The green team Nopa Nordic

THE GREEN TEAM THE GREEN TEAM

The leading manufacturer of ecologically responsible private label goods in the Nordic region, Nopa Nordic AS, has the stability and flexibility to grow with its customers. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to CEO Henrik Jorgensen to find out more.

Founded in Denmark in 1964 by Niels Thostrup, Nopa Nordic AS is still owned by the Thostrup family. The Nordic region’s largest and leading manufacturer of ecologically responsible private label goods in the cleaning products, detergents and personal care sectors, Nopa Nordic is widely respected as a stable and reliable partner.

CEO Henrik Jorgensen spoke to Industry Europe about how the company is proud of its long-term focus on delivering eco-friendly products to an increasingly wide customer base. “We introduced our first eco-friendly product in 1993 and we haven’t looked back! We also haven’t used any optical brighteners since we phased them out in 1996. As a proudly eco-friendly company with wonderful green products available in each of our product categories, we are excited about the growth potential we see both in our domestic and Nordic markets and beyond.”

Mr Jorgensen explained that the company is seeing a larger demand ‘south of the Danish border’ in addition to a continued demand in its traditional Nordic market. He said, “We expect growth in both these areas, which is very interesting for us as we can really shine. Our development teams are packed full of experts that understand and continue to research the very specific needs of each market – the type of detergent that a consumer wants and needs in the south of Europe is very different from that which is required in the north, for example.”

Market advantage

This appreciation and long-term experience of the various markets and their specific demands is one reason that Mr Jorgensen believes that Nopa Nordic stands out from the competition. He continued, “We are very strong in terms of new product development and we always take into consideration the various market requirements so that a new product can be tailored to suit each market where it is sold. We’ve been active so long that our extensive experience in product development is able to be effectively implemented, making it a highly valued service for our customers. As a private label manufacturer, this is a real advantage.”

The new product development and indeed product portfolio maintenance is certainly enhanced by Nopa Nordic’s collaborations with a number of leading health associations. As many of the company’s products are in the personal care and detergent category, its work alongside asthma and allergy associations adds a medically advantageous aspect too. Mr Jorgensen explained, “Nopa Nordic’s private label products are both green and extremely functional – this is how we have built our solid reputation and how we intend to continue our strong growth in new markets. We have a huge knowledge gained over nearly 50 years – very few companies in our field can even get close to that.”

Nopa Nordic is primarily focused on manufacturing private label goods for its customers, most of whom are well-known Nordic and European supermarkets and chain stores. The company offers ‘deep consumer insight’ as a standard part of its product development, with a high level of eco-friendly technology ‘built in’ to its products such as detergents and shampoos.

Growth is green

Nopa Nordic’s aim for the future is to continue its impressive growth while maintaining its famous eco-friendly quality. It will follow its customers into new markets, with exciting growth likely particularly in Russia, Germany, Asia and the Benelux countries. Mr Jorgensen added, “Asia is a very interesting

new market for us and also for many of our customers, so there is a great synergy there. In many ways it is still a niche market for our type of private label product manufacturing but as the lifestyle of many people in Asia changes more in line with western habits, sadly there is also an increase in allergies and asthma. But of course this presents us with a great opportunity for growth, so we will push to work with prospective partners here. This is also interesting because there can be ethical and production quality issues with some manufacturing in Asia and as we are well-known for our high quality, our production will be exactly as agreed.”

Mr Jorgensen explained that Nopa Nordic also aims to double its turnover within the next few years. With many geographical markets in Nopa Nordic’s active sectors increasingly driven by green issues, the company is better placed than ever to achieve its aims. Mr Jorgensen concluded, “We are perfectly aligned with the market – our bio and green products have long been before their time! We are ready for growth, with organic growth expected as well as being open to strategic acquisitions. As a family company with a solid financial position, we can move quickly when we see an opportunity for us to reach our goals faster, particularly if it means that we can expand into new markets where a company with the same eco-friendly philosophy is already performing well.” n