Packaging specialist PerfoTec from Werden, Utrecht, has recently started issuing bonds and certificates through the NPEX stock exchange. The goal is to raise a maximum of 1.5 million euros in growth financing, which can be used, among other things, to invest in the US market.
“The quality of fruits and vegetables is the key to winning online shoppers,” says CEO Bas Groeneweg. When he founded PerfoTec eighteen years ago as a founder, he had a clear goal: to extend the shelf life of fresh vegetables, fruits and flowers through packaging innovation.
Today, the company does this by creating an atmosphere inside the package that can prevent drying, acidification, discoloration and rotting, among other things. Sometimes the expiration date can be extended up to two weeks, he points out.
“We make micro-holes in the packaging. They cannot be seen by the human eye. The ‘breathing rate’ of foods can be measured with a breath meter. Fruits and vegetables are still alive after being harvested. They use and exhale CO2, so you need to take this into account when packaging products,” Gruneweg explains. In the meantime, the company has developed into a world market leader in this field.
With the help of pallet packaging, we will soon be able to extend the shelf life of a large number of fruits and vegetables in one fell swoop.
Financing Growth
Almost all major retailers at home and abroad, including Tesco, Jumbo, McDonalds and Costco, now sell their packaged fruits and vegetables using PerfoTec technology. Retailers in the United States are also starting to show interest, Groeneweg points out. ‘This interest is due to the growing number of online shoppers.’
Online consumers seem to be particularly critical of the goods they receive. “If that’s not good, the customer will order from a competitor next time,” he knows. According to him, therefore, the quality of fruits and vegetables is the key to winning and retaining an online shopper. But before this demand from the United States can be met, money is needed.
By organizing a second bond issue, PerfoTec hopes to raise again a maximum of 1.5 million euros. Investors can obtain 5-year bonds with 8% interest rate or share certificates up to EUR 1 million through the NPEX stock exchange. The money raised will be used to establish a representative office in the United States and build a team. “As always, the costs outweigh the benefits,” Groeneweg says.
Pallet packing
In addition, PerfoTec hopes to introduce “pallet packaging” early next year. “This allows us to keep large quantities of fruits and vegetables fresh longer in one fell swoop,” Gruneweg knows. It is expected that a patent for this innovation will be issued in early 2023. “I have ambitions that in a few years this innovation will be widely applied throughout the sector. It is a cornerstone helping the entire fruit and vegetable supply chain.”
