Tony Gomes (40 years old) was born in Antony (Hauts-de-Seine), to Portuguese parents. He started work at 18, directly in the fruit and vegetables sector at Rungis Market.

"Unlike my father, who was a construction worker, I chose to target transport and logistics. After coming out top of my class, I was lucky enough to be taken on at Rungis Market by Select Agrumes, where I learned all about the trade. I finished my military service in 85 and rejoined the company for several years, before returning to college to study sales support and management. I passed an interview at a major company to become deliveries manager for the restaurant sector. A host of problems led me to leave them in 1993. In June the same year, I joined Daumesnil Primeurs. When I arrived, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy. I had a good customer portfolio, so I hit the trail, and got the company back on its feet. The company's operating organisation was changed and we changed our business hours from 2 till 10 to 24/24. Staffing went up from seven to forty, and we quadrupled our turnover in the first two years. With Mrs Karine Delumeau, the current company general manager, we joined forces with the directors in 1995.

Having bought them out in 2004, I became chairman and CEO of the company with Mrs Delumeau as equal partner. We restructured the company and revitalised the existing dairy department. We currently have 300 references in fruit and vegetables and 100 dairy products. We operate 24/7, we only do deliveries, and all products taken together, we sell 16 tonnes of goods daily. Our flagship products are citrus fruits: oranges, lemons, grapefruits and clementines, i.e. 25% of volumes, and aromatic herbs, at 4000 bouquets per day, plus salads. We serve commercial catering at 95%, from sandwich parlours to top-class restaurants, and institutional catering at 5%, i.e. 300 deliveries per day for a 600-strong customer portfolio. We have an excellent team, 14 delivery drivers, 12 lorries, 12 pickers, 2 sales representatives, a 4-strong telephones sales team, two working through the night, and administrative staff. The company also has a stalwart in Mr Guy Dorizon, who's been with us for 7 years and at Rungis Market for 30. Rungis market is the central hub of our business, and has maintained its attraction for operators. All the products on the planet can be found at Rungis; it really is a whistle-stop tour of the world's everyday flavours."