Probably among the oldest professions, the merchant facilitated exchanges by leveraging their expertise to meet demand. Indeed, the very definition of our trading profession lies in the merchant’s ability to offer a product that meets the required specifications, within the set timeframe, at the right price, amidst a complex environment. The peace and global economic stability of recent years have likely made us overlook these core aspects of our activity.
The health crisis and the conflict in Ukraine have harshly reminded us of the grain trader’s central role. Within just a few weeks, we had to diversify our clients’ supplies with new origins without compromising the quality of the flours delivered. Millers traditionally resist changing wheat origins because a new source requires teams to adjust their mill settings to maintain stable quality. Our added value here is assisting them in this transition, for example, by offering external technical support.
At the same time, it was necessary to restructure the banking finance of the activity without weakening our ability to support our millers in the face of severe price increases. The reluctance of our Swiss banks to finance Russian wheat combined with the hesitations of our clients’ banks made financing our operations more complicated. Having a dedicated execution team and a financial manager fully committed to these issues allow us to react immediately and find solutions as needed.
In such a context, the relationship with our buyers, established over several decades, is remarkable. It is crucial for navigating this particularly volatile market. In the heart of our grain market, instability in the Black Sea generates unpredictable reactions on the futures markets. Quickly seizing opportunities is absolutely fundamental for successful purchasing. It is in this particularly tense context that we measure the importance of a trust relationship built up over several years. We then have the capacity to develop a partnership far removed from a traditional commercial relationship.
The cornerstone of a family-run trading business, the stability of our teams, is also paramount in building a long-term relationship. Keeping the same contact person for each counterpart, quickly finding a collaborator to solve a problem, are details that celebrate our taste and effort for fine craftsmanship and tailor-made service.
Faced with such unpredictability, a modestly-sized trading company shows great agility to pivot quickly and continue serving its clients regularly. Our shared history with our clients and this dearly acquired trust are tokens of resilience for our business model in such an unstable environment. Even though logistical challenges remain numerous, the daily commercial adversity, the personal, and familial character of our action continue to make our mission exciting and rewarding.
