| Virginia Apple Growers Association
Charlottesville, VA
On April 4, 2003, in a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, Commerce Deputy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman,
joined by Virginia Senator John Warner, issued an Export Trade Certificate of Review to the
Virginia Apple Growers Association (VAGA). The issuance of the Certificate was the result
of joint efforts by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, The GIC Group
(GIC) of Alexandria, VA, an agribusiness consulting firm, and Commerce’s Office of Export Trading
Company Affairs.
The founding firms in the VAGA joint venture formed under the Export Trade Certificate of
Review include Crown Orchard Company, LLP; Bowman Fruit Sales, L.L.C.; Flippin-Seaman, Inc.;
and Fred L. Glaize, L.L.C. With this Certificate, VAGA and the participating firms have extensive
antitrust protection for their export related activities.
Beginning full operation in August 2003, the VAGA export joint venture, under the export
management expertise of GIC, generated export sales of $661,966 for the members during the
seasonal selling period of November 2003 through March 2004. According to GIC, the joint
venture has sold 49 container loads of fresh apples to Cuba, Honduras, Costa Rica, Russia, and
Sri Lanka. These countries represent export markets previously untapped by the Certificate members.
The joint venture formed under the auspices of the Export Trade Certificate of Review program
has accelerated the Virginia apple industry’s development efforts into foreign markets. By
working together under an Export Trade Certificate of Review, participating apple producers
pool their product to fill large export sales orders, present a united front in negotiations
with foreign buyers on terms of sale, negotiate volume discounts with export service providers
and share costs, without being vulnerable to domestic antitrust complaints.
“The key to success in any new market is on-the-ground marketing and finding the right formula to build market share…Patience and hard-nosed bargaining are critical…The ETC will generate important revenues and employment for the apple sector in the state of Virginia.”
- Daniel Secondi
Managing Director, Virginia Apple Trading Company
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