7 minute read
Prima Cheese
PROJECT DIRECTED BY Glen Newton
WRITTEN BY Frew Murdoch
Netflix series such as Dynasty and Succession, where family members are portrayed as conniving, selfish, back-biting, nepotistic, and entitled in their ambitions to get to the top have discolored perceptions of family businesses. These depictions discount the hard work and dedication it takes to build a family business from SME status into a global phenomenon. In a recent interview, Business Enquirer had the privilege of peeking behind the curtain of professional family business Prima Cheese in a candid discussion with co-CEO Nagma Ebanks-Beni MBE.
Nagma did not set out with plans of joining the family business. Her school years were shaped by dreams of being a creative and entering the fashion industry. However, after completing her studies, she realized it was not a good fit. Nagma decided on a new direction and became a London restaurant owner at the tender age of 24. Although the shift from fashion to business may appear somewhat stark, for Nagma it seemed natural as she was brought up in a business-oriented home.
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Nagma Ebanks-Beni, Co-CEO, Prima Cheese
Keeping it in The Family
A behind-the-scenes look at family business Prima Cheese’s journey of growth and innovation with Co-CEO Nagma Ebanks-Beni MBE
“I can only describe it as learning via osmosis. I come from a business family. You don’t realize just how much business acumen you absorb over the years by being in an environment where you hear your parents discussing business at mealtimes and over weekends. It became an integral part of our life. As a result, I had ambition and determination from quite early on,” shared Nagma.
After ten years in London, she moved back to her native North East and joined her parent’s business in 2004. Nima Beni, Nagma’s brother, joined in 2007, which is when Prima officially became a professional family business. At this stage, the company was an SME processing approximately 40 tons of cheese a week with 15 employees, a turnover of £1 million, and a bright future ahead of it.
Prima Cheese
Becoming the big cheese
“No one is born big. Things start small and then they become big and we have certainly evolved. All of the failures and gains build up that experience. Everybody that has passed through this business, staff and service providers, have contributed to putting a brick into the structure of this company, which is now the powerhouse that we see today,” said Nagma.
Prima Cheese’s journey first began as a few food and pizza takeaways that Mr. and Mrs. Beni owned. The couple worked hard, accumulating enough money to be able to buy a failing food service company. They then bought materials in bulk for their own companies and became a supplier for other restaurants. During the process, the Beni’s discovered several glaring gaps in the market. Pizza cheese was one of the most expensive items in the fast food range, and the most regulated. There were few suppliers, which resulted in a monopolized market, and as is the case with many monopolies, manufacturers became complacent with the quality of service and customer offerings. After experiencing these frustrations themselves, the Beni’s recognized the value of entering into cheese processing. In 1997, they began to shred small volumes for their own food services. The couple then progressed into supplying regionally and expanded into northern areas of England. At around this point, Nagma and Nima joined the business.
Nagma elaborated further on the expansion: “By 2010/2011, we were up to a £14 million turnover. The crunch came in 2013 when we went up to £25
Part of the production line at Prima Cheese’s factory
Manufacturing Feature
million, but then the following year in 2014, we rapidly increased our turnover to £37 million. We have increased annually to the present date where we now stand at £92 million.”
“When a business doubles turnover in a year, as we did from 2013 to 2014, and continues to grow every year, it comes with its own pressures. The pressure that is placed on your people is a very sensitive matter. You have to scale company culture. I’m referring to raising the standards of our company; both of our people and our common mindset.
“It’s our people who are running the processes and machinery, ensuring these jobs are carried out correctly in line with company expectations. Changing company culture, installing company pride, influencing collaboration and learning…. that takes time, patience, and persistence, but ultimately it pays huge dividends. You achieve harmony within the organization, a clear vision, and unity that gives the best results to our people and our customers, giving us longevity and sustainability.”
Another pivotal element of Prima Cheese’s growth has been its relationships with suppliers. As a specialist in cheese shredding and blending, Prima Cheese processes cheese; they do not manufacture it. They rely on supplier relationships for the raw materials and see these as key to continually improving choices for customers.
“Prima Cheese changed the pizza cheese industry in 2009 when we embraced new food technology and diversified the range of products that we offered in the food industry. Prior to that, there were only three choices of pizza cheese you could get. By utilizing new technology and food applications,
Glanbia Cheese
Glanbia Cheese is the leading mozzarella manufacturer in Europe. We provide custom cheese making solutions to companies in over 30 countries around the world. We are a joint venture between Glanbia plc and Leprino Foods Company - a winning combination that draws on each parent’s strengths and areas of expertise.
We’ve earned a reputation for delivering innovative solutions in mozzarella cheese manufacturing for our customers, no matter who they are, where they operate or what challenges they face. That’s what makes us such a successful and highly regarded mozzarella cheese producer. Glanbia Cheese and Prima
Glanbia Cheese pride themselves on the longstanding, close relationship we hold with Prima. As a family business our dealings are always fair, mutual and equitable and we are thrilled to have been named as one of Prima’s most valued suppliers and are grateful to work with such an enthusiastic team.
We have enjoyed watching the Prima business grow and have benefited from their proactive investment in their facilities.
On behalf of everyone at Glanbia Cheese, we would like to wish Prima every success and look forward to many more years of mutual benefit from a close and rewarding partnership, we also look forward to featuring in their edition of Business Enquirer.
www.glanbiacheese.co.uk
Prima Cheese
Prima Cheese products on a pallet ready for shipping
Prima Cheese products being loaded onto lorries for shipping Prima Cheese products on a pallet ready for shipping
Prima Cheese
and working closely with our suppliers, we collaborated to formulate a new product. We took a chance and invested heavily in the new product and that’s why I believe we’re disruptors of the market. We are innovators, we take chances, and we think out-ofthe-box.
“Our supplier relationships and the new food capabilities have led Prima into various markets. Before 2010, we had only ever sold our product to our UK domestic market. We had no experience in any international markets. From that starting point to achieving exports to over 50 countries worldwide, which contributes to 20% of our overall sales, is an incredible feat. Our partnership with suppliers and customers have been a significant catalyst in the transformation of the company,” said Nagma.
What lies ahead?
For all their success, the company, like many, is still recovering from a turbulent 24 months or, as Nagma calls it, “the double-headed serpent of COVID and Brexit”. Prima realizes the importance of retaining business and in the short term, the company seeks to improve organizational efficiencies and minimize waste. Prima also aims to strengthen internal infrastructure as a means to prepare for its medium to long-term vision, and anything the future may bring.
“Moving into the medium term, we are focusing on brand recognition, increasing capabilities such as shelf life and automation, and working on external infrastructure relating to the supply chain, worldwide partners, and of course, establishing new markets.”
“I’ve always had this burning ambition and desire for people to know Prima Cheese as the home for pizza cheese. In the long term, we want to create a reputation throughout the market that amplifies our core values of quality, consistency, and service,” ended Nagma.
www.primacheese.com
Manufacturing Feature
