How did you get started in this business ?

I began in the vegetable shipping-distribution business when I started up my own company, Demex, on 12 November 1991. I began with French endives, our region’s flagship product. I started on my own, with an office and a telephone. As I speak several languages fluently - English, Spanish, Dutch, Italian – I began by exporting, knowing that my competitors weren’t there. Based in Violaines, near Béthune (62), I hired my first employee in July 1992. The first year, I sold French endives and cauliflower to Spanish wholesalers, with a total volume of 2,000 tons…

How did the business develop ?

The company grew rapidly, particularly exports. In 1997, the company was certified ISO and expanded to 23 employees, with a turnover of 80 million Francs. Certified ISO 9002 two years later, we had a turnover of 150 million Francs, with 27 employees, exporting to 22 countries. We now deliver 140,000 consolidated tons of vegetables to a thousand clients, with 50% on the French market and 50% exported to 27 countries. Our goal is ultimately to cover about fifty countries. The important countries for us are Germany, Spain, Italy, England and Benelux. Today, the company has a turnover of 85 million Euros and employs about a hundred sales staff. In terms of volumes, our principal products are French endives, potatoes, cauliflower, shallots, onions, garlic, broccoli, artichokes, etc.

What is your commercial strategy ?

Our strength is being in an approved production basin and having all the clients in the market. Our strategy is based on the adaptability of products to client needs, while knowing how to manage procurement and sales perfectly.
This consists in building loyalty among producers and clients on the strength of an approved production basin, and adding value. Regardless of the type of order (large and medium-sized supermarkets, hard discounters, wholesalers, export, etc.) we always manage to generate added value. Our primary objective is to satisfy the client by developing the production. We defend a production basin by going to all market segments and finding the added value there. If our endives are worth more in Austria, we will sell more there, but without ever neglecting our other clients. It is our duty to satisfy these two important criteria: satisfying the customer by giving him the product he asked for and optimising the products’ worth with regard to producers, by adding the most value. By comparison with our competitors, we pay our producers 3 to 5 cents more per kilo, on our total volumes.

How do you see the fruit and vegetables market ?

The market is held in check by mass distribution, which imposes far too big a gap between the end price to consumers and the actual price of the produce. Furthermore, the distribution system fails to promote products properly. This is particularly incoherent when you consider that the large and medium-sized supermarkets represent two thirds of the market. As a result, the consumer pays the highest price, for lower quality produce.
The fruit and vegetable market is a highly competitive market, particularly in the processed food sector. Moreover, it has adopted a policy of small packaging and segmentation that generates additional costs and charges. Nevertheless, the market is still on the rise and our annual growth is in two digits. Yet it’s still a daily struggle

What is your view of the Nord-Pas de Calais region ?

For me, it’s the most beautiful region in France. We’re lucky enough to have very good quality land, real professionals and a very friendly population. The Nord-Pas de Calais region is an exceptional basin for fruit and vegetable production. Also, since it lies at a crossroads in Europe, the region benefits from a strategic economic situation due to its infrastructures. This is a very engaging region that is bound to develop.

What do you think of Rungis Market ?

Rungis is the largest European market and a wonderful showcase. I know it well because I worked there at night as a porter when I was young. Rungis undoubtedly generates added value because of the width of the range, the quality of the products and the professionalism of its operators. A part of my volume goes through Rungis.