Arend Venter: A giant has fallen
The industry has lost a giant with the passing of Arend Venter.
Arend was already a doyen of the fruit industry when he joined Dole SA at inception in 1998. It’s fair to say that Dole pulled off a coup with the appointment of the then Outspan No 2.
Without even having the benefit of an office, Arend put together a formidable team containing the likes of Marguerite van Rensburg, Barry Dowling, Eugene Brand, David Kruger, Marius Deyzel, Martin Le Roux and Willie Messerschmidt. They had to hit the ground running as the citrus season had just started.
Of course citrus was Arend’s forte – whether we talk about his knowledge of every citrus variety or his connections with people in the agricultural space. So passionate was he, that Dole’s first citrus volumes were procured from his dining room table in Pretoria; he was not going to sit around waiting for office space when he could get the job done.
Back then, getting close to producers was difficult because many growers were members of co-ops. Arend and his team criss-crossed the country visiting co-ops and growers to introduce themselves. In the words of Martin Le Roux, Product Manager at Dole, “He talked the right talk, and there was no better person at the time to promote the Dole brand.”
We are eternally grateful for the role Arend played at Dole South Africa in those very crucial early years. The fact that Dole has retained growers since the first citrus season in 1998 is testament to Arend’s character and tenacity. – Hannes Nieuwoudt, Dole SA Managing Director
A natural salesman, Arend did not take No for an answer. The message to everyone he met was: we have a well-known international brand in the fruit trade, we are established in all markets, we have a distribution network of note and we want to sell your fruit at competitive (best possible) prices… and we do not want to be your competitors in production!
An excellent host and marvelous orator, Arend was also renowned for his staying power and his meticulous feedback to growers. On the road, his constitution was legendary. He relied on minimal sleep, coffee and, for his only real meal of the day, medium rare steak accompanied by red wine and capped with a double espresso.
Arend was indeed a force to be reckoned with. Descriptions such as larger than life, feisty, passionate, dedicated and direct come to mind. Even so, his right hand for nearly 40 years, Marguerite van Rensburg, recalls his respect for everyone who crossed his path.
We are eternally grateful for the role Arend played at Dole South Africa in those very crucial early years. The fact that Dole has retained growers since the first citrus season in 1998 is testament to Arend’s character and tenacity. We wish to express our gratitude to a formidable man – one who has dedicated his life to the fruit industry. Thank you for your tireless efforts, your dedication and commitment to excellence.
