2017 ANNUAL REVIEW
Annual Review
EDITORIAL MESSAGE FROM THE SHAREHOLDERS OUR IMPACT IN 2017 OUR VISION OUR MISSION OUR VALUES MOVING TOWARDS 2018
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EDITORIAL We often say that health is what matters the most. A dying rich man would be willing to give all his wealth in exchange for living a bit longer. But our parents did not bring us into this world only to be healthy—and health is not our only objective in our day-to-day struggle. Sometimes we don’t even take care of ourselves as we should. We’re made for bigger things in life. Semillas Fitó must be healthy, in terms of economic health. We must pay our bills on time, take care of payroll and give some profit back to shareholders who have risked their capital. There is no doubt about it, but our future would be bleak indeed if this were our sole purpose. Who would like to be admired for merely being a healthy person, and nothing more? Fitó has contributed this year to fulfill the mission for which it was created— but perhaps we are not sufficiently aware of that fact. We could look only at financial data to gauge our success, but that would be like checking if a person has a fever to know if they have managed to do what they set out to do. We therefore want to share with you all the projects that, thanks to all of us, Semillas Fitó has managed to carry out during this past year 2017.
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MESSAGE FROM THE SHAREHOLDERS Our aim is not to be the world's largest seed company. It would be vanity to just focus on turnover. What we’re after is profitability, i.e., health. This profitability is based on releasing varieties that meet the needs of our customers. To do this, we need a professional team that allows managing the stocks and financial needs of this century-old family business. Antonio Fitó Jaume Fitó
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OUR IMPACT IN 2017
240,000 hectares planted with Fitรณ varieties around the world
20% of turnover invested in R&D
300 hours per year devoted to social and community actions
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660
38
employees worldwide
incorporations in 2017
Sales 17%
R&D 39%
Corporate 11%
Operations 33%
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Countries where we sell seeds Subsidiaries Breeding Stations Trial Stations
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VISION To be a leading multinational company in obtaining varieties, acting as an engine of agriculture and landscape transformation.
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MAKING OUR VISION A REALITY CONSUMER BRANDS
Tomato at �eart
MONTEROSA The Monterosa tomato results from the need to recover our traditional tomatoes—with the traditional flavour and an attractive but less-than-perfect appearance. This new variety is unmatched and is here to stay. Its asymmetrical, flattened and very ribbed shape gives it a delicate and peculiar aspect. Its pink colour at maturity and intense herbaceous aroma make it simply irresistible. Juicy and tasty, the Monterosa tomato is the perfect combination of flavour, texture, shape and colour.
ESSENTIA Essentia is a cherry tomato born to conquer the hearts of those who try it. It is a practical and appetising tomato. Its original heart shape, rigid and crisp body and excellent flavour make it the tastiest, healthiest treat.
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ADVICE AND GUARANTEE
FAS Semillas Fitó knows that the difference is in the details. That's why we created the FITÓ AGRONOMIC SOLUTIONS with the aim of providing intelligent solutions that improve our clients' business. FAS allows us to provide comprehensive and top-quality agricultural advice throughout the production cycle, improving field profitability through the correct choice of varieties and efficient use of fertilizers and irrigation.
e-FITÓVALE New online version of the traditional Fitovale in three easy steps: the farmer SELECTS, the warehouse CONFIRMS and the seedbed RECEIVES. • Quality: From our Fitó warehouse to the seedbed in under 24 hours. • Security: The seeds will be properly identified by name and will only be delivered to no one but the final customer. • Speed: Optimised sales process, offering better results, convenience and speed to the farmer.
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FULFILLING OUR
MIS SION At Semillas Fitó, everything we do is in order to meet our commitments. This is our raison d'être. This is our mission.
CLIENTS
SHAREHOLDERS
• High-performance solutions that meet the needs of our clients. • Proximity, cooperation and long-term relationships.
• Sustained profitability and value creation. • A prestigious, forward-looking company.
STAFF
COMMUNITY
• Professional and personal development. • Climate of freedom, respect and teamwork.
• Be respectful in our initiatives. • Provide expertise.
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WITH OUR CLIENTS
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varieties of success
2010: 370 employees 2013: 480 employees 2017: 660 employees
Expanding our market:
New subsidiary in Brazil
NEW PROCESS QUALITY DEPARTMENT Pursuit of excellence in seed supply processes and ensuring objective and top-quality management of business issues. 1. Continuous improvement in Seed Supply Chain 2. Customer proximity and support 3. Appropriate decision making when it comes to incident compensation 4. Brand strength
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WITH OUR STAFF
INTERNAL TRAINING Goals: Convey Fitó’s mission, create synergies between teams and empower staff. Courses: Long-term vision, People management, Consultative selling, MS Project, Languages, etc. • 20% of employees received training • Average rating of courses: 8.3/10
THE SEED PROCESS Training route organised by and for employees for them to better understand the company and share knowledge between departments. The on-site training occurs over two days, and it covers all stages of the seed process: research, production and marketing.
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WITH OUR SHAREHOLDERS DECLINE OF BEAN COSTS A new colour-based bean selection machine has been acquired which has allowed us to increase our production from 7,000 kg to 10,000 kg per shift. This in turn has driven costs down and boosted the quality of selection thanks to the fact that seeds can be inspected on both sides, they can be differentiated by shape and the process is repeatable.
NIT DEL CERCLE AWARD The working committee of the Cercle per al Coneixement de la Societat Económica Barcelonesa de Amigos del País (SEBAP) selected Semillas Fitó as a finalist in the “Large Companies” category for its innovation, talent management and international business.
SELECTED FOR THE CRE100DO PROJECT Semillas Fitó is part of the group of 100 companies selected by the Bankinter Innovation Foundation, the ICEX and the Business Circle to join the CRE100DO project. CRE100DO is a five-year business transformation program that guides 100 companies on their way to BECOMING GREAT. The aim is to develop their growth to benefit the country while sharing high-impact concepts and business practices.
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WITH OUR COMMUNITY
COMMITTED
COMMITTED
with the positive development of our sector
to the sociocultural development of our environment
• We cooperate with 40 agriculture associations. • We allocate over €120,000 to their development. • 7 individuals from the company are part of the board of the main industry associations.
We collaborate with the Centre Socioeducatiu Poblenou by the Pere Tarrés Foundation (Barcelona) and the Josep M. Bernat i Colomina (Bellpuig) music scholarship for young cobla instrumentalists.
COMMITTED
COMMITTED
to child health
to the environment
Semillas Fitó collaborates on the project TAPONES PARA UNA NUEVA VIDA launched by the SEUR Foundation. The initiative involves the delivery of plastic caps to a recycling plant. Profits from recycling the caps will go to help children with serious health problems who need special treatment.
Implementation of a water recycling system in central Llavaneres involving a 6,000-litre tank.
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FOLLOWING OUR
VA L U E S PROFESSIONALISM: We are able to meet deadlines and tasks effectively, proposing solutions to problems and assuming responsibility for the choices we make.
INNOVATION: We are up-to-date and aware of the trends in each of our business areas. We propose ideas and new ways of working, proactively promoting various initiatives.
MODESTY: We respect hierarchical relationships and highlight the organisation’s achievements above our individual contributions. We are also careful and restrained when it comes to invitations to clients, travel and other expenses, avoiding ostentation.
LONG-TERM VISION: We boast the ability of planning future actions, adapting our behaviour to market campaigns when making decisions. We always evaluate the potential risks of our actions and decisions in the short and long term.
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PROFESSIONALISM
NEW PATHOLOGY LABORATORY Pre-screening of negative lots via indirect methods which detect the potential presence of bacteria in seeds. Security Level 2-3: One of the safest Spanish laboratories for detecting and diagnosing Plant Protection. Significant time/cost reduction. Now you can get results within 24 hours.
WORK ACCIDENT INDICATORS Raise awareness about work accidents, prevention and risks. Report the date of the last work accident, how many days have passed since that date and the record of accident-free days at each workplace. Current record: Don Benito facility, boasting 256 consecutive days without accidents.
REVAMPED WEBSITE We have updated the visual appearance, functionality and all the contents of our website to make it more comprehensive for agricultural professionals. + Informative + Intuitive + Quality
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INNOVATION
NEW SEED TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY The Seed Technology department is responsible for developing various seed treatments that facilitate crop seedlings and ensure a successful planting process. This year they have opened a new laboratory that allows them to develop more and better seed technology methodologies. The new facility has made it possible to: • Multiply x3 the surface for carrying out laboratory-phase validation testing. • Perform chlorophyll content analysis (related to seed ageing). • Have the equipment for optimising and validating encrusting treatments.
ALFALFA COATING SYSTEM Fitó boasts the latest turf grass and forage seed coating technology at its facilities in Les Cases de Barbens. This system allows treating seeds for higher quality and better results.
(encrusting)
• More uniform seed size • Less breakage of seeds by mechanical stress • Fewer seeds lost to predation • Greater sprouting • Better hydration
(rhizobia)
• Fast and homogeneous growth • Higher protein content • Reduced use of nitrogen fertilisation
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MODESTY
FITÓ MELON WEEK We organised field days and breakfasts with corn and vegetable seed clients in mid-range accommodations and restaurants, seeking to meet their needs and create a comfortable environment for them.
SIX YEARS OF FITÓ NEWS Since 2012 we have published the Fitónews internal magazine where we highlight company milestones and our joint successes.
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LONG-TERM VISION
CHANGING THE FUTURE OF PLANT BREEDING We have partnered with Micropep Technologies, which has developed a technology that helps improve soil and plant interactions, performance and weed management. At Semillas Fitó we are convinced that this technology has the potential of dramatically changing the breeding and plant protection industry, and we look forward to a broad application potential for its development to help us strengthen our leadership position in the industry.
NEW SUBSIDIARY OPENED IN BRAZIL • Sorocaba, São Paulo. • Opening: July 2017. • Work is being done in 500 R&D and Biotech varieties. • 4 hectares for melon tests. • We have carried out a total of 30 tests.
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2018 MOVING TOWARDS
At Semillas Fitó we continue to work hard to make our vision a reality, following the values that characterise us and fulfilling our missions.
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IN 2018 WE WILL CONTINUE TO COMMIT TO INTERNATIONALISATION AS A KEY GROWTH DRIVER. LIKEWISE, OUR INVESTMENTS IN R&D AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES WILL DRIVE US TO MEET CHALLENGES IN THE INDUSTRY.
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