Under the plan, about 1,000 new jobs will be added at the company’s plant in Pionki, and a further 200 workers will be employed at QFG’s facility in Radom, both located in central Poland.
“Our main aim is to concentrate all the production assets within 100km from Pionki, the heart of QFG’s activities,” Jarosław Krzyżanowski, the company’s chief executive and founder, told local news agency PAP.
New investments
Some of the company’s investments planned for 2018 include the construction of two new meat processing facilities and a wastewater treatment plant. In the years 2019 to 2022, QFG is also aiming to open a new poultry hatchery, as well as a further two meat processing and storage facilities, according to the chief executive.
In addition to this, the company is also considering to set up a cardboard packaging facility for its output, and a research and development centre to develop new products and implement new technologies at QFG’s plants.
Higher sales, exports
The latest announcement follows the release of QFG’s higher sales results for last year. In 2016, the company reported revenues of about PLN210m (€48m), an increase of 23% compared with a year earlier. This also represented an improvement on the meat processor’s initial forecast of PLN200m (€46m)
Export sales account for a significant share of QFG’s revenues. Last year, as much as 80% of the firm’s output was intended for various European markets.
QFG’s product portfolio comprises a wide range of processed meat products, made using poultry, beef, and pork. These include steaks, wings, pockets, wrapped medallions, strips, burgers and many others. The company said its customer base comprises retail re-sellers, the hotel, restaurant and café segment, and retail customers in the Polish market. In total, domestic sales represent 20% of QFG’s revenues.
Based in Radom, in Poland’s central region, QFG was established in 2000. In addition to its facility in Radom, the company also owns two plants in Białobrzegi and Pionki, covering a total floorspace of more than 13,000sq m. QFG is operated by around 800 employees, according to figures from the company. The meat processor says its facilities are BRC-, IFS- and HACCP-certified. A portion of QFG’s investments has been co-financed by funds from the European Union that were awarded under the 2007-2013 financial framework.
Last year, US private equity firm Highlander Partners LP acquired a 60% stake in QFG, while the company’s founder retained 40% of the shares in the meat processor. Based in Dallas, Highlander Partners says it is a middle-market private equity firm investing in North America and Central Europe, with a focus on the US and Polish market and companies.