Marketing Manager – NRTC Group
BNC Publishing and Hotel & Catering News Middle East’s GM Leaders Conference and The Leaders in Hospitality Awards 2020 will take place on Monday, April 6 at Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa.
Please tell us a bit about your company.
NRTC, Nasser Al Refaee Trading Company, is one of the region’s biggest fruit and vegetable suppliers. NRTC is a holding group of companies operating in the Middle East, focusing on sustainable growth and growing steadily since 1973.
The company has managed to turn a family business into an internationally recognised brand operating all over the UAE. NRTC imports more than 400 tonnes of fresh fruits and vegetables daily, from Lebanon, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Morocco, and Jordan imported by land, sea and air to Dubai Central Market.
The company has 11 state-of-the-art chiller sites with a total of 35 cold storage rooms where the products are repackaged for immediate distribution within the UAE, servicing the seven emirates with 300+ trucks daily.
NRTC products proudly reach all the HORECA channels, retail, and corporates as well as end consumers via an online ordering platform, NRTC Fresh. NRTC operations are crafted and designed in strict compliance to international ISO 22000 – 2018 (new version) and HACCP standards.
What’s your slogan/ethos; what are your core values?
“We always insist on the Best!” This is the company slogan. Our top priorities are to innovate in modern lifestyles and craft new ways for consumers to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables.
In the past four decades, we’ve dedicated all our efforts to delivering – not just quality produce – but also trust, which is reflected in the many awards and praises we’ve earned over the years. We also ensure we respond to our customers’ growing needs and achieve their goals.
We’re striving to be a lean and encompassing organisation, which can fulfill the vital needs of the industry. Each and every day, our dedicated food specialists in each of our facilities work tirelessly to achieve and deliver our brand promise.
We will continue to pursue greater goals and complete satisfaction for our clients, and aim to achieve a niche in the GCC market like no other, upholding industry values as the best suppliers of fruits and vegetables in the region.
Can you tell us about some of your most successful projects/product launches?
Customer satisfaction being our prime focus, we consistently innovate and adopt modernised approaches to keep up with ever-growing consumer needs. Our latest innovation to our offering was the extension of the pre-cut line, where we were able to provide a unique product offering with peeled, shredded, washed and sanitised fruits and vegetables – delivered ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat to chefs.
With the most modern technologies and equipment in play, ranging from peelers to slicing, dicing and chopping mechanisms, we maintain uniformity in our production. With comprehensive quality checks and 100% traceability, all products leaving the production facility are guaranteed to be safe by our experts, delivered to our clients’ kitchens under the most hygienic conditions.
Another successful project was the launch of the B2C division – NRTC Fresh – an e-commerce website and app. With our e-store, we aimed to revolutionise the traditional way to shop and reduce any concerns that are associated with it. Our customers can now easily shop for their daily requirements of fresh fruits and vegetables on our website or app NRTC Fresh and get them delivered straight to their door, whether at their homes or offices.
The newest addition to our portfolio is the collaboration with Badia farms – the UAE’s first urban vertical farm growing gourmet greens. This collaboration brings us a range of fresh, locally grown produce of microgreens including arugula, beetroot, broccoli, coriander and more, in addition to a selection of mix-salad bags such as Asian, Earth, Gourmet and Spice mixes.
What’s in the pipeline for your company?
The future looks busy and promising for NRTC. First, we’re working on implementing ISO 14001-2015 for EMS in Q2, 2020. We’re also planning on regionally expanding to Saudi Arabia (Riyadh first and then Jeddah) with a full-fledged expansion plan.
NRTC will open a copy-and-paste module to service big hotel chains, restaurants and coffee shops. We’ll start with B2B and then gradually expand our offering. Within a couple of months, we’re also planning further GCC expansion to Oman, where we currently operate through a broker.
Why have you chosen to sponsor?
It’s a great opportunity for NRTC to network and build relationships and trust with existing and potential customers, and industry leaders at such important events by BNC Publishing. Sponsoring this event helps NRTC generate awareness around the brand and get additional exposure in media channels.
