Confused? Well don't be. For the simple fact is that Valefresco is the result of an amalgamation between two highly respected family businesses – V&S Pilade and G&G Mauro - both of which have been operating for over 25 years. And since they were serving more or less the same customers, and had the same quality-led philosophy, it seemed only sensible to pool their resources and knowledge to create a new and dynamic company that was ready to embrace new challenges.
The new company has also been able to strengthen its relationships with customers, which include many of the leading food processing factories and, indirectly, most of the major multiples. It has achieved this thanks to its focus on constantly pushing forwards, thereby being able to offer its customers a steady stream of new products and ideas.
Indeed, having injected a significant amount of fresh ideas into the company, Valefresco has quickly become recognised as one of the most dynamic and energetic firms in what is a fiercely competitive sector.
Its uniqueness is underlined by the fact that it is always looking to give its customers a competitive edge, such as reducing costs. Valefresco had decided from the very beginning, for instance, to scour the world for better ways of harvesting lettuce ... and that's exactly what it’s done! For the company has recently invested in an innovative new system from Europe which, having seen it working well in the field, Valefresco acquired immediately. It is the first of its kind in the UK and gives both Valefresco and its customers a genuine advantage in the marketplace.
Unique Flavours – a Different Level of Service 'Unique and different' could well be the motto of Valefresco, with company representatives having toured China for a month in order to discover possible new crops and growing techniques.
Chinese vegetables include Chinese cabbage, pak (bok) choy, choi sum, kai Lan, red root spinach, among others. These vegetables are becoming more familiar with an increasingly diverse population and the popularity of ethnic foods.
With this in mind, Valefresco has developed strong relationships with various Chinatowns throughout Britain, including London, which, located off Shaftesbury Avenue in Soho, contains a number of Chinese restaurants, provision stores and souvenir shops. This has become an important and vibrant market for the company, and one that it values greatly.
Valuing Customers ... and Employees
Valefresco puts a high value on all of its customers, however, which is evident in the way that it treats them. Friendly, professional, reliable, flexible and innovative, Valefresco sees its customers as much more than just another number on an order sheet. Instead it sees them as partners, realising that if its customers don't succeed, then neither does the company itself.
It's an enlightened philosophy and goes a long way to explaining why almost all of Valefresco's work is the result of repeat business and recommendation, although it will target possible new customers if its sees potential value in the relationship for both parties.
2006 is already turning out to be a busy year. In fact, it is envisaged that up to 50% more labour will be required this year, with the company normally employing around between 80-150 workers in season.
Valefresco genuinely values its people too, seeing them as the company's greatest asset. Employees are treated well, with a good work environment also creating positive messages about the company in the community. Using a varied workforce including overseas workers, some employees have gone on to own their own businesses in their own countries or gone onto positions of more responsibility within the company. This is a place where people want to work!
An organisation that is focused on high quality, superior value and unrivalled service. Supply chain management is becoming increasingly important in efficient food production, and Valefresco is committed to retaining control of its produce every step of the way, from field to shelf. It has even invested in its own transport fleet to ensure that there are no possible failure points in the supply chain.
The Valefresco team has superior knowledge of the fresh produce industry and internal practices, from the growing of crops and harvesting through to logistics. And its mission is to constantly improve the day to day operation of business in the fresh produce supply chain by providing exceptional business and supply chain management solutions; backed with understanding and commitment to service.
Most companies talk about this kind of uncompromising customer service, but very few actually deliver it. At Valefresco they believe that quality is all encompassing and, as it continues to grow in response to customer requirements, this belief characterises its advantage in providing a wide range of discerning customers with the very finest fresh produce.
Diversity is a byword at Valefresco, with the company growing not only speciality lettuce and a wide variety of Oriental vegetables, but also 10 hectares of protected cover including 5 hectares of tomatoes, all under glass. Production is far higher under glasshouse conditions than from outdoor field crops,
or crops grown under plastic in southern Europe, since tomatoes are easily damaged by the wind, extremes of temperature or fluctuating weather conditions. Glasshouses offer not only a longer growing season, but also provide shelter from the weather and protection from birds and animals.
The glasshouses at Valefresco are also used out of season to provide an extra four weeks for lettuce production, thus reducing the need to import produce for customers.
It has been said that every job is a self-portrait of the person or company that created it, and with this in mind it would be fair to say that there are numerous works of art to be found throughout the UK bearing the unmistakable signature of Valefresco.
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Laurels Road, Offenham, Worcestershire, WR11 8RE Tel. 01386 45867 
