Pelican News
8 Miles buys a
minority stake
in Blue Skies UKPrivateEquityfirm‘8-Miles’,whichischairedbySirBobGeldofand
focusesoninvestmentsinAfrica,hasboughtaminoritystakeinBlue
Skies.AnthonyPilesaid:
“BlueSkiesispleasedthat8Mileshastakenaminoritystakeinthe
company.Wehaveaninterestingbusinessandonethatsetsouttodo
morethanmakingaprofitfromourbasesinAfrica,EuropeandSouth
America.8Milessharesourvisionforimprovingthelivesofpeople,
protectingtheenvironmentandmakingenoughmoneyatsourceto
advanceourobjectivetosupplybestqualityproductstothepeopleof
theWorld.”
DougAgble,partnerat8Milessaid:“Thisisanexcitingopportunityto
partnerwithahighlysuccessfulfounderandatop-qualitymanagement
teamwhohavebuiltabusinessbasedonsolidanduniquefoundations.”
March 2017 | #132
Blue Skies Newsletter
Blue Skies
finalists at
FPC Fresh
Awards
BlueSkiesarefinalistsagainatthe
FPCFreshAwards,thisyearmaking
itthroughintheSupermarket
SupplieroftheYearandCSR
Excellencecategories,andwithour
veryownMartaGozdzikinthe
ManagerofYearcategory!
Thewinnerswillbeannouncedat
anAwardsDinneronthe8thofJune
inLondon.
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Pictured:BobGeldofwithAnthonyPileduringavisittoBlueSkiesin2015.
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www.facebook.com/blueskiesafrica
www.facebook.com/fruitinabottle
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Production starts
at new factories
Blue Skies
welcomes
Alma to UK
OurItaliancustomerAlmavisited
theUKon28thand29thMarch
forasalesandNPDmeetingand
tolookatsomeofthelatest
trendsinLondon.Theyare
picturedontheirFoodtrends
walk.'InthePicturedabove
March2017sawtwonewfactoriesstartingproductionforBlueSkies.
duringtheirLondonFoodTrends
InSouthAfricaeveryonepulledoutallthestopstobeabletofinallymoveintotheir WalkareGianna,Simone,Paul,
newfacilityonthe6thofMarch(picturedtop).
JohnandSarah.
MeanwhileintheUKworkwasunderwaytomoveproductionuptoanewfacilityin ---------------------------------------------
th
Corby.Productionstartedon29 March(picturedbelow).
InbothSouthAfricaandtheUKa
monumentaleffortwasmadetoget
bothfacilitiesupandrunningontime,
andinthetrueBlueSkiesspiritthey
havesucceeded.
ThesenewfacilitieswillenableBlue
Skiestoincreaseitscapacitysothatit
maymeetgrowingordersanddevelop
newandexcitingproducts.
Air France
takes off
in Ghana
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Longwalktoanastonishingtriumph-6March2017
Itwasnotaplainsailingjourney.Everythingwasnotlookingpossible
andyetwehavemadeit.UnderextremepressureournewFactoryTwo
wasfinallycompletedandourfirstproductioncommencedonthe6thof
March2017.Whatanamazingmoment!SiyabongamaBlueSkies
Amahle.
Lookingbackthirteenyearstowhenthefirstfactoryopenedwithjust
35peopleandseeingwherewearenowwith718staff,itiscleartosee
theimpactthatthebusinesswillhaveonreducingunemploymentin
Dipalesengandtransforminglives.
Toourboardofdirectors,CEO,GM,managersandentirestaffthe
futureofthisdelightfulcompanyanditssuccessdependsuponallour
hands.Whenreadingpapers,watchingthenewsitisshockingtoseebig
companieslikeEskomandGreatBasinGoldclosingdown,butweare
stillstanding.Weareblessedthatwhencompaniesareclosingand
liquidated,wearestillgrowing.
ByWayduNhlapo.BlueSkiesSouthAfrica.
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TheBlueSkiesteamrecentlymet
AirFrance/KLMCEOJean-Marc
Janaillacduringtheirinauguralflight
fromParistoAccra.
Picturedonfromlefttorightis
PhilippeGindrat,Director(Guinean
GulfAirFrance/KLM),RuthAdjei
GeneralManager(BlueSkiesGhana),
SowahOkpoti-Mensah,General
Manager(AirFrance/KLMCargo
Ghana),MonsieurJean-Marc
Janaillac,CEO(AirFrance/KLM),John
Gadzi,Director(BlueSkies),Mary
CudjoeMovementsManager,(Blue
SkiesGhana).
---------------------------------------------
AH Fresh
team visit
Blue Skies
Schiphol
Brazil marks
International
Women’s Day
Onthe8thMarchBlueSkiesBrazilcelebrated“InternationalWomen’s
Day”bygivingeverywomanarose.Thiswaspaidforthroughthesaleof
recyclingmaterialsbythefactory.Theywereallimpressedcommenting
thatnoteventheirhusbandshadofferedthemany“Congratulations”
andtheeventhashadapositiveeffectinthemoraleoftheteam.
ByFlaviaMometti.GeneralManager,BlueSkiesBrazil.
On28thFebruarytheAlbertHeijn
FreshTeamvisitedourfacilitiesat
SchipholinTheNetherlands.
Thiswasanexcellentopportunity
todemonstrateourcoldchains
fromGhana,RSAandEgyptwhich
supportsourFreshfromHarvest
model.
Theimprovementsmadein
reducingtheweightofcarton
flownandtheincreaseinfruit
beingpackedinAKE'sduringthe
pastyearswerehighlightedtothe
team.Theimprovementsarethe
resultofclosecooperation
betweenAlbertHeijnandBlue
Skiesforwhichwearegrateful.
Itwasaveryusefulvisitwhich
contributestoabetter
understandingofourbusiness.
ByPaulVanBreukelen.
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Egypt celebrates Mother’s Day
Onthe21stofMarchBlueSkiesEgyptcelebratedMother’sDayby
presentingtheMumsatthefactorywithgiftstoexpresstheirgratitude
forallthattheyhavedone.
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3
Picture:fromlefttoright:Sjoerd
vandeOuw(BS),JoostCleassens
(AHSourcingManager),Anniek
Schelling(ManagementTrainee),
PaulvanBreukelen(BS),Jurian
Simons(Merchandising),Stefan
Kastanja(SrCategoryManager),
DiederickOlijve(BS)
---------------------------------------------
Life After
Blue Skies
2017 Foundation
Projects started
th
OnFriday25 MarchtheBlueSkiesFoundationheldthefirstofits2017
GroundBreakingceremoniestoformallystartthisyear’projects.Itbeganwith
adurbaratthevillageofEsikabewwheretheFoundationisconstructingasix
classroomPrimarySchoolblock.ThiswasattendedbytheDirectorof
EducationattheGhanaEducationServiceandtheCoordinatingDirectoratthe
MunicipalAssemblyalongwithChiefs,headsofeducationalinstitutionsand
otherrepresentativesfromthecommunityandsurrounding.Fromtherea
ceremonywasheldatKwakwakromwhereworkofficiallystartedonthe
constructionofthetwelveseaterKVIP(composttoilet)forthepineapple
growingcommunity.
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Maartenscollege donates
to School Farm project
MaartenscollegeaschoolintheNetherlandsthatrecentlyvisitedBlue
SkiesGhana(pictured),havedonated3,000EurostotheBlueSkies2017
SchoolFarmoftheYearCompetition.Agroupofsixteenstudentsand
theirteachersvisitedGhanainFebruaryhavingraisedatleasthalfofthe
moneyforthetripthemselvesbyorganizingthreemusicalevents.The
fourteacherswhovisitedalsofoundedBothSidesNow,aplatform
whichstimulatesyoungpeopletobecomemoreknowledgeableabout
developingcountriesandgetmoreinvolvedinsocialactivitiestocreate
abetterunderstandingoftheproblemsandhowtofindthesolutions.
FindoutmoreaboutBothSidesNowathttp://www.bothsidesnow.nl
GroupTechnicalManagerStephan
Morrisrecentlycaughtupwithafew
familiarfaceswhousedtoworkat
BlueSkiesGhana;Mawunyo,Jolene,
andEunice.
Alloftheseladiesworkedinthe
technicaldepartmentatBlueSkies
Ghana.Mawunyowasactually
GeneralManagerbeforesheleft
(Ruth’simmediatepredecessor).
JolenewasTechnicalManager,and
EunicewasNPDmanager.
Alltheladieswereinhighspiritsand
proudtotalkoftheirfamiliesand
theirworkandtheirChristianity;and
theirenthusiasmformetoconvert
wasundimmed!
Mawunyonowmanagesabusiness
sellingfertilisers,Jolenerunsa
laundryinbetweenpublishingCDsof
herbeautifulvoicesingingChristian
music,andEuniceisaresearcherfor
aprofessorandstudyingfora
doctorateherself.
Whowouldhavethoughtthatthere
islifeafterBlueSkies?
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www.instagram/blueskiesproducts
www.instagram/fruitinabottle
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www.facebook.com/blueskiesafrica
www.facebook.com/fruitinabottle
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Above:StudentsatMaartenscollegewiththeBlueSkiesvolleyballteam.
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