Private label market is booming
Agristo continued to grow and in the 50's the company began to place itself well in the market. "The private label market was booming and is still growing. The largest part is intended for retail and the rest is supplied to the food service. Due to good market demand we were looking for a new location and we started in Tilburg in 2001. Taking over a former location of Lamb Weston Meijer was an important growing step. We moved to a volume of 80,000 tonnes of chips per year."Agristo Nazareth
Ten years later, in 2010, Agristo was once again on the lookout for extension. "With Willequet in Nazareth we have extended our assortment with potato specialities. We were cusromers of Willequets and had already built a long term relationship. Our goals were also closely interwoven." This year we expect to produce over 70,000 tonnes in Nazareth. This is already 10% more than last year," says plant manager Gianni Wallays.Wide assortment
"At the moment the focus is on stabilisation, structure, processes and people. besides this, we are also busy in innovation. At the moment we are perhaps the company with the widest assortment of potatoes specialities in Europe. On our product range many combinations are made with vegetables. We produce what our customers ask for and regularly talk to them."Gianni and Filip Wallays
Agristo mainly markets under a private label. "Our customers are in retail and foodservice. Around 65% is sold within Europe and 35% outside Europe. Important markets are the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Spain. Europe is a stable market and new products are in demand here. Outside of Europe people prefer standard product. Various potato varieties are used for production, such as Bintje, Fontane and Innovator. We process 600,000 tonnes of potatoes per year in the whole group. Together we have around 330 employees."
Over 100 specialities
"Our products stand for high value quality. Innovation is also an important pillar in our company. Important products for us are for example noisette potatoes, potato croquettes and various kinds of purée. All potato specialities are made with fresh potatoes. This shows the high quality. We supply a very wide range and with it can offer over 100 different potato specialities."Agristo looks towards the future positively. "We see an increased demand for chips and convenience products, and we play into that. By offering added value to our products and constantly innovating, we are looking for the optimal taste with our customers. Cost saving is also an important aspect for us, but we will never scrimp on quality."
For more information:
Filip Wallays
Agristo NV
Waterstraat 40
8531 Hulste - België
Tel: +32 56 73 50 50
Fax: +32 56 73 50 73
www.agristo.be