Catering for every need LOT Catering

CATERING FOR EVERY NEED

LOT Catering Ltd has been at the forefront of in-flight catering services in Poland since 1992. It is a dynamically developing business which continues to strengthen its leading position in the country’s in-flight catering market. By expanding its offer to include products for non-airline clients and the introduction of three new brands – Tomatillo, Vivanta and Biscuiterie – LOT Catering continues to build its reputation as a strong, credible and solid company.

LOT Catering was established in 1992 after separating in-flight catering services from the organisational structure of LOT Polish Airlines. The main office and production plant, with a usable area of nearly 13,800 m2, is located in the immediate vicinity of Warsaw Chopin Airport, with production branches at airports in Poznań, Kraków and Gdańsk, as well as a daughter company in Katowice.

“In 1993–94 we began providing in-flight catering to foreign carriers and today we regularly provide meals for 16 airlines and for special and government flights,” says Krzysztof Wiśniewski, the company’s president. “In 1996 we initiated our presence on the non-airline market and this process was further strengthened with the implementation of a new marketing policy and introduction of new product brands: Tomatillo for restaurants, Vivanta for ready meals and Biscuiterie for confectionery. From the most recent investments, in addition to acquiring the new property in Warsaw, we also fitted it with three HOBART tunnel washers which are by far the largest and most efficient appliances of their kind operating anywhere in Poland.”

Great results

In January 2011 LOT Polish Airlines sold 100 per cent of the company’s shares to the Regional Economic Fund JSC, which contributed to a particularly strong and impressive

performance. The numbers say it all: in 2009 turnover was just over PLN 90 million and ended in net loss of PLN 2.56 million; in 2010 sales reached PLN 93.64 million and the year closed with net profit of PLN 2.21 million; 2011 was by far the strongest year, with the company recording a turnover of PLN 98.4 million and net profit of PLN 5.13 million.

At the same time, employment decreased from 715 in 2009 to 643 in 2011. “This is a result of a much better use of resources and ongoing introduction of new technologies in our plants,” explains Mr Wiśniewski. “Our EBITDA for 2011 was a healthy 7.8 per cent, which sets us on a strong path to achieve even better results this year, when we will be celebrating our 20th anniversary.” Key activities

LOT Catering operates in two main service sectors: comprehensive in-flight catering for airlines (accounting for 70 per cent of the business), and non-airline services (through the Vivanta, Tomatillo and Biscuiterie brands), as well as banquet provision services conducted under the LOT Catering brand. In order to meet customers’ expectations, in April 2010 the company introduced a new catalogue of meals, launched a dutyfree offer on charter flights and refreshed the menus for government and special VIP flights. LOT Catering now offers over 5000 different items across all its service areas.

“The key to success lies in delivering the highest quality, repeatability and safety in our products,” says Mr Wiśniewski. “In-flight, our products are consumed not only by passengers, but also by crew who are responsible for the health and effectively the lives of hundreds of people onboard. On the ground, we also meet the strictest quality, health and safety standards, which are confirmed through regular audits and inspections.”

The company’s non-airline services are also going from strength to strength. The Vivanta brand offers wholesome ready meals of the highest quality and is available in supermarket and hypermarket chains such as Tesco, Leclerc and others. The Biscuiterie brand, on the other hand, has been created for the most demanding clients in the confectionery sector. “Here we offer muffins, cakes, pies,

Uni-Pack Maciejko

Uni-Pack Maciejko has been existing and developing, just like Lot Catering, for more than 20 years. The company is a supplier of disposable packaging for many companies from food and catering industry. It has cooperated with Lot Catering from the very beginning, that is for more than 20 years. Inspired by Lot Catering Uni-Pack Maciejko introduced to its offer many modern and ecological solutions, which present qualities of food and gain a competitive advantage to their users. This is also reflected in the market position of Uni-Pack Maciejko.

Currently, it provides, inter alia, disposable cardboard boxes for packaging of fresh sandwiches, salads, and tortillas.

Uni-Pack Maciejko is a participant of the Rzetelna Firma (Reliable Company) program. It has also received a Certificate of Business Credibility granted by D&B Poland, an international business intelligence. Last but not least, the company has belonged continuously for many years to the elite group of the Business Gazelle Award winners.

fruit tarts and other products, and our advantage over specialised patisserie businesses, often run by families, is that we are able to offer a much greater volume of products,” adds the company’s president. “Through ongoing cooperation with companies such as Tchibo, Empik Café, HDF or Cinema City, as well as establishing our own network of branded outlets in major shopping malls, we are expanding our offer for the confectionery market.”

In turn, the Tomatillo network of modern restaurants, located in prestigious office buildings in Poland’s major cities, offers new menus, high quality service and modern interiors. The company also provides corporate catering services for kindergartens and IKEA stores, and, using its extensive experience, also offers a wide range of banquet services and catering for corporate and individual clients.

Continued growth

Bearing in mind the trend for increased distribution of frozen products in the nonairline sector, LOT Catering will continue to expand its offer, not only in Poland but potentially across the whole of the EU. “Our products are already available in retail chains in Hungary and we expect to increase our presence in the non-airline catering sector across Europe,” says Mr Wiśniewski. “In the in-flight catering sector we are also looking to expand to providing excellent quality, frozen meals to airlines which do not necessarily depart from Warsaw, Gdańsk, Poznań, Kraków or Katowice airports.”

To meet the growing demand in all areas of its activities, the company is also expecting to increase its output; at the moment it has around 30 per cent spare capacity, overall. “Any investments will focus on increasing our production space and employing more staff,” concludes Mr Wiśniewski. “Our future strategy will continue to focus on increasing the number of business partners in both the in-flight catering and non-airline sectors, as well as expanding the product range. We will look to diversifying our sources of income, building greater brand awareness by highlighting our multidimensional character, leveraging our competitive advantage on the market for ready-made meals and confectionery, as well as increasing our banquet catering services.” n