Edmund Borawski, Chairman of the Management Board of SM MLEKPOL summarizes the year 2017.

We are closing the last 12 months with a spectacular result of 1,770,000,000 litres of milk purchased exclusively from our suppliers, which is a record in the history of Polish dairy industry. We are also ending the passing year with the highest ever export value. The sales volume of our products beyond the borders of Poland has increased by over 30% compared to the previous year.

We are constantly improving our products. The Mlekpol’s Institute of Dairy Industry Innovation permanently monitors food market trends and works on adapting them to the expectations and needs of our consumers. Last year our milk producers faced another challenge – switching to non-GMO feed. We meet the market requirements. The consumers are the most important for us, without them our work would have no economic raison d’être. Non-GMO food has become a standard. Therefore, producers who supply milk to MLEKPOL have completely eliminated feed containing GMO material from the production process.

The passing year was full of events with the participation of MLEKPOL. We welcomed with pleasure the honorary patronage of the 2nd Kongres Serowarstwa (Cheesemaking Congress).

and the international partnership of Forum Biznesowego Pogranicza (Borderland Business Forum) in Suwałki.

Last autumn we had the honour of hosting the councillors from the Podlasie and Warmia-Mazuria provinces, who held debates during the joint agriculture commission at Mlekpol. In the summer we spectacularly celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Mrągowska Buttermilk brand. Together with the Municipal Office in Mrągowo, we invited residents and tourists to the 1st Buttermilk Festival in Mrągowo. It’s worth mentioning here about the unusual, unique promotional campaign of our buttermilk – I’m special. I carefully choose what I eat – with our employees being the face of the project.

In 2017 we registered a rise in the buying-in milk price, which improved the finances of milk farmers. This situation allows us to comfortably carry out our investments and to think about further growth. The key investment of Mlekpol is the construction of the most modern powder plant in Poland and Europe in Mrągowo with the planned capacity of 3 million litres of milk and whey per day. The new powder plant will employ over 100 people.

The year 2017 brought MLEKPOL another prestigious awards, both granted to the company, its products as well as to its consistent commercial and marketing policy. Although we do not work for prizes, I do not hide that they provide us with satisfaction. During the year we were awarded nearly 30 distinctions and titles. We were appreciated as an economically significant company, that is, one of the strongest brands in the region in the category of large companies.

Above all, however, our products were rewarded with: the title of Hit Handlu (Hit Trade) for Łaciate UHT milk 2% fat (second time) and Gouda cheese in slices, the title of Najwyższa Smakowitość (Supreme Tastefulness) by Polski Instytut Badań Jakości (the Polish Institute of Quality Research) for Łaciate Świeże milk, Gold Medals at the Poznań International Fair Polagra FOOD for Chłodnik warzywny and Łaciaty cheese for spreading with dried tomatoes.

We are entering the coming year with moderate optimism. The foundation of our strategy is a continuous and substantial growth. The most important event of 2018 will be the completion of the powder plant in Mragowo. We constantly modernize and improve our production plants. Certainly, we will also expand our product portfolio.