually
in Asia. We have a team of 27 passionate individuals, operate
in 15+ countries, have more than 150 weekly clients, speak
12 different languages in the office, and have a turnover of
almost 150 million USD. That's ambition; that's Aartsen.
Menno van Breemen
Chief Commercial Officer Aartsen
Asian stories
I have been able to write this column from Asia for the past
years, share my view of the Far East with our readers. For
example the Western idea that China wanted to strengthen
its grip on Asia. We've heard that China wants to be the
world's leader in 2050, which has shaken the West to the
core, and China and the U.S. are racing each other for first
place. The current geopolitics with a dominant Asia, the role
of Russia, and the attitude of the West have an impact on
the global economy, directly affecting entrepreneurs. It's
like chess, and it's why we always try to look ahead.
Specialising in new Seedless Varieties
Paramount Farms Australia are 3rd Generation
family owned and operated, specialising
in growing and exporting only the finest,
most delicious table grapes.
‘From country
to country with
Aartsen Asia’
From ambition to ambition
After being back in The Netherlands for over a year, our family
feels at home again in Breda. Business wise our primary focus
has been on our ERP system, Fresh, and we are shifting our
gaze to the commerce side of our company.
Our first ambitious step was to achieve success in the Far East.
I now have the honour of handing over the baton and, with
proper guidance, letting our team expand and make space for
the ambition of others. We set our sites high, so we expect to
continue the annual growth of the past ten years, which was a
tremendous challenge and, above all, a great privilege. To all
my colleagues and readers, I would like to share this Jack Ma
quote: "Today is difficult, tomorrow is more difficult, but the day
after tomorrow is beautiful. Most people die tomorrow evening."
P.S. This column has always been written from Asia, so I'd
like to pass on the pen to our Asian office so we can also
read the views of, for example Thai, Korean, Vietnamese
and Chinese colleagues.
Zai jian from Asia and Nihao from Europe
54 Ash Avenue, Koorlong VIC 3501, Australia www.paramountfarms.com.au
AMBITION | 89

nonstop
fresh/
MAGAZINE FOR
THE FRESH PRODUCE SECTOR
THE NEXT
NONSTOPFRESH MAGAZINE
IS ABOUT CULTURES
CULTURES ARE THE SHARED VALUES, BELIEFS, CUSTOMS, BEHAVIORS, AND
ARTIFACTS THAT CHARACTERIZE A GROUP OR SOCIETY. THEY PROVIDE
A FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD AND GUIDE OUR INTERACTIONS
WITH OTHERS. CULTURES ARE DYNAMIC AND CAN CHANGE OVER TIME,
INFLUENCED BY FACTORS SUCH AS TECHNOLOGY, MIGRATION, AND
GLOBALIZATION. UNDERSTANDING AND RESPECTING DIFFERENT CULTURES
IS CRUCIAL IN CREATING A MORE INCLUSIVE AND HARMONIOUS WORLD.
CULTURES | ISSUE 2 | 2023