EXAMPLE ARTICLE
For Sneak Energy
SOUROTI
I
PROFILE
Local legend tells stories of Alexander the Great visiting the river of Anthemountas, Greece, to drink the water of Souroti. However, this water steeped in history isn’t afraid to move with the times. With official origins dating back to the First World War, Souroti has grown to become a market leader in bottled carbonated water. Article by Laura Watling.
S
ouroti is one of the best-known carbonated water brands in Europe, synonymous with both high quality and natural, healing properties. The spring from which it derives is based at the edge of Mount Kalavros, in Souroti, Greece. The first bottling facility for Souroti was established by French troops in 1915, during the First World War. Troops were so impressed by the quality of the water that they set up a rudimentary bottling facility to export water to France. Serbian troops followed suit in 1917, building a two-storey bottling facility, naming the water ‘Kisepe Boda’ or ‘acidulous water’. Once the war had ended, the facility was taken over and renovated by Souroti resident, Thomas Lolas. Moving through the
2
Inside Food & Drink
decades, by 1987 the business had officially become owned by the Souroti village and became a Communal Bottling Company. Then in 2016, Souroti was acquired by the Dimera Group, a strong and thriving group of companies owned by Ivan Savvidis who remains the owner to date.
Historic water loved for a century “Souroti has been recognised in many ways,” explained CEO, Vassilis Efkarpidis. “For instance, Souroti has a number of unique ingredients besides magnesium and calcium that are extremely beneficial to the human body such as bicarbonate, silica and lithium, which have distinguished it for many years in the market and have placed it at the top in consumer’s minds for easy digestion.” He added: “Souroti is recognised by Greek Legislation as an acidic sparkling mineral water rich in bicarbonate, calcium and magnesium.” Souroti is also included in the EU’s list of Natural Mineral Waters and has a number of awards and accolades to its name. “In 1992, Souroti won the Arch of Europe Gold Star Award and most recently we’ve been awarded the 2020 Superior Taste Award,” Souroti’s CEO proudly told. Souroti’s bottling facility is still based in the village of the same name, but now has a modern bottling plant with four complete production lines, using state-of-the-art equipment. From this plant, more than 35 million bottles of Souroti sparkling natural mineral water are produced annually. As well as this, the company also has a branch in Athens. The water is known for the quality of its natural contents, with more than1,400mg per litre of mineral salt content. It is considered one of the richest mineral waters in the world. Just one litre of Souroti provides about 25% of an adult’s recommended daily reference intake for calcium and about 15% for magnesium. Interestingly, the water’s composition hasn’t changed since it was first analysed in 1916. Of course, quality is a focus for the business at all stages. “We’re currently implementing a management system which will guarantee high and consistent quality control,” said Mr Efkarpidis. “We also use the latest methods for handling and bottling. Compliance is key to us, so we hold ISO 9001 and ISO 22000, certified management systems. By doing so, Souroti has gained consumer trust whilst also gaining access to foreign markets.
Inside Food & Drink
3
SOUROTI
I
PROFILE
The Souroti facility has a fully equipped laboratory manned by a team of specialist scientists. They’re able to find and use the latest technology for water handling and bottling, whilst also carrying out quality control tests throughout various stages of the production process.
A water for today Despite its historic past, Souroti understands the importance of engaging the modern-day consumer. “We’re currently repositioning ourselves as a ‘good for me choice’ with consumers, aiming to inspire a better life every day,” explained Mr Efkarpidis. “In order to appeal to the new generations, it’s important to research consumer trends. Our products contain no sugar and are made with natural ingredients such as botanicals and vegetables. They’re less than one calorie and are beneficial for the digestive system.” Mr Efkarpidis believes Souroti is a healthy and enjoyable choice which has gained loyal customers. Not only is Souroti
4
Inside Food & Drink
positioning itself as a ‘good for you’ brand, it’s also striving to become a greener entity. Souroti’s goal is to become the most environmentally friendly FMCG company in Greece with a mission to become carbon neutral. Currently, the business ensures it uses recyclable packaging with no PET in its range. As part of its recent repositioning, which also included new branding, Souroti uses fully recyclable bottles and cans.
A product with flavour Souroti’s offering isn’t fixed to its traditional carbonated and noncarbonated spring waters. As well as its existing Lemon and Lime flavour, in 2020 the brand added two new flavours: Spearmint and Mint, and Cucumber and Lime. The new flavours have been well received on the market and are used to flavour cocktails and mocktails, as well as being consumed on their own. The range of products currently has over 60% of the market share in Greece. Souroti is exported to 19 countries worldwide,
including Canada, Australia and the UAE. With its uptake in the cocktail market, Souroti is currently looking to expand into cafes and beach bars.
No business is an island Mr Efkarpidis understands the importance of relationships when building a successful business. “No business is an island, the success of a company is defined by relationships,” he affirmed. “Our relationship with our suppliers is based upon transparency, openness, respect, fairness, trust and flexibility.” The business’ aim is to nurture long-lasting relationships with partners to together achieve ambitious goals, including expanding the wholesale and customer base. Mr Efkarpidis was also keen to highlight how much the company respects the importance of staff relationships and wellbeing. “Our guiding principle is to produce high quality products whilst ensuring the protection of our employees’ health,” said Mr Efkarpidis. This was proven during the Covid-19 pandemic. Covid tests are given to staff members on a weekly basis whilst two production teams have been established. The teams work in a shift pattern to ensure stability in supply, whilst also ensuring the safety of staff. The facilities are fully sanitised between shifts. Covid-19 also gave the business an opportunity to show its support to Greece’s national healthcare system. “During the first wave of the pandemic, 20% of sales for special 6-packs of Souroti was donated to the Ministry of Health to help fund essential equipment for medical and nursing staff,” revealed the CEO. During the second phase of the pandemic, he said tangible support was offered to the National Health System. Souroti donated a portable neonatal incubator to Agia Sofia Children's Hospital, a respirator for the neonatal/paediatric intensive care unit at Aglaia Kyriakou Children’s Hospital and three interactive screens to AHEPA Hospital.
Flowing upstream Moving forward, Mr Efkarpidis foresees challenges more as opportunities for the ongoing development and growth of Souroti. One of these is remaining at the forefront of consumers’ wants and needs. “Consumer trends are pushing towards healthy, vegan and low-calorie choices, as well as the need to deploy green business practices, so we need to consider how we adhere to these,” explained Mr Efkarpidis. “Another focus will be improving the brand’s online visibility to coincide with the increase of e-commerce,” he concluded. n
For Sneak Energy
EXAMPLE ARTICLE