Van Drunen Farms Europe

VAN DRUNEN FARMS EUROPE I PROFILE

Family-owned, Van Drunen Farms Europe processes all-natural and functional food ingredients, specialising in fruit, vegetables and herbs. With facilities around the world, the company grows and manufactures freezedried, drum-dried and IQF ingredients. General Manager of Van Drunen Farms Europe, Marko Vermezovic, discussed the company’s growth and new products, in conversation with Imogen Ward and Antonia Cole.

Part of the Van Drunen Farms group, Van Drunen Farms Europe is based in Serbia with headquarters in Banatsko Karađorđevo. Opened in 2002, this site was one of the biggest American investments in Serbia at $13 million. This production site currently has approximately 130 employees.

With its head office in Momence, Illinois, parent company Van Drunen Farms has grown into one of the biggest freezedrying companies in North America. With several plants across North America, Serbia and Chile, the company has expanded capacity to increase sales from plants outside of its head office.

As part of this investment, Van Drunen Farms Europe began growing its client base in 2006, and by 2017 internal sales matched external sales. Since 2021, Van Drunen Farms Europe has doubled its

production capacity, today, annual production capacity is around 750MT of freeze-dried fruits/vegetables. Despite the global and financial challenges of the pandemic, in 2023 the company was able to grow its production volume by 28%, compared to the previous year.

“We focused on increasing our customer base and offering new, profitable items,” said General Manager Marko Vermezovic. “This meant that despite the crisis, we managed to grow. We will continue to use our initiative – and passion for our company – to expand even more this year.

“As our products are seasonal, there are many factors that can influence our results, which is what makes our position as a global distributor of ingredients so beneficial. If there is an issue at one of our sites, then we can outsource and rely upon our other sites to maintain our production.”

VAN DRUNEN FARMS EUROPE I

New innovations

Van Drunen Farms has offered oil coating for products, to further fit client requirements, since 2021. The company’s clients expressed a need for oil coating to benefit their individual businesses and processes, so Van Drunen Farms worked to accommodate this.

Approximately 25% of the production at Van Drunen Farms Europe is now oil coated, highlighting how beneficial this development has been for both the company and its clients.

“We utilise our relationships with our clients and work together to provide innovative solutions to their problems,” explained Mr Vermezovic. “We will listen to client feedback and collaborate with our suppliers to ensure that we are providing the best possible products and satisfying client needs.”

Van Drunen Farms Europe has also worked alongside its partners to accommodate client’s pricing requests by adjusting blends of fruit to allow clients to buy more cost-effective alternatives.

“We work with our clients to achieve blends that meet both their quality and affordability needs,” said Mr Vermezovic. “It is important to us that the standards of our products remain high, whilst we d eliver tailored options and customisable service to our clients.”

Safety and sustainability

The company invests into new technology for facilities including metal detectors to ensure high levels of food safety are met. This means that the products delivered to clients are safe and of good quality.

“We are recognised as a producer of some of the best quality ingredients,”

“We have built a team founded on mutual respect, regardless of job titles, so that we all work together efficiently and effectively”

explained Mr Vermezovic. “To maintain that standard, we invest large amounts of time and money to analyse and inspect all our raw materials. Every material is undergoing detailed and thorough inspections so that we can be confident that we are delivering the best possible products to clients.”

Last year, Van Drunen Farms Europe also introduced a new packaging line of

large octagon boxes that can hold 100 t o 140kg of freeze-dried fruits, compared to the previous 5 to 10kg boxes.

“By developing this new packaging, we are helping our customers in their own operations,” said Mr Vermezovic. “When distributing our products, these larger boxes are easier to transport, access and dispose of.”

VAN DRUNEN FARMS

This new line of packaging uses less plastic and thus, has less impact on the environment. By using larger individual boxes, fewer plastic liners are necessary for delivery and so plastic wastage can be greatly reduced, leading to more sustainable practices.

Van Drunen Farms Europe is working to implement the use of more renewable energy sources on site. The company hopes to reduce carbon emissions by utilising sustainable energy and becoming more environmentally conscious.

The company ensures that it is fulfilling its social responsibilities to both people and the planet. It encourages growth and development for employees in a safe working environment, as well as supporting local organisations and communities.

The company cares for the public’s health and well-being by researching the nutritional value of many ingredients ,

committing to handling food products safely and partnering with trusted suppliers. Van Drunen Farms Europe cares for our planet by improving the efficiency of facilities, production processes and by implementing good agricultural practices.

Partnerships and plans

“We are building our reputation as a reliable company for our clients,” explained Mr Vermezovic. “Every customer is important to us, whether their orders are big or small. We treat every customer equally and value each individual customer experience. We are establishing long-term relationships, which means that we are dedicated to being attentive to clients’ needs and creating solutions to their problems .

“To be able to provide this service for our clients, we rely on our suppliers to collaborate and innovate with us.

We see how important our suppliers are to our success. By working together, we can continue to build strong relationships that benefit both companies.”

Van Drunen Farms Europe has gained a large international client-base through recommendations from regular clients, showing how impressed clients have been with the company’s products and service. The company has gained an impressive reputation by delivering exceptional service, which has then contributed to levels of growth.

“It’s easy to be a good partner when there are no issues,” said Mr Vermezovic. “The difference with our company, is that we’re still a good partner when things go wrong. We will work with partners and suppliers to provide solutions quickly and efficiently to clients.”

In the future, Van Drunen Farms Europe hopes to continue growing. It wants to

expand capacity to increase production volume and develop new products. The company is hoping to expand into the Scandinavian market and will be attending the Nordic Organic Food Fair in Stockholm, October 2024. This wil l introduce the company to new parts of the world and to exciting opportunities for growth and development.

Van Drunen Farms Europe will continue to develop and grow whilst maintaining its long-standing family values. The company believes in looking after employees and working with the community to ensure success.

“Working for Van Drunen Farms Europe is so rewarding,” explained Mr Vermezovic. “The company really cares about employees and their wellbeing. We have built a team founded on mutual respect, regardless of job titles, so that we all work together efficiently and effectively. We make sure to maintain these relationships and inspire each other to be our best selves.” n