Westward ho! CEE companies with international plans
Pavilion at FiCEE about their plans to move into new markets, and
new products being aired at the show for the first time.
Although the final visitor figures are yet to be released, from pre-registrants Haf Cannydd, event manger merging markets for organiser CMP said that the biggest proportion was made up of big Polish manufacturers.
Around 30 per cent were international firms looking to source local ingredients.
At all its regional trade shows CMP offers an entry level package for 100-per cent regionally-owned companies (in this case CEE) that have not received any funding from multinationals.
These companies have stands in the CEE Pavilion area.
Fosfa
Amongst these companies is Fosfa, a Czech manufacturer of phosphate and phosphoric acid.
Martin Pagác, sales manager acid and phosphates division, told FoodNavigator.com that Fosfa does currently sell to the whole of Europe, but it attended FiCEE mainly to seek new business partners from the West.
"The market is mainly our competitors," he said.
"We are quite successful but we would like to build market share."
Kandy Likewise Kandy, a Polish family-owned specialist fruit company founded in 1985, is looking to build its Western markets.
Export and marketing manager Anna Socik explained that Kandy has two strings to its business.
The first involves making and supplying fruit preparations for all across the EU, for use by the milk industry, confectionery and ice-cream for example.
Within this category Kandy launched a new ingredient at the show called Frutolando - a thermostable preparation for confections that can be baked at 220°C for 20 minutes and does not lose its shape.
The main target for this ingredient is Polish manufacturers, but Socik also reported interest from Greece.
The second side to Kandy's business is candied fruits, which may be coated in chocolate or added to other products.
This includes jellies for use in Jaffa Cakes.
Socik said that Kandy's main market is Polish, but it also exports to Greece, Czech Republic and the UK, and is expecting to receive certification to enter the Russian market imminently.
Other target markets include Spain, where Kandy has started making its first inroads, and neighbouring Germany.
Socik is under no illusions, however, about how long it can take to build up sales in a new market.
In the UK, for example, it took five years to reach a good level.
Exports currently count for around five per cent of Kandy's overall sales.
"This year 10 per cent would be good," said Socik.
Carotex Carotex, another privately held Polish firm with 20 years standing in the market, sells emulsions and compounds for soft drinks, flavours for the entire range of food products, and colours.
International project manager Andrzej Tatrzanski said that around 75 per cent of sales come from the local Polish market but it also sells to other European countries including Germany, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic and Scandinavia.
Tatrzanski even reported some sales in Australia.
Tatrzanski said Carotex's presence at FiCEE was to make contacts "as with all main European trade shows".
It is showcasing some of its newest ingredients: compounds, emulsions and natural fruit concentrates with 20 to 30 per cent juices.
In particular, it has a new line of aseptic filled compounds, to which the manufacturer adds just water and sugar.
