"When a Tik-Tok clip or late-night TV chef surprises everyone with a little-known exotic fruit, you can be sure that the next morning, clients will call wanting to know if we carry that product," begins Annemieke Hendrix-Koot of the Dutch company P. Solleveld Export. "A while ago, we were talking about Lemon Snacks. Two weeks later, we had a program up and running with a supplier. These are the things that make our job so much fun." There is no shortage of exotic products in this exporter's transshipment warehouse in the Netherlands. It, though, is best known, especially in Germany, for its range of Dutch greenhouse vegetables under its Natura brand.
Whether it is assembling pallets with various products or full loads of a single kind of vegetable, this medium-sized fresh produce export company does it all. Its trucks go back and forth to Germany every day, and by using certain transport companies, they serve more distant places, too, like Austria, Scandinavia, and Portugal. From its office and warehouse in the Netherlands, the staff ensures that sourcing, sales, and order picking run smoothly.
Total package
Annemieke has been with P. Solleveld for 12 years, but worked in the fresh produce sector before that. "I always say I can't do anything else. All jokes aside, this business's fast pace is addictive," she says. The exporter's formula for success has remained the same for years: offer a total package to a broad mix of customers. "Clients can place their entire order with a single call to us. We deliver to wholesale markets, supermarket suppliers, restaurants, and commercial kitchens. If things are a little slower in one sector, another segment absorbs the decreased volume."
"That's how we got through the pandemic unscathed. The buyers who supplied restaurants and hotels disappeared or ordered considerably less, but supermarket customers started ordering more." They take good care of both large and small customers. The company makes customized purchases and can, thus, provide all its clients with a varied product range. "We'll even help buyers who order only 10 or 20 boxes," says Annemieke.
Own fleet
P. Solleveld's trucks cross the Dutch border into Germany every day to destinations from Bonn to Hamburg. "We use transport companies for places that are a little further away, such as the Berlin or Frankfurt area. Our drivers aren't allowed to travel to and from there on the same day. That has the added advantage that we don't have to find cargo for the return journey. Our vehicles, coming from Germany, pick up products from growers and growers' associations that need to be in our warehouse the following day. Having our own fleet is undoubtedly also why buyers remain loyal to us."
According to Annemieke, the labor market's general driver shortage has not yet been too problematic for P. Solleveld, unlike many other exporters and carriers. "All our drivers have been with us for several years, some for 25+. But it's tough to find young people who want full-time jobs. Fortunately, we currently have a good team, both in the office and warehouse," she explains.
Dutch greenhouse vegetables
Warehouse staff have been handling the new crop of Dutch bell peppers since mid-March and TOVs since early April. Those are sold under the Natura brand. "As soon as that becomes available, several customers switch from Spanish to Dutch products, especially due to our brand's guaranteed quality. This year, perhaps even somewhat sooner than usual, given the quality issues the rainfall caused in Spain in February and March."
A few regular growers package those tomatoes and bell peppers in Natura boxes in their greenhouses. "This method guarantees a uniform product. However, we don't sell a grower's whole crop. If we did, we'd have to be able to sell all of their grades and sizes, and we no longer have that customer base. Some clients used to be willing to accept a pallet of grade II produce for €2 less, but they all want good quality now. Consumers have become pickier," says Hendrix-Koot.
Since 2022/2023, when gas prices plunged Dutch greenhouses into darkness, P. Solleveld also no longer offers truss tomatoes grown under lights under its Natura brand. "There has not been enough product available for this in the past two winters either. Almost the entire acreage is in programs with the large supermarket chains. But we do buy products like cucumbers, eggplants, and zucchini from various growers and at auction. We don't market those under the Natura quality label, which has a condition meeting uniformity requirements."
Little competition so far
Despite competition from local growers, Turkish imports, and Polish supplies, Dutch exporters are holding their own on the German market. "Cucumber cultivation is highly developed in Germany, but they still buy all their tomatoes from the Netherlands. The wide variety of types and packaging certainly benefits Dutch growers. From Poland, there's mainly pressure in the mushroom segment. And in winter, the many Turkish wholesalers prefer Turkish bell peppers and tomatoes. They're a little biased," Annemieke reckons.
The export company suffered a major blow 36 months ago when Piet Solleveld passed away. He had been at the company's helm for 54 years. The new management team, however, did not become demotivated. "It took some soul-searching because the man who'd firmly steer us in a certain direction was no longer there. Nevertheless, we managed to stay the course. The world hasn't stood still recently, so we've also begun using terms like innovation and change."
"No major changes, of course, just small steps. In the background, we're looking for chances to innovate in various areas. For example, we're currently looking at how to use social media. Standing still means going backward. Yet, some customers still write out their orders by hand, take a photo, and send it to us via WhatsApp. So there's some technology involved. Only in Germany!' Annemieke concludes, laughing.
This article was previously published in Primeur May 2025. Click here for the link to the entire edition
For more information
Annemieke Hendrix-Koot
P. Solleveld Export
[email protected]
www.solleveld.nl