ORIGINE GROUP ENLARGES ITS PRODUCTION BASE IN CHILE WITH COPEFRUT

A new important member for Origine Group,  that reinforces its presence in Chile with the leading company Copefrut, whose admission has already been approved by the Board.

The Chilean company, set up in 1955 as Cooperativa Agrícola y Frutícola de Curicó and renamed Copefrut S.A. in 1992, exports fruits in more than 50 countries, and  processes 150,000 tons of fruits, of which 15,000 tons of kiwis, 20,000 tons of cherries, 2,000 tons of pears and 90,000 ton of apples, in four different processing plants. Copefrut headquarters are in Curicò, capital of the   Curicò Province, in the Chilean regions of Maule. Copefrut has also recently opened a logistic and commercial platform in the Chinese province of  Guangzhou, in order to give a better service to clients in that market.

Copefrut joins the other leading Chilean company David Del Curto, that has been member of  Origine Group for more than one year.  “Origine Group is an important strategic choice for us, - says Marco Echenique, Copefrut Sales Manager - aimed at increasing the value of our top quality kiwis with an internationally recognized brand. This is possible only by getting together with other companies and concentrating the resources necessary for a successful international marketing.  The value of the companies that participate in Origine Group gives us confidence that we made the right choice”

The Managing Director of Origine Group, Alessandro Zampagna, states that the new Chilean member will strengthen the offer of the  Group, that aims at supplying top-quality kiwis 12-month-a-year for overseas markets. “Copefrut is a very important company, one of the biggest Chilean exporters, together with David Del Curto. Now our production base is more substantial and enables us to carry out more effective commercial strategies on the overseas markets. Furthermore, the considerable membership of Origine Group, recently reinforced by the entrance of OP Minguzzi, is an opportunity for commercial projects on other products besides  kiwis and pears”.  

• Origine Group / Facts

The consortium Origine Group was founded August 2015 from the strategic alliance between several companies, leaders in the Italian and European markets in the production and trading of fresh fruit and vegetables. The consortium – established by Afe, Apofruit, Fruit C2, Gran Frutta Zani, Kiwi Uno, Op Kiwi Sole, Pempa-Corer, Salvi-Unacoa, Spreafico with the addition of two Chilean companies (Del Curto and Copefrut S.A.) and the Italian group Op Minguzzi - represents companies already firmly present on the domestic and international markets, with a total turnover of over 1 billion euro, which have joined their resources to provide a top quality product, working together on innovation and new varieties to look out into new emerging markets. This new alliance initial focus is in two outstanding products, pears and kiwi, but the goal is to widen the interest also in other products. The production potential is over 200.000 tons of kiwi and pears. Two brands available: Sweeki for kiwi and PeraItalia for pears.

For more information www.origine-group.com