Vegetable Market Place (VMP), a Dutch importer/exporter, has filed for bankruptcy. This will only be processed tomorrow (Tuesday). But, owner, Gert Middelburg, informed his clients and business partners last week already. He also stopped doing business. VMP employed 11 people.
Gert mentions several reasons for the bankruptcy petition. Firstly, the company has a difficult liquidity position. Then there's the corona crisis and the sector's slim profit margins. "We were in talks with a potential investor at the beginning of March," says Gert.
"I was very confident about continuing VMP with new zeal. Unfortunately, that investor pulled out. That was due to the uncertain situation regarding the COVID-19 virus. We very much regret this. But there's no quick prospect of a short or long term improvement. So, we thought it better to take this step."
VMP was founded in 2001. Greenhouse vegetables were their main concern. The company sourced these vegetables mainly from the free market. They did, however, work with some permanent growers. VMP moved to a new location in Poeldijk, the Netherlands, in April 2018. They had 1,600m2 warehouse space with four loading docks and three cooling cells. "We expanded quite turbulently. In hindsight, it happened too fast," concludes Gert.
