Highest quality dairy products Milkpol

Aleksandra Świerczyńska

HIGHEST QUALITY DAIRY PRODUCTS

Established in 1990 by two private investors, Milkpol SA is one of the largest private dairy manufacturers in Poland and a medium-sized producer within the entire Polish dairy industry, including cooperatives. It focuses on purchasing and processing milk. The company’s flagship product is curd cheese, of different varieties, in which it has specialised for over two decades. It also produces a range of other products, including offerings fortified with Omega 3 acids. Piotr Sadowski talks to Aleksandra Świerczyńska, president of the board, to find out more.

Milk production is one of the most important branches of Poland’s agricultural industry, with around 12 billion litres of milk being produced in the country every year. Milkpol was established in 1990 by two private investors and began by purchasing 4000 litres of milk per day. Today, this figure has risen to an impressive level of 35,000 litres of milk purchased daily, which means around one million litres on a monthly basis.

“Initially the company was manufacturing pasteurised milk and cream and in 1992 added curd cheese, which today is the absolute flagship product of Milkpol,” explains Aleksandra Świerczyńska. “As the production increased and the business started growing, we started to expand the size and capacity of our production halls in Czarnocin, where our headquarters are also located.”

Robust operations

Another key milestone for Milkpol occurred in 2008, when the company began trading on the alternative stock market, NewConnect, operated by the main Warsaw Stock Exchange. Eight years on, Milkpol is one of the largest dairy producers in the country and its products range from curd cheese, curd-based soft cheeses in different flavours, to sour

creams, dairy fermented drinks such as kefir and other offerings manufactured from the highest quality sourced milk.

“We currently employ 74 permanent staff, across Czarnocin and our sales and accounts office in Łódź,” says Ms Świerczyńska. “Since last year we have reached the widest ever range of client groups, both in the traditional distribution channels, local retail chains, wholesalers as well as large-scale retail sales. In addition, the newest addition in our distribution channel is a chain of our own branded stores – four are already open and operating very successfully.”

Milkpol’s annual turnover currently stands at PLN 24 million and it should be pointed out that the company has achieved significant improvements following the crisis in the dairy industry and has significantly recovered from the losses of 2014. “This year will be crucial in terms of the economic result for Milkpol, “adds the president of the board. “We have a very positive outlook on the 2016 result and our performance based on a number of factors – one of them certainly being the quality of the curd cheese we manufacture. We have a full controlling system in place: the curd is not processed as a mass product but is a fresh offering dedicated to consumers who are aware of what they eat. Because it is a fresh product, it cannot be exported due to its shelf-life and for that reason we concentrate on robust distribution on the domestic market. Of course, while curd is our flagship product, we dedicate equally high standards of processing and production to all of our other products, including those fortified with Omega 3 acids, which in turn guarantees that the Milkpol brand is synonymous with the most excellent, natural, dairy products.”

Cooperation with local farmers

Milkpol has benefited in recent years from European Union co-financing: for example, in 2005 it accessed funds for investment in rural regions, which helped to increase the number of production lines. It is currently applying for another round of EU co-financing to further

expand its growth. In addition, the company’s plan for the next five years is to further expand its factory, increase its range of products and extend its distribution reach across the whole of Poland.

However, all types of investment would be futile if Milkpol did not have access to the highest quality fresh milk sourced from local farmers. Its cooperation with providers of this raw product, operating in environmentally clean, unpolluted areas, ensures that the milk and the eventual products retain all their natural health-giving characteristics. Every supplier is audited on an annual basis. In addition, in each sourcing area, Milkpol cooperates with two suppliers to ensure there are no impediments to the provision of the raw product. The cooperation is clear, transparent and mutually beneficial. What the company also makes very clear in its message to consumers is that they, by purchasing Milkpol products, are supporting local dairy farmers, which is such an important part of Polish agriculture. n