HKScan aspires to be Scandinavian poultry giant
HKScan’s recently-tweaked strategy will see the firm launch new products and tap into what it sees as growing ethical consumerism across Scandinavia. Part of its new strategy to become the region’s dominant poultry force is through positioning itself as a sustainable, environmentally-friendly company with well-priced products.
Demand for sustainably-sourced, high-protein foods that are cheap and easy to cook are viewed as “growth opportunities” by HKScan’s CEO Jari Latvanen.
“There are several consumer trends supporting the growing demand for sustainably produced high-quality food,” said Latvanen.
“We are confident that by creating innovative products and concepts that appeal to consumers, we can strengthen our brands and drive category growth. We set high-quality standards in everything we do. By stressing high-quality and sustainability, we can build sustainability a differentiating edge for both Nordic and international markets.”
New HKScan products are likely to come from the company’s new crown jewel: a poultry plant in Rauma, Finland, opened in August, that cost €80m to build, making it the single largest investment in the company’s history.
The company claimed the plant was the most advanced poultry processing site in Europe and has been designed with animal welfare and environmental efficiency at its core.
This is likely to please the ethical consumers HKScan has targeted with its new strategy.
The so-called From Farm to Fork vision states the business aims to reach a “leading market position” in key Nordic countries while at the same time developing its growing Asian export enterprise.
The business will continue to offer low-cost protein at retail and foodservice, but wants to drive sales growth by building its presence in premium market segments. It also wants to be more cost-competitive and aims to do this by rolling out on-site efficiency improvements and squeezing more cash out of its assets.
The business is operational in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It exports beef, pork and poultry to over 50 countries and has a workforce of 7,300.
