Coöperatie Hoogstraten is an important link between producer and buyer in the fresh produce chain. We provide a broad array of services to both members and customers. The product is central, with a strong focus on quality, freshness and food safety. Besides the actual sale of the products, we take care of the development and application of a quality policy and communication. We also provide technical and logistical support, such as for the storage of strawberry plants, our bell pepper sorting installation or the start-up of the cold chain.
A few entrepreneurs founded the company 'Katholieke Veilingsvereniging der Noorderkempen'. Among them: a brewer, two teachers, a shop keeper, two fruit growers and a provincial representative.
During the war years, mainly coarse vegetables were cultivated, after which strawberry cultivation expanded rapidly. The cultivation did not suffice to completely curb the high unemployment rate in the region, but it did help to significantly increase the median family income.
Lor van Nijen came to live in Hoogstraten a year after the founding of "de Veiling" and his parents ran a café behind the site of the Veiling. He has seen the company grow from the beginning.
"There was a period in 1944 when there was no Veiling. Fortunately, after the war, everything started up again, in an upward trend."
In 1951, strawberry production rose to 3,000 tonnes, accounting for no less than 90% of our turnover. Our cooperative was followed by others: auctions were also set up in Roeselare and Sint-Katelijne-Waver.
Professional growers make their entrance. Strawberries for the fruits and vegetables sections are, to this day, still a success. Apart from that, it is mainly gherkins and industry strawberries for that make the mallet come down.
Paul Vanderhallen became one of the managers at the age of 22. He was still a student at the time, but already came to work one day a week during his studies.
"Not a year went by without construction here. We used to be able to do that in the winter, because the Auction was still very seasonal then."
The strawberries continued their advance. The first horticultural companies are now also growing vegetables under glass.
In 1977, Luc Verwerft, Jean-Pierre de Paepe, Theo Van Der Hallen, Wim Janssens and Gust Stoffels decided to set up the Hoogstraten Strawberry Ghesellen. Their aim: to promote the strawberries of the Hoogstraten region at home and abroad. They do this by being present at various events. From the very beginning, they have also been allowed to present the early strawberries to H.M. the King and H.M. the Queen and the Governor of the Province of Antwerp.
The horticultural sector embraces technological evolution. Strawberries can now be harvested year-round by refrigerating planting material. The refinement of growing techniques under glass is causing a 'vegetable boom'. Tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers are at the top of the charts.
Veiling Hoogstraten is entering the 21st century. The cooling infrastructure has been optimised and online trading is now possible. The cooperative has grown into a massive European player. The first financial year of the new millennium ended with a turnover of €84,284,000. That is why we are also fully committed to a high-performance track & trace system.
Veiling Hoogstraten starts selling specials, without using the auction clock.
Years of cooperation between Veiling Profruco, CLTV Zundert and Veiling Hoogstraten have been confirmed with the establishment of the intercooperative organisation In-Co. When Veiling Profruco disappeared, REO Veiling took its place within the inter-cooperative organisation.
Veiling Hoogstraten celebrates its 75th anniversary. We start the celebration with the introduction of a new logo and an up-to-date corporate identity.
The year begins with sky-high energy prices and a financial crisis. Onr of the worst horticultural years ever. Nevertheless, Veiling Hoogstraten started a sustainable project just then: almost 2,000 solar panels produced 408,000 kWh in the first year.
After a turbulent year, the cultivation companies are getting back on their feet. Even better: Veiling Hoogstraten experienced the largest turnover growth in its existence to date (+31%). This year, more than 25 million kilos of strawberries were delivered, a record harvest! We organised the first International Strawberry Congress. It was an immediate hit with 300 participants from 22 countries!
No fewer than 30,000 tonnes of strawberries are sold. A large proportion of the strawberry growers at Veiling Profruco become direct members at Coöperatie Hoogstraten. Moreover, investments were made in the construction of a new vegetable shed (1.1 ha).
Coöperatie Hoogstraten obtains the Corporate Social Responsibility charter for the first time.
Innovation is key and so Coöperatie Hoogstraten starts selling cherries. The turnover of the auction exceeds 200 million euro that year.
In early 2016, Veiling Hoogstraten cv changed its name to Coöperatie Hoogstraten cv. The new name underlines the importance of mutual cooperation in an ever-changing business climate.
Introduction of WMS system (Warehouse Management). The ambition is to deliver in a more focused way and to be able to answer customer-specific questions.
In the spring of 2018, the block sale of strawberries will be introduced.
The strawberry growers of CLTV Zundert will become direct members of Coöperatie Hoogstraten. The LAVA digitisation project is also launched in 2019.
In 2020, Coöperatie Hoogstraten introduced a new mission and new values. More than ever, the cooperative wants to be a quality reference and an expert in fruit and vegetables. With the brand Hoogstraten, Home of Quality, Coöperatie Hoogstraten shows itself to be a reliable partner within the sector.
In the coming years, Coöperatie Hoogstraten cv will continue to focus on attracting experienced personnel (with special attention to disadvantaged groups), in-depth investments in infrastructure, direct communication with producers and customers and the further definition of its own identity.
Coöperatie Hoogstraten is an important link between producer and buyer in the fresh produce chain. We provide a broad array of services to both members and customers. The product is central, with a strong focus on quality, freshness and food safety. Besides the actual sale of the products, we take care of the development and application of a quality policy and communication. We also provide technical and logistical support, such as for the storage of strawberry plants, our bell pepper sorting installation or the start-up of the cold chain.
A few entrepreneurs founded the company 'Katholieke Veilingsvereniging der Noorderkempen'. Among them: a brewer, two teachers, a shop keeper, two fruit growers and a provincial representative.
During the war years, mainly coarse vegetables were cultivated, after which strawberry cultivation expanded rapidly. The cultivation did not suffice to completely curb the high unemployment rate in the region, but it did help to significantly increase the median family income.
Lor van Nijen came to live in Hoogstraten a year after the founding of "de Veiling" and his parents ran a café behind the site of the Veiling. He has seen the company grow from the beginning.
"There was a period in 1944 when there was no Veiling. Fortunately, after the war, everything started up again, in an upward trend."
In 1951, strawberry production rose to 3,000 tonnes, accounting for no less than 90% of our turnover. Our cooperative was followed by others: auctions were also set up in Roeselare and Sint-Katelijne-Waver.
Professional growers make their entrance. Strawberries for the fruits and vegetables sections are, to this day, still a success. Apart from that, it is mainly gherkins and industry strawberries for that make the mallet come down.
Paul Vanderhallen became one of the managers at the age of 22. He was still a student at the time, but already came to work one day a week during his studies.
"Not a year went by without construction here. We used to be able to do that in the winter, because the Auction was still very seasonal then."
The strawberries continue their advance. However, there's also some fresh faces: the first horticultural companies are now also growing vegetables under glass.
In 1977, Luc Verwerft, Jean-Pierre de Paepe, Theo Van Der Hallen, Wim Janssens and Gust Stoffels decided to set up the Hoogstraten Strawberry Ghesellen. Their aim: to promote the strawberries of the Hoogstraten region at home and abroad. They do this by being present at various events. From the very beginning, they have also been allowed to present the early strawberries to H.M. the King and H.M. the Queen and the Governor of the Province of Antwerp.
The horticultural sector embraces technological evolution. Strawberries can now be harvested year-round by refrigerating planting material. The refinement of growing techniques under glass is causing a 'vegetable boom'. Tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers are at the top of the charts.
Veiling Hoogstraten is entering the 21st century. The cooling infrastructure has been optimised and online trading is now possible. The cooperative has grown into a massive European player. The first financial year of the new millennium ended with a turnover of €84,284,000. That is why we are also fully committed to a high-performance track & trace system.
Veiling Hoogstraten starts selling specials, without using the auction clock.
Years of cooperation between Veiling Profruco, CLTV Zundert and Veiling Hoogstraten have been confirmed with the establishment of the intercooperative organisation In-Co. When Veiling Profruco disappeared, REO Veiling took its place within the inter-cooperative organisation.
Veiling Hoogstraten celebrates its 75th anniversary. We start the celebration with the introduction of a new logo and an up-to-date corporate identity.
The year begins with sky-high energy prices and a financial crisis. Onr of the worst horticultural years ever. Nevertheless, Veiling Hoogstraten started a sustainable project just then: almost 2,000 solar panels produced 408,000 kWh in the first year.
After a turbulent year, the cultivation companies are getting back on their feet. Even better: Veiling Hoogstraten experienced the largest turnover growth in its existence to date (+31%). This year, more than 25 million kilos of strawberries were delivered, a record harvest! We organised the first International Strawberry Congress. It was an immediate hit with 300 participants from 22 countries!
No fewer than 30,000 tonnes of strawberries are sold. A large proportion of the strawberry growers at Veiling Profruco become direct members at Coöperatie Hoogstraten. Moreover, investments were made in the construction of a new vegetable shed (1.1 ha).
Coöperatie Hoogstraten obtains the Corporate Social Responsibility charter for the first time.
Innovation is key and so Coöperatie Hoogstraten starts selling cherries. The turnover of the auction exceeds 200 million euro that year.
In early 2016, Veiling Hoogstraten cv changed its name to Coöperatie Hoogstraten cv. The new name underlines the importance of mutual cooperation in an ever-changing business climate.
Introduction of WMS system (Warehouse Management). The ambition is to deliver in a more focused way and to be able to answer customer-specific questions.
In the spring of 2018, the block sale of strawberries will be introduced.
The strawberry growers of CLTV Zundert will become direct members of Coöperatie Hoogstraten. The LAVA digitisation project is also launched in 2019.
In 2020, Coöperatie Hoogstraten introduced a new mission and new values. More than ever, the cooperative wants to be a quality reference and an expert in fruit and vegetables. With the Hoogstraten, Home of Quality brand, Coöperatie Hoogstraten shows itself to be a reliable partner within the sector.
In the years to come, Coöperatie Hoogstraten cv will continue to focus on attracting experienced personnel (with special attention to disadvantaged groups), in-depth investments in infrastructure, direct communication with producers and customers and the further crystallisation of its own identity.
Coöperatie Hoogstraten CV is an important link between producer and buyer in the fresh produce chain. We provide a comprehensive package of services to both members and customers. The product is central, with a strong focus on quality, freshness and food safety. Besides the actual sale of the products, we take care of the development and application of a quality policy and communication. We also provide technical and logistical support, such as for the storage of strawberry plants, our pepper sorting installation or the start-up of the cold chain.
A few entrepreneurs founded the company 'Katholieke Veilingsvereniging der Noorderkempen'. Among them: a brewer, two teachers, a shop keeper, two fruit growers and a provincial representative.
During the war years, mainly coarse vegetables were cultivated, after which strawberry cultivation expanded rapidly. The cultivation did not suffice to completely curb the high unemployment rate in the region, but it did help to significantly increase the family income.
Lor van Nijen came to live in Hoogstraten a year after the founding of "de Veiling" and his parents ran a café behind the site of the Veiling. He has seen the company grow from the beginning.
"There was a period in 1944 when there was no Veiling Hoogstraten. Fortunately, after the war, everything started up again, in an upward trend."
In 1951, strawberry production rose to 3,000 tonnes, accounting for no less than 90% of our turnover. Our cooperative was followed by others: auctions were also set up in Roeselare and Sint-Katelijne-Waver.
Professional growers make their entrance. Strawberries for the fresh market are still a success. Apart from that, it is mainly gherkins and strawberries for the industry that are ticked off the auction clock.
Paul Vanderhallen became one of the company managers at the age of 22. He was still a student at the time, but already came to work one day a week during his studies.
"Not a year went by without construction here. We used to be able to do that in the winter, because Veiling Hoogstraten was still very seasonal then."
The strawberries continued their advance. The first horticultural companies are now also growing vegetables under glass.
In 1977, Luc Verwerft, Jean-Pierre de Paepe, Theo Van Der Hallen, Wim Janssens and Gust Stoffels decided to set up the Hoogstraten Strawberry Ghesellen. Their aim: to promote the strawberries of the Hoogstraten region at home and abroad. They do this by being present at various events. From the very beginning, they have also been allowed to present the early strawberries to H.M. the King and H.M. the Queen and the Governor of the Province of Antwerp.
The horticultural sector embraces technological evolution. Strawberries can now be harvested year-round by refrigerating planting material. The refinement of growing techniques under glass is causing a 'vegetable boom'. Tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers are at the top of the charts.
Veiling Hoogstraten is entering the 21st century. The cooling infrastructure has been optimised and online trading is now possible. The cooperative has grown into a top European player. The first financial year of the new millennium closed with a turnover of €84,284,000. That is why we are also fully committed to a high-performance track & trace system.
The horticultural sector embraces technological evolution. Strawberries can now be harvested year-round by refrigerating planting material. The refinement of growing techniques under glass is causing a 'vegetable boom'. Tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers are at the top of the charts.
The horticultural sector embraces technological evolution. Strawberries can now be harvested year-round by refrigerating planting material. The refinement of growing techniques under glass is causing a 'vegetable boom'. Tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers are at the top of the charts.
The year begins with sky-high energy prices and a financial crisis. Onr of the worst horticultural years ever. Nevertheless, Veiling Hoogstraten started a sustainable project just then: almost 2,000 solar panels produced 408,000 kWh in the first year.
After a turbulent year, the cultivation companies are getting back on their feet. Even better: Veiling Hoogstraten experienced the largest turnover growth in its existence to date (+31%). This year, more than 25 million kilos of strawberries were delivered, a record harvest! We organised the first International Strawberry Congress. It was an immediate hit with 300 participants from 22 countries!
No fewer than 30,000 tonnes of strawberries are sold. A large proportion of the strawberry growers at Veiling Profruco become direct members at Coöperatie Hoogstraten. Moreover, investments were made in the construction of a new vegetable shed (1.1 ha).
Coöperatie Hoogstraten obtains the Corporate Social Responsibility charter for the first time.
Innovation is key and so Coöperatie Hoogstraten starts selling cherries. The turnover of the auction exceeds 200 million euro that year.
In early 2016, Veiling Hoogstraten cv changed its name to Coöperatie Hoogstraten cv. The new name underlines the importance of mutual cooperation in an ever-changing business climate.
Introduction of WMS system (Warehouse Management). The ambition is to deliver in a more focused way and to be able to answer customer-specific questions.
In the spring of 2018, the block sale of strawberries will be introduced.
The strawberry growers of CLTV Zundert will become direct members of Coöperatie Hoogstraten. The LAVA digitisation project is also launched in 2019.
In 2020, Coöperatie Hoogstraten introduced a new mission and new values. More than ever, the cooperative wants to be a quality reference and an expert in fruit and vegetables. With the brand Hoogstraten, Home of Quality, Coöperatie Hoogstraten shows itself to be a reliable partner within the sector.
In the coming years, Coöperatie Hoogstraten cv will continue to focus on attracting experienced personnel (with special attention to disadvantaged groups), in-depth investments in infrastructure, direct communication with producers and customers and the further definition of its own identity.
With our mission statement, "Working together to shape a sustainable future in fresh produce through professionalism and high-quality service", Coöperatie Hoogstraten aims to be more than just an auction.
The core business remains, of course, marketing fresh fruit and vegetables for its producers, but customised services are becoming increasingly important. And that is what Coöperatie Hoogstraten wants to excel in. In the years to come, Coöperatie Hoogstraten will focus strongly on expertise in order to provide better information and optimised service to both its producers and its customers. This in a sustainable framework, with attention for People, Planet and Profit. Because a healthy company has an eye for its employees, partners and the planet. And we want to achieve this together. Cooperative work is in our genes and will always be our basis for decisions.
More than ever, the cooperative wants to be a quality reference and an expert in fruit and vegetables. With the Hoogstraten brand, Home of Quality, Coöperatie Hoogstraten shows itself to be a reliable partner within the sector.
Our identity is based on these 5 core values.
INTEGRITY
We are reliable
RELATED
We are doing the right thing better and better
CONNECT
Together we are stronger
GROW
We're not standing still
HORIZON
We're constantly discovering
Care for food safety starts at the beginning: the producer. After all, every grower grows his fruit and vegetables according to strict quality labels. For strawberries, this is Hoogstraten; for vegetables it is Flandria.
The cooperative ensures that the products supplied are of the right quality class and retain their quality through optimum conditioning. Moreover, Coöperatie Hoogstraten also strives for maximum food safety. Our obtained certificates are a guarantee of that.
Hoogstraten inspects fruit and vegetables as soon as they arrive. But we also focus on their internal quality. For example, we continuously monitor the shelf life of the products supplied (at parcel level) by means of samples that we place in storage cells. We then circle the results back to the grower.
Every year, we analyse hundreds of residue samples through multiscreening. Additionally, tomato samples are analysed for ethephon as a pre-harvest sample. The products supplied are also checked for residues of crop protection agents, and periodically for the presence of contaminants and microbiology. This research is carried out under the supervision of the Knowledge Centre for Sustainable Horticulture (KDT).
The Product & Quality Department is responsible for ensuring product quality and food safety. All our products comply with strict quality marks of which quality is an important part. For strawberries this is Hoogstraten, for vegetables Flandria. Furthermore, all our producers comply with the legal requirements for primary vegetable production and some supra-legal specifications (production, sustainability, social practices). Compliance is externally audited at the production plants.
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We accurately record relevant data about the crop, the producer, the parcels and the delivery. This enables us to trace the origin and pre-harvest handling of each product. Does a problem occur? Then the cause is quickly traced and eliminated. Traceability also goes 'upstream'. After sale, every purchase is administratively linked to a product supply. In this way, we can also trace the supply from the trade channel back to the cooperative.
We guarantee quality.