“At GAMBÍN we have achieved a very consolidated recipe to offer the best product at the exact moment”
This is the story of a boy who grew up in the cold climate of Barlad, a city located in the eastern corner of Romania, a few kilometres from the border with Moldova and Ukraine, in the immediate vicinity of the Black Sea. One day, during a school visit to the local Botanic Garden, he fell in love with a tree. The beauty of the tree captivated him and its perfume haunted him, as did its round and remarkable fruits. He was already ten years of age when he experienced for the first time the sight of an orange tree, something exotic in the area. At that time, nobody knew he would end up dedicating his life to understanding the functioning of citrus fruits. He would make the best out of it and enable thousands of people to reach happiness by offering them the best possible flavour, colour and perfume of easy-peelers, oranges and lemons.
Eduard Philipi Murgeanu arrived in Spain towards 2000, at the age of 23. He first made a living by working in different sectors, particularly in the hostelry branch. But he still had within him a passion, he longed that revelation he’d experienced during his childhood, as he had kept on dreaming of countryside and agriculture. When he turned 30, he embarked on the project that would unquestionably change his life. He started studying Agricultural Engineering at the Polytechnic School of Orihuela, where he learned about theory, and months later, he would be putting it to use at GAMBÍN. 19 years have passed since then, and the citrus world has now no more secrets for him.
- “What is your current responsibility at GAMBÍN, tell us about your tasking?”
“I am in charge of coordinating the production team, in order to guarantee production is carried out following the guidelines of the work schedule, executing it in detail as established. Among my many tasks I am to solve problems, doubts and lend a hand to the workgroup when they ask me to or whenever I see they are in need. We all pay attention and are committed to a job well done. We constantly look at the details to prevent possible troubles and solve them when they occur. By doing so, we guarantee that the best possible product is delivered to the customer and we hereby efficiently respond to their needs.”
- “Since you started working for the company, how has your work evolved in almost two decades?”
“In the beginning there have been many years of problem solving, investigation, tests and more tests, it has been trial and error. Even so, thanks to persistent cooperation between all the areas in the company, we finally designed more efficient processes. I would lie if I say that it has been an easy chore. We have gone through times of great troubles to complete the system and to achieve suitable results in terms of quality and timing. It has required a great deal of effort for us to get here, but, right now, we have it sorted out. We know everything about the product and our way of doing: the shelf life, conditioning, quantities, etc. We are now like chefs with a cooking recipe in hand, with such confidence we can now change dishes or replace a missing ingredient effortlessly. We try to improve when asked to, and, sometimes, the final result even exceeds our own expectative.”
- “It seems that the whole process has come a long way.?”
- “We had to learn how to work without arguing and discuss instead. Everybody really had different notions on how to work properly, but today we have reached a common concept. We know what we have to do and how to do it at all times! We have a collective goal and a strict control as we measure all the issues that could influence the final product and service.”
- “According to you, which are the keys to successful working on a production plant?”
“At the warehouse, we take care and defend ourselves, and we continually remind ourselves of the fruitful or less wholesome solutions we have applied in the past. Really, the main key is communication. Patience to explain to each other, to share points of view. Today, there is so much job comprehension, so much experience and there are so many accumulated variables in the know-how of GAMBÍN that one person alone could not handle them. There are too many details, so much job knowledge that could get lost without a team working on them.”
- “How does crop care influence the trees and the final product?”
- “I have always maintained that an agricultural farm is but a large garden. As huge as it may be, a farm must be taken care of like a garden plot. Everything must be done with delicacy and care, as on a small patch of land. I bow to all the agronomists who take care of their farms. They watch how a leaf grows, they study why it develops and how it achieves its purpose. They pay attention to detail and take continuous care of crops, because in agriculture it is not about controlling nature, but about understanding it.”
- “Which has been the evolution between field and warehouse at GAMBÍN in recent years?”
“It has changed a lot! As a general trend in the business, distances have been reduced and more coordination is being achieved, much care has been given to achieve this at GAMBIN. We have learned to work as a team. A few years back, when something failed we, at the warehouse would say: "The farmer is to blame." And the farmer replied: "The warehouse has no clue whatsoever." Nowadays, we are in a tighter relationship where a 100% cooperation between both parties has been reached.
- “From a warehouse preparation point of view, how has this 2019/2020 campaign been planned?”
“No campaign is ever the same. We can count with a lot of quality fruit this campaign. The easy peelers, lemons and oranges have a lot of good properties this season. In addition to this, everything will be more under control since there has been no excess last year, so the overall value of citrus should be stupendous.”
- “Finally, what are the values you share with GAMBÍN and how do you see your role in the company towards next years?”
“I share a lot of values with the company. But if I must single some out, I would say most of all the dedication shown towards their professionals as well as their unceasing listening process. These are the values the owners are best at; they know how to do it and they pass it onto the supervisors and onto every managing position within the company. It's something that has impressed me a lot since the beginning: how they take you seriously when you expose your point of view, and I try to do the same with my colleagues. I must also highlight the seriousness that is given to the continuous search for quality and a job well done. Such an attitude requires tenacity, effort and a constant desire to improve. How do I see myself? Well, all sleeved up, as always! It's what I like to do the most. To be ready and rolling all day, helping out wherever I am needed.
Do you want to be part of the GAMBÍN team? Visit our employment section!
