Interko opens Russian office to satisfy local ripening room demand

INTERKO, the leading provider of ripening solutions for the international fresh fruit industry, has strengthened its future position in Russia and the CIS nations following the opening of a local representative office in Novosibirsk, Siberia, headed by automatics and telemechanics engineer Sergey Bunyakin. Responsible for end-to-end customer service and sales support, as well as nationwide business development, Sergey joined Interko during the summer of 2018. The move will add further value to Interko’s recently expanded fresh fruit ripening room portfolio, which now features a complete range of solutions that are ideally suited to small to large operators in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS, or Russian Commonwealth). To raise awareness, the Dutch designer and manufacturer will be exhibiting at major international food and drink exhibition, WorldFood Moscow, on 17-20 September 2018 in Moscow, Russia. Managing Partner Chris Maat and Senior Business Development Manager Anna Zegveld, together with Sergey Bunyakin will be available in Hall 2.2, Stand D743. Chris comments: “While our business in Russia and the CIS is stable, there is a real opportunity to tap into growing market demand, especially among the smaller fruit ripening operators located in remote areas of Russia and CIS nations that aren’t served by many refrigeration companies. “The appointment of Sergey will allow Interko to extend our reach into these areas, and to provide another layer of service via an invaluable point of contact to facilitate the import, installation, daily running and maintenance of our products.” Interko offers a complete range of advanced ripening room solutions to suit the logistical requirements of each and every type of operator. Importantly, these systems are designed to cut operational costs and boost profitability thanks to their low energy consumption and clever design. Russian/CIS representative Sergey will actively seek to heighten awareness about Interko and its range of state-of-the-art, European-built ripening rooms. Sergey explains: “I am delighted to join Interko at what is an exciting time for the company’s continued global growth, and expansion potential in Russia and the CIS. “I’m looking forward to working closely with our existing and potential customers in Russia and the CIS to handle any requirements or queries, as well as to share Interko’s technical know-how about how Interko’s energy-efficient and cost-effective solutions can really raise profitability among businesses here.” Anna adds: “Having Sergey on board will allow Interko to extend both our physical reach and our level of communication throughout Russia and the CIS with regards to the number of ripening room options and bespoke solutions we can offer to suit any business. “For example, the Interko Ultimo room would suit a large volume operator in one of the big cities in Russia and the CIS, while the flexible Axesso room or our new, turn-key Optimo room would benefit smaller operators in the more remote areas of these countries. “In his role, Sergey will also keep track of our customers’ results to ensure we maximise the performance of their ripening rooms and minimise their costs on an ongoing basis.” In addition to the new office, Interko will continue to retain the complementary services of its three existing installation partners in Russia; Everest Technology in Moscow, NWReF in Saint Petersburg, and Evro-Style in Novosibirsk. Dutch innovator Interko is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. About InterkoInterko is the global leader for the design, manufacture and installation of cost-effective, high quality and low-maintenance ripening rooms for fresh fruit, and cooling systems for the horticulture sector. Founded 50 years ago, Interko develops precise, advanced and energy-efficient systems that are built to last. Since its creation Interko has installed over 6,000 ripening rooms for bananas, avocados, mangoes, papayas and tomatoes – the earliest of which are still in operation and performing well today. Every year Interko installs around 200 ripening rooms. For more information about Interko, visit: www.interko.com For more information about Interko's ripening products, visit: www.interko.com/products   Or contactChris Maat / Anna ZegveldTel: +31 (0)79 593 2581info@interko.com Sergey BunyakinTel: 89139109538 (Within Russia)Tel: +7 9139109538 (Outside Russia)s.bunyakin@interko.com