Interview with Hans Liekens, Value Chain & Retail Manager at SEKOYA®

SEKOYA®, a strategic business unit of Fall Creek Farm & Nursery, has rapidly ascended as a notable player in the global blueberry market since its inception in 2020.

With a clear vision of making high-quality blueberries accessible worldwide, SEKOYA® has established a robust presence in over 20 countries, including the United States, Spain, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Morocco, and Canada.

At the heart of this ambitious endeavor is Hans Liekens, Value Chain & Retail Manager, who brings over two decades of Sales & Marketing experience from renowned Fast Moving Consumer Goods companies like Tropicana and Chiquita.

“I joined Fall Creek® seven years ago, and I’ve been part of the SEKOYA® business unit since its early days,” says Liekens, reflecting on his journey with the company.

SEKOYA’s mission is simple yet impactful: to supply exceptional berries every day.

This mission is underpinned by their commitment to quality, from breeding and selecting SEKOYA blueberry varieties to working closely with their network of 15 SEKOYA Members.

These carefully selected grower-marketers are tasked with producing and selling defined volumes of SEKOYA blueberry varieties globally.

“Our SEKOYA® blueberry varieties can be grown anywhere in the world,” Liekens notes, emphasizing the adaptability and resilience of their products.

What sets SEKOYA apart in the competitive produce industry is their innovative approach to blueberry cultivation.

“SEKOYA® blueberry varieties seem to be designed to be a snack: big, crunchy, tasteful with a very long shelf life,” Liekens explains.

This focus on creating a superior snacking experience addresses a significant gap in the market. Traditional blueberry varieties often fall short of consumer expectations for snacking due to their softer texture and shorter shelf life.

SEKOYA’s varieties, however, maintain their firmness and flavor, making them an ideal healthy snack alternative.

Image: SEKOYA’s LinkedIn

Liekens elaborates on the strategic importance of this innovation: “With the snacking market being four times bigger than the breakfast market, we see a big opportunity.”

This insight drives SEKOYA’s commitment to providing a consistent quality product that can compete with other Fast Moving Consumer Goods like candy bars and chips.

By ensuring their blueberries are as good and consistent as these popular snacks, SEKOYA positions itself to capture a significant share of the snacking market.

A key aspect of SEKOYA’s strategy is their ability to supply high-quality blueberries year-round. “We believe we are entering a new era – the era of Consistent Quality, 52-Weeks,” Liekens asserts.

To achieve this, SEKOYA has developed five distinct blueberry varieties tailored to different climate zones, ensuring continuous supply throughout the year.

For mid-high chill climates, SEKOYA offers Sekoya Crunch® ‘FC13-083’, Sekoya Grande® ‘FC13-122’, and Sekoya Fiesta™ ‘FC13-113’. For zero-low chill climates, they provide Sekoya Pop® ‘FCM14-052’ and Sekoya Beauty® ‘FCM12-097’.

“These varieties were selected to provide the consumer with the same, satisfying eating experience throughout the year,” says Liekens, highlighting the meticulous selection process that guarantees year-round availability.

SEKOYA® is dedicated to delivering top-notch quality not only in their products, but also in their wide range of services.

“At SEKOYA®, we care about your experience!” Their website states, underscoring the company’s dedication to customer satisfaction.

Their actively managed supply platform is built around a package of varieties, services, quality assurance, and supply chain coordination, all designed to serve the premium fruit market segment.

This holistic approach helps reduce food waste and grow the category through firmness, extended shelf-life, and overall customer satisfaction.

The roots of SEKOYA’s success can be traced back to Fall Creek Farm & Nursery, founded in 1978 in Oregon, USA.

Over the past 30 years, Fall Creek has grown into a global leader in the blueberry industry, known for its finest genetics, plants, and grower support. This rich heritage is evident in SEKOYA’s operations and their unwavering focus on quality.

From organizing SEKOYA Field & Forums for fruit buyers to taste and compare their varieties with market standards to assisting retailers in building the strongest value chains, SEKOYA ensures that quality is always their first priority.

Reflecting on the future, Liekens is optimistic about the continuous evolution of SEKOYA® and their impact on the industry.

“By 2028, SEKOYA® blueberry varieties will make up approximately 15% of the global blueberry consumption,” he states, underscoring the company’s long-term vision and strategic goals.

This anticipated growth is fueled by their innovative product offerings and the unwavering commitment to delivering consistent, high-quality blueberries to consumers around the world.

SEKOYA’s journey really shows how dedicated they are to making awesome produce. They’ve got big plans, pay attention to every detail, and totally get what people want.

That’s why their product is not just tasty but also super top-notch in quality and always consistent.

As Liekens aptly puts it, we are in the era of consistent quality.

With this forward-thinking approach, SEKOYA® is poised to lead the way in the global blueberry market, setting new benchmarks for quality and customer satisfaction.