Great Fruit... and so much more.

Special Fruit is special by name and special by nature. We are a vastly experienced fruit, vegetable, mushroom and herbs importer, located in Belgium at Europe's crossroads: midway between the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp. We supply retailers, supermarket chains, hotels, caterers and other wholesalers throughout Europe with top quality berries, exotics, soft and hard fruits, delicate vegetables and a range of specialties including edible flowers, sprouts and cresses.

Quality, quality, quality.

Our philosophy is simple. First, we search the world to obtain the best produce nature has to offer. Then, we ensure the best transportation, the best storage, the best quality control, the best packaging, the best order picking and the best customer service – all at competitive prices.
The key to this philosophy is an operation that is small enough for individual customer tailoring throughout the chain, and large enough for state-of-the-art technology. An operation that is run as a family business by the two hands-on managers: brothers Francois and Patrick Maes, each dedicated to the proposition that their job is to nurture and care for the miracles of Mother Nature: as simple as that.

Special fruit in action.

The Maes brothers know that ‘quality’ is easier said than done, in a world of highly perishable produce.
And so, they ensure strength in distribution. Flexibility in warehousing. Dedication and expertise in their 80-plus staff members. Continuity in global supply chains. Creativity in packaging and branding. Innovation in technology. And customer centricity in everything.
Click HERE to learn more.

Facts and figures

• We have 8000 m2 of variably cooled warehousing at our disposal, and additional facilities of 15.000 m2 currently under construction.
• We employ approximately 100 internationally oriented staff members, including  seasonal fluctuations, most specialised in logistics, fruit handling, sales, finance and quality control.
• We own two fully equipped facilities, our headquarters in Belgium and our  subsidiary in Spain
• Our turnover (2007) is in excess of € 75 million, and increasing
• Our customer base currently spans 28 countries
• Our suppliers are found in all six continents
• We believe in long-term relationships at both ends of our chain: supply and demand.

Our mission statement

The long version:
"Driven by a constant passion for quality and continuity, we provide a full range of exotic fruits and special produce to the European market. By importing on a global scale and distributing from a highly flexible organisation, we are able to offer our customers solutions that are both adequate and enduring."

The short version:
"Great Fruit… and so much more."

 

Click HERE to read the most recent version of our corporate policy statement.

Click HERE to download our company introduction presentation in PDF