BayWa : New generation takes over at tropical fruit specialist

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BayWa AG

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18 February 2021 Antje Krieger

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New generation takes over at tropical fruit specialist: Falk Schlusnus new TFC Holland CEO

Munich / Maasdijk, 18. February 2021 - BayWa affiliate Tropical Fruit Company B.V. in Maasdijk, the Netherlands, specialist for tropical fruit and vegetables, has a new CEO. Within the scope of a longer-term, planned generational changeover, Falk Schlusnus will succeed Peter Kooi who helmed the company as co-founder for nearly 30 years.

Following almost 10 years in management at Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG in Neckarsulm, Germany, the 38-year-old Schlusnus joined TFC in 2019 to begin setting the course for the future. His new role as CEO will focus on expanding business relationships, implementing new, innovative techniques and continuing the vertical integration of the value chain.

"Bringing Falk Schlusnus on board means being able to acquire a food specialist with experience in the trade who will further develop our company, already established throughout Europe, through a demand for increased product quality and customer orientation in a future- oriented manner," says Peter Kooi, who will continue to support the company in an advisory capacity.

TFC Holland has been an important and reliable partner for the German food retail industry for several decades

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now, and the demand for tropical fruits continues to rise. "The European market for exotic products is expanding significantly," says Benedikt Mangold, Head of Global Produce at BayWa AG. "Which is why I'm all the more pleased to be working with Falk Schlusnus as CEO to further develop the strategic direction of TFC to ensure that we can continue the company's impressive success story."

Thanks to its diverse range of more than 200 fruit and vegetable products from over 50 countries, TFC is a strong and efficient partner in the exotic products segment. Within the scope of its operations, the company has also been directly involved in the production of mangoes, avocados, sweet potatoes and grapes for many years. "We attach great importance to being able to directly offer our customers our fruits. Which is why we don't just invest in our own production facilities, but also in joint venture partnerships in South and Central America as well as Africa," explains Schlusnus. "At our Maasdijk site, we refine our diverse product assortment and use state-of-the-art Softripe technology to ripen the fruits into ready-to-eat specialities according to the customer's requirements."

As a globally active company, TFC assumes responsibility for both society and the environment through ethically and socially sound production conditions in the countries of origin. The company not only relies on short procurement

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channels, but also on long-term supplier relationships with sustainable processes from point of origin to point of sale. TFC also underlined its dedication to the responsible use of resources through the conversion of its production site in Maasdijk into a climate-neutral facility, thereby actively contributing to climate protection. What's more, TFC will continue to meet the demand for a responsible supply chain by expanding its sustainability strategy.

Since the 2016 majority stake acquisition of the company through BayWa AG, TFC Holland has been part of the Global Produce business division. BayWa has long-standing and solid trading relationships in all procurement markets for fruit and vegetables through its international affiliate companies, which also includes T&G Global Ltd. in Auckland, New Zealand.

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Download photo (© Tropical Fruit Company B.V., reprints free of charge)

Caption: Falk Schlusnus

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Editor:

Antje Krieger, BayWa AG,

Press Officer, PR/Corporate Communications/Public Affairs Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone]

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