His Turkey-based company, Alara, is a perfect example of a fully integrated business which includes a tree nursery, 700ha of cherry and fig orchards, packhouses and an export business.
Mr Taner, from the city of Bursa, across the Sea of Marmara from Istanbul, realised 10 years ago the potential of Turkey's climate for growing cherries.
But the key - especially if he was to tap into the lucrative but demanding European market - was to supply quality fruit over an extended season.
He started buying land in Turkey's best cherry growing areas and introduced hydro-cooling, modified atmospheric and packhouse technology.
Hydro-cooling allowed him to cool freshly picked fruit to 2degC to 3degC within eight minutes, extending its shelf life and, with early and late variety fruit, helping him extend the season to 100 days.
Mr Taner said traditional growers were reluctant to modernise their management, including growing new tree varieties and pruning their trees, and could not meet his exacting requirements.
This forced him to assume control over the growing of fruit, but difficulty in getting tree stock prompted him to enter the nursery business as well.
To extend the growing season and meet the supply requirements of supermarkets in Europe and the United Kingdom, he has established orchards in Argentina.
In addition, he has now expanded into growing figs, nectarines, plums, apricots, persimmons and apples, both for local and export trade.
He employs 150 people full-time but at the peak of the season, staff numbers increase to 2000.
