Providing Fresh Solutions for the Market

Providing Fresh Solutions for the Market

Here at the market it isn’t uncommon to see family businesses working side-by-side, and Robinson’s Fresh Solutions is a classic example of an intergenerational business that is growing in size but keeping true to their values.

Robinsons Unloading has been long-time feature in the Melbourne Market, opening back in the late 1960s. It was founded by Eric Robinson who saw the need for unloading and delivery services and so — with just one truck and a hand trolley — he created Robinsons.

Today Mark Robinson is at the helm, with experience in interstate transport and a wealth of knowledge from his father he is leading the newly rebranded Robinson’s Fresh Solutions with the help of his wife Di and his hard-working team. With a staffed office from 3am they certainly put customer service first, and they provide contact details for night operations as transporting is the kind of business that doesn’t stop.

One thing that shows Robinson’s commitment to their customers clearly is the receiver’s report they put out daily at 4am. This detailed report, that also qualifies as Proof of Delivery, allows customers to easily review deliveries and get in contact with Robinsons directly if anything is in question. Feedback from this service has been extremely good, Robinsons have even heard of some customers having completed their stocktaking off their receiver’s report because of its reliability.

Robinsons have made their commitment to the market very clear through having transitioned to two market sites, investing into their facilities at Epping, and joining in with market events like the Fresh State Gala Ball. Their knowledge of the market has helped them to anticipate gaps in the industry and offer market users an expanded range of services all under the one brand, Robinson’s Fresh Solutions.

Their new company name encapsulates their range of services; Robinsons are the market agent for CHEP and they have expanded into importing/ exporting, fumigation, and treatment/inspection services. And because they are only a service provider, their customers can be confident that they have no conflicts of interest.

Growing as a business comes with its own challenges, and Mark Robinson is open about his company’s measured approach. Expanding their business past unloading involved planning, investing in their facilities, and building a great staff team, and now Mark has full confidence in their new services and has been promoting them increasingly over the last 12 months.

Not only could we tell from one visit to the Robinson’s office that they are a true family business, but also that they have a real heart for what they do and are incredibly generous. As a company they have come up with a great way to support some incredible charity organisations: they advertise charitiesfor free on their trucks, such as the Pancare Foundation, National Breast Cancer Foundation, Fight MND, and the Ross Dennerstein Foundation.

But if you ask Mark and Di what makes Robinsons special, they come back to the company’s connection to their family. As an intergeneration business passed down to Mark and also engaging their own children who are keen to help out at the office, this is truly a family effort. As Mark and Di put it, they also think of their staff team as their extended family, and with that they would like to thank them for their continued efforts, so it truly is one big happy family at Robinsons.