Robbie Bloemendaal has lived in Romania since June 2010. He went to the country as an expat for The Greenery, to establish a subsidiary company there. Last year, he continued the company independently under the name Total Fresh.
Over five years ago, Robbie left for Romania to establish subsidiary company The Greenery Central Europe for his former employer, The Greenery. Since February 2015, he owns the company in Romania himself. “After the reorganization at The Greenery, it was decided to close the Romanian branch. Because I didn’t want to go back to the Netherlands, they asked if I wanted to take over the company so they could continue the export to Romania,” he says. “Me continuing as an independent entrepreneur was the best solution for both parties. The consumption of fresh produce is high here, so there are major opportunities on the local market.”
Solving problems quickly
The Greenery Central Europe is now called Total Fresh SRL. The company mainly imports products from the Netherlands and Poland. “We offer a very wide range, most of which goes to local supermarkets here. All major supermarkets, like the Schwarz Group, Rewe, Delhaize and Carrefour are present here. We also do some export from Romania to Europe, such as plums, cherries and apples,” Robbie says. “Because we have a warehouse and office in Romania, we are closer to the customer and are able to solve potential problems faster. A rejection, for instance. For a Dutch exporter, it’s too expensive to take back this trade. Here we can also play a part by selling the products on the local market.” The trust from The Greenery, Brassica, Fruitfactor and Arctic in Poland have made for a good year for Total Fresh, according to the company.
Hospitality
Robbie and his family live in Bucharest, the capital of Romania. He likes life there a lot. The lovely nature and the country’s many traditions are especially attractive to him. “We really have everything here: mountains to go skiing in winter, and we can go to the beach in summer,” he says. The main difference between the Netherlands and Romania, he says, is hospitality. Robbie says the bond with family and friends is very important for Romanians. “A lot of time is made for that. I always say that in Romania I feel that I’m alive, and in the Netherlands I’m being lived by the system.” He also finds the climate in Romania very pleasant. From April to October the weather is very nice and everyone lives outside. But he will never get used to the fact that Romanians often don’t pick up the phone, let alone you call back. “That can be frustrating at times,” he admits. “On the other hand, the Dutch can learn a thing or two from the Romanians’ hospitality, and make some more time for family and friends.”
