“The French have Runjis Market, which is the biggest wholesale market in the world, with millions of trading shops and companies,” noted Ayman Bayoumy, sales and shipping manager for Fruit Link. That situation offers a prime opportunity for fruit supplies, he added, but only if they're able to establish a good reputation there. While the promise of lots of customers and millions in profits is alluring and can encourage quick action, Boyoumy described Fruit Link's entry into the French market as steady and well-planned.
“A market study report was the first step we took in order to advise our packing teams on what we should have in order to gain acceptance,” said Bayoumy. “So we packed Valencia oranges that met European and French requirements regarding entry.” The sales team followed up with a contract with Dole's French operation, and those pre-entry steps have paid off well.
“Total citrus shipments to France from Egypt last year were 1,400 tons, and Fruit Link was responsible for 1,200 of those tons,” said Bayoumy. “So we've become the largest exporter to the French market, and the rest of Egyptian suppliers haven't been able to compete with us.” Making the accomplishment all the more impressive has been the situation Egypt has gone through in the last few years. The instability caused by recent political turmoil has thrown many wrenches in Fruit Link's logistical operation.
“We've had big shortages in fuel during critical times because of the instability in Egypt, but we've worked with our sales, shipping and packing departments to save our shipments from risk and deliver goods to our customers on time,” said Bayoumi. “We're now looking to Indian, Russian, Malaysian, Singaporean and Bangladeshi markets, where we've actually seen over 25 percent growth.”
