EUROPE RETAIL PACKING
I
PROFILE
FRESHNESS IN GOOD HANDS
It’s highly likely that when you’re considering your fruit and veg on the weekly shop, they may well have been packed and shipped to the supermarket shelf by Dutch-based Europe Retail Packing. Sourcing only the best providers on the planet, the 20-year-old family-run company firmly remains at the cutting edge of packaging solutions, with innovation and sustainability key to all its operations. Profile by Andy Probert.
E
urope Retail Packing (ERP) was established in 2000 by Dolf Reijgersberg, who, at the same time, celebrated his 50th birthday. Today the company operates seven facilities in Holland – in Poeldijk, Barendrecht, Den Hoorn and De Meer. Early on, Dolf’s son, Menno, joined ERP as a warehouse employee to learn the business. Today, he is the company CEO, with Dolf continuing to guide behind the scenes. The company’s initial core business was providing packaging services and options to fruit and vegetable traders, but after a few years both father and son realised the significant potential in transforming ERP into something bigger. ERP employee Omer Kamp commented: “ERP has since evolved to include commercial trade for herbs, fruits and vegetables, alongside providing a complete A to Z of packaging services with the product either included or excluded. “Before the end product reaches a local retailer’s shelves, there are several different processes it needs to go through. So, ERP decided to ease the process by offering its clients diversified services of procurement, packaging, freight forwarding, haulage and labelling.” Not only has ERP consolidated these tasks into a single location, saving time and cost, it allows the product a more extended shelf-life via proper care and handling.
Going above and beyond ERP trades nearly the entire range of fresh-cut herbs, exotic fruits, general fruits and vegetables. There are over 400 different lines that include basil, rosemary, edible flowers, sweet potatoes, capsicums, aubergine, citrus, grapes, cucumbers and much more. Procuring and managing this vast assortment is no easy task, since growing regions are spread worldwide. ERP takes products from countries as diverse as Holland, Germany, Spain, Morocco, Italy, Israel, Kenya, Ethiopia, USA, Colombia, and Uganda. 68
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