Kris Verbruggen
Development Director LogisticsUNIVEG’s high-energy culture is instantly noticeable.
Before joining UNIVEG in 2001, Kris Verbruggen, MSc in Applied Economics, was an IT consultant for a Belgian company. “At UNIVEG, I had the opportunity to work in Central Europe as an operations manager for cold storage warehousing and logistics services, which I set up from scratch.”
“I started off in Poland, where I scouted out the market and met with retailers, our future customers. From there, we further developed the platform in Warsaw, followed by a new distribution centre in Poznan. With this structure firmly in place, we’re able to process orders from UNIVEG affiliates and third-party customers. In other words, we provide cold storage, pick orders and deliver them to our customers’ various stores.”
“With Poland now established as our hub for the region, I moved on to Russia and Bulgaria, as our international customers had subsidiaries there. After several declarations of intent, I filed all the legal and financial paperwork required for new businesses, secured appropriate office and warehouse space, and began the hiring process. In Central Europe, cold storage is still in its infancy, but on the positive side, the opportunities are there for the taking. It’s a lot of hard work, but with our know-how, we’ve been making significant inroads. For example, our logistics business in Poland is now bigger than in Belgium.”
“Working at UNIVEG means getting and taking advantage of all kinds of opportunities. And if you rise to the challenge, a new one will follow. My own career path is living proof. Between the high energy buzz and quick decision-making process, anything is possible. I especially like that the company encourages us to take ownership and responsibility for our projects. As a result, I feel like an entrepreneur running my own small business.”