The elegance of fragrance POLLENA-AROMA

THE ELEGANCE THE ELEGANCE

OF FRAGRANCE OF FRAGRANCE

POLLENA-AROMA Ltd, a staff-owned company and 100 per cent Polish enterprise, is the country’s largest manufacturer of fragrances, food flavours, essential oils for aromatherapy and natural cosmetics. Its highly skilled staff, composed of perfumers, flavourists and cosmetologists, are able to solve any technical and technological problems. Piotr Sadowski reports.

POLLENA-AROMA’s roots date back to 1956, when the AROMA enterprise was established on the outskirts of Warsaw in the district of Białołęka. The factory was built over the next four years and production initially focused on household and cosmetic fragrances, with the later addition of food flavours. Towards the end of the 1960s AROMA joined the POLLENA group of cosmetics and household chemicals and has since been operating under its present name. The following decade was a period of dynamic growth, particularly in the area of cosmetics and the introduction of ‘Być Może’ (‘May Be’) perfumes which were subsequently exported throughout the communist bloc countries.

“The decade of the 1980s was tough, but with the economic transformation towards the free market in 1989 we were able to seize the opportunity to purchase the company from the state,” explains Dr Władysław Brud, who was one of the key staff members heading this process at the time and today is the adviser to the board of POLLENA-AROMA. “To this day, the company continues as a fully staff-owned enterprise, of which there are now only three remaining in Poland, from nearly 30 of POLLENA group.” Growth and development

Following the change in ownership, POLLENA-AROMA expanded its range of food flavours and, under the guidance of Dr Brud’s wife, Dr Iwona Konopacka-Brud, began introducing natural medicine and aromatherapy products. Today, aromatherapy and natural cosmetics are the third key area of operations. For environmental reasons, at the end of the 1990s the company stopped the manufacture of synthetics and in 2010 moved its factory to Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki.

“When the new factory was completed in 2012, it became the most modern aroma-producing facility in Poland, with the latest German technologies for mixing flavours and fragrances,” adds Dr Brud. “As a result of all these important developments, today we are working at full speed and are the largest manufacturer in Poland of fragrances and flavours. We have no real competitors in the country, although, of course, we do have market rivals abroad.”

Delivering outstanding products

POLLENA-AROMA employs 60 people and its most recent annual turnover figure reached PLN 25 million. Fragrances for household and cosmetic chemicals account for 60 per cent of turnover, food

flavours for 30 per cent and aromatherapy cosmetics for 10 per cent. Exports make up 10 per cent of the overall annual sales and the primary export markets are the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Germany and Russia, as well as some more far-flung destinations, such as, recently, South Africa.

“Our products are really well received wherever they are sold and used,” says Dr Brud. “The brand which really shows off the company’s outstanding quality is the Dr Beta range of aromatherapy cosmetics. In addition, one of the leading additions to the range is the “AnTicubit” preparation, recognised as outstanding by the Polish Institute of Health and used to treat skin with bedsores. Another new preparation is already being recognised as a excellent solution for protecting the hands of healthcare staff who regularly use latex gloves.”

In terms of product distribution, in Poland flavours and fragrances are sold directly to clients, using a dedicated sales department. Abroad, in the Czech Republic and Slovakia as well as other countries (apart from Ukraine, where POLLENA-AROMA has its own company), the distribution of flavours and fragrances takes place directly. For cosmetics, the enterprise cooperates with distributors who in turn supply pharmacies and pharmaceutical wholesalers, as well as direct trade. Another very important distribution channel is the company’s Dr Beta online store (http://www.drbeta.pl/), which, as Dr Brud points out, is bringing in excellent results for the company.

It is also worth noting that POLLENA-AROMA is engaged in the manufacture of private label products for various customers. By far the largest volume of private label products are preparations for protection against mosquitos, midges and other insects. Altogether, private label items make up around 10–15 per cent of the overall production. Going forward

Working with the best possible suppliers, POLLENA-AROMA is able to serve a wide range of customers in Poland and abroad. “We have so many excellent and respected clients that I simply cannot name just a few of them, as we value the cooperation with every single one of them,” says Dr Brud.

“In terms of our future development, our ethos is never to give up and to continue developing and expanding our different ranges of products, particularly aromatherapy cosmetics for which there is growing demand. We will also shortly be working to secure the Pharmaceutical Good Manufacturing Practice certification, which will strengthen our already existing quality and approval norms. We look forward to the future, as we expect it will continue to be very exciting for the company.” n