Frosty horizons: HELA’s sweet expedition

Wednesday, 14 August, 2024 Food From Poland 41/2023
How does HELA sustain its ice-cold exports in a hot market? Agnieszka Makaruk, President of the Management Board at HELA spills the beans on the company’s strategy, sustainability, and future plans.
The ice cream category requires a well-thought-out strategy and logistics, especially when the products are directed to other countries. How do you ensure the safety of your production and supply chain?

We export more than 90% of our production that is carried out in accordance with the latest guidelines of the IFS food safety system. We cooperate exclusively with proven and approved suppliers offering certified raw materials. We are able to export our products to the EU countries and beyond.  

How does your export offer look like? Do you implement customized projects?

We specialize in production of private-label ice cream for our customers, so majority of our products have been made as a result of close cooperation with our recipients and on the basis of customized recipes created in accordance with the customers’ wishes. We are also willing to share our many years’ worth of experience and ideas, while our technological possibilities allow us to make ice cream in many forms and diverse assortments. We produce popsicles, ice cream sandwiches, cones, rolls, as well as ice cream in containers of different volumes. With such a broad offer, we can bring our ideas and those of our customers to life.

Do you observe the differences between ice cream industry trends in Poland and abroad?

Yes, the Polish market is dominated by preferences for classic and fruit ice cream flavours. On foreign markets, we can see more openness to experiments with the form of ice cream, but also with unique and interesting flavour combinations.

Ice cream and seasonality – are the sales still predominantly focused on the warm months of the year? Does the offer change depending on the season?

The seasonality of sales is typical of this sector and particularly visible on the Polish market. Luckily for us, our company is focused on exports to countries where the season is much longer and ice cream consumption does not drop so abruptly in the winter months.  Of course, we still record top sales in the summer period, but we have noticed an increased interest in ice cream in the winter period, even on the Polish market.

Ecology and sustainable development, clean label, certified raw materials… How do consumer trends look like?

Due to our care for the environment and higher consumer awareness, our production utilizes sticks and paper packages with an FSC certificate, while all plastic packages are recyclable and suitable for repeated processing. We are at the stage of expanding our existing photovoltaic panel installation, which will help us increase our share of so-called clean electric power. We also care for the composition of our products. We avoid using limited substances and palm fat. For most products, we utilize natural flavouring and food colouring instead of synthetic colourants. We hold the Rainforest Alliance certificate, so our clients are offered chocolate products made of cocoa from certified sources.

What matters most to a customer today and how does your company respond to consumer needs?

The most important things to a customer are high quality, an attractive price, and a clean label. Over the recent years, customers have been paying increasing attention to the environmental aspects of production and sustainable development of the company. With our rich experience, we can provide customers with products combining all these features.

Do you intend to expand your portfolio or to invest in new technologies? What are your company’s plans for the nearest future?

We are constantly searching for new technological solutions to help us increase the diversity of the produced assortment, to improve the technological process, but also to increase the production capacity. In the recent years, we have invested in a large popsicle production line, thus increasing our production potential. Recently, we have also launched a new machine for production of ice cream in containers. Our plans for the years to come include expansion of the production floor and construction of a new office building. Thanks to these actions and our will to develop, we offer new technological possibilities to our customers, which will help us expand our assortment continuously, as well as match the market expectations and the current trends. All of this makes us an attractive partner for cooperation, including with large trade chains.

Thank you
Monika Książek



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