Fortuna Fruits Continental BV was founded by Ger Slobbe on 1 November 1981. The desire of tomato producers on the Canary Islands to set up their own sales office prompted him to decide to set up his own firm. There were already various import and export companies prior to 1981 who traded in Canary Island tomatoes, but Ger Slobbe opted for his own firm in the Netherlands in order to gain more control over quality and monitoring.

It turned out to be a sound choice, since Fortuna Fruits Continental BV enjoyed steady growth during the 1980s and became a bye-word in the world of tomatoes and cucumbers. Fortuna thus grew to be one of the leading companies in the Canary Island trade.

Fortuna Frutos managed to grow despite the setbacks, including with the Canary Island tomatoes. This was due to the accelerated introduction of new technology in the cultivation on the Canary Islands. Fortuna Frutos' producers were thereby able to increase the yield and supply a high quality reliable product furnished with every certification imaginable. Combined with the tomatoes from the Spanish and Dutch producers Fortuna Frutos is therefore able to provide a constant supply of high quality tomatoes throughout the year.