The SOKOŁÓW S.A. Group in 2017. End of year roundup.
2017 was a special and challenging year for the Sokołów S.A. Group. The company managed to maintain dynamic growth, highlighted, among other things, by introduction of new products, over 9% year-on-year revenue growth, strengthening of market position in Poland and abroad, and creation of almost 300 new jobs.
People first
The actions we have taken in Sokołów in previous years prove, that people are the foundation of success and growth for our company. Our employees have always been, and always will be, at the heart of Sokołów. That’s why we devote special attention to them. One key element of our actions in this regard was promotion of health. Our “Path to Health” programme featured the #ucieknijcukrzycy (run from diabetes) educational event. We have organised trainings, during which a dietitian got together with our chef to teach how to use a proper diet in disease prevention and how to compose daily menu. Another step was the launch of sporting event, divided into three categories: “Sokołów Running”, “Sokołów Biking” and “Sokołów Walking”. The commitment of our employees surpassed all expectations, resulting in almost 40,000 km covered together.
Caring for development of knowledge and skills of our employees, we have provided a training platform allowing them to take advantage of on-line courses on marketing, management, sales, social media, MS Office or computer graphics. This technology brings very positive results especially in the case of companies spread throughout Poland.
New solutions have also reached the production staff. The Tarnów production plant introduced a friendly system, allowing employees to decide what meal will they have during their regeneration break. We are also preparing to implement a monitor system which will significantly improve communication within the company.
As a company, we also focus very strongly on CSR activities. At the beginning of the year we have established a team and created a new, long-term strategy which will be implemented both globally and locally. Our actions in 2017 were appreciated outside of the company too: the Sokołów S.A. Group received the title of “Reliable Employer 2017”. It was a great honour for us and it motivates us to take further actions.
Speaking about the future, we are planning a lot of activities aimed at current and future employees. At the beginning of 2018 we will reach out to graduates, offering them an incredibly interesting international managerial internship culminated with an offer of work as a manager in our company.
We are also planning to strengthen our leadership culture through implementation of the leadership principles, suggesting a road to development and efficiency, all the while not forgetting to measure employee satisfaction and engagement. We will also continue to focus on safety and promotion of health, as well as communication, both internal and external.
Dynamic growth in the face of challenges
Despite many obstacles faced by the Polish meat industry, we can call the year 2017 a year of success. The unstable situation on the commodities market and spreading of the ASF virus were the main problems. In order to prevent the epidemic, Sokołów took a broad action, from cooperation with national veterinary bodies, to meetings with farmers and local authorities. The continuing inability to export pork to China, Russia or South Korea was another big obstacle.
But the difficult situation on the domestic and foreign markets hasn’t prevented us from achieving further success. Commitment and hard work of the Sokołów Group employees resulted in growth of the YoY revenues by 9.2%. This had a positive effect on employment — almost 300 new jobs were created in Sokołów in 2017. We have strengthened our position on many export markets. New Sokołów products were introduced in the UK, where they were very well received. We have increased sales on the US market and started production and export to Hong Kong. We have expanded our activities on the Scandinavian markets, and our beef began the conquest of Portugal and Japan.
Increasing product offer
In order to meet consumer expectations, we are continuously expanding our catalogue. In 2017 59 new Sokołów products reached Polish clients. We have introduced two new product lines — “Z Gruntu Dobre” (Fundamentally Good), consisting of vegetable pastes and pates, perfect for people wanting to enrich their diet, and the “Drób Premium” (Premium Poultry) line dedicated to consumers seeking high quality poultry products. The development connected with expanding our offer was facilitated by numerous investments, which in 2017 amounted to PLN 110m. They allowed us to fully use our potential, and at the same time to protect the environment. Research shows that the energy-saving boiler room built last year in Sokołów Podlaski allowed to save over 8,000 MWh of electricity and reduced emissions by 16,500 tonnes.
Educational events
The effects of Sokołów's educational and promotional events regarding the culinary use of beef are clearly visible. Consumption of this type of meat grew by a record-breaking 75% against the previous year. The “Uczta Qulinarna – wołowina z Sokołowa” (Uczta Qulinarna — Beef from Sokołów) line was met with great interest, and seasoned roast beef or entrecôte steaks are increasingly present on the Polish tables. We are also continuing our educational activities through the Sokołów culinary workshops. The number of our guests continues to grow, and with them the number of people who learn about the values we promote, i.e. improving not just the quality of eating, but also of the entire life.
Festive anniversary
The passing year was a year of the 90th anniversary of the Jarosław Production Plant. We have celebrated it during our annual event for employees, the “Sokołów Cup”. When Kazimierz Bakałarz was opening his “Jarosław Bacon and Canned Meat Factory” in 1927, he probably did not expect how modern it will be in 90 years. Large, multi-year investments allowed products from Jarosław to reach not just whole Poland, but also the world, and over 1000 people work here permanently.
Bogusław Miszczuk
Sokołów S.A. President of the Management Board