Polish meat business to boost processing capacities

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ZPM Sława is to invest in its processing facilities

Polish meat processor ZPM Sława has unveiled plans to increase its processing capacity shortly after the company took over its plant in Poland’s western region from local meat business Tarczyński.

In early July, Tarczyński, which is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE), informed its shareholders that the deal was worth a total of PLN 28 million (€6.5m). Set up in 1996, the facility is now owned by local meat industry player HiUI Bodama, which specialises in turkey breeding and slaughtering, and is also based in Sława, in the country’s Wielkopolska region.

“After we purchased and took over Tarczyński’s plant in Sława, we now plan to increase our daily production from 40 tonnes to about 60 tonnes of various meat products per day. We are gradually shifting our production to the new plant,” Anna Starosta, sales and marketing director at ZPM Sława, told GlobalMeatNews. “For now, the plant’s current workforce will be maintained, but it is possible that the increase in its production capacities will push us to change this and hire new employees.”

Starosta said the company would make a decision based on a number of factors, principally the demand for its products.

New products to be launched

“Obviously, we will focus on our development and we are searching for new products in line with the market demand and nutrition trends. We are carrying out work on new products from the From Turkey product line, and an entirely new line, From Chicken,” said Starosta.

The company is also promoting its Indusie turkey meat frankfurters which are low-fat and contain 95% of turkey meat, according to Starosta.

ZPM Sława’s owner plans to overhaul and convert its old plant into a meat production and packaging facility, with a focus on turkey meat.

While the domestic market remains the main source of the company’s revenues, ZPM Sława is also present in a number of foreign markets. These include the UK, Germany, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Lithuania, according to data released by the firm. In total, export sales are responsible for about 25% of the meat processor’s production.

Investments and exports to rise

Plans for this year and 2019 include further investments by ZPM Sława, including expanding the company’s existing storage capacities, according to the director.

“Our concept of the company’s development is that it is necessary for us to expand the storage space we will use as a facility to store ready products, but also to invest in our machinery and modern production lines,” added Starosta.

To further increase ZPM Sława’s foreign foothold, the meat processor is also planning to enter new markets, including Japan, Hungary and Georgia.

In addition to processed poultry meat products, ZPM Sława also offers processed pork and beef meat products. In total, the Sława-based company has some 110 products in its portfolio.