Kairos expands fish processing plant
processing line at its Novo-Mar processing facility early next
month, dedicated to fish and seafood products. The second line will
begin production six months ahead of schedule due to the success of
the company's new Kruglyi God brand, writes Angela
Drujinina.
The Novo-Mar facility was first opened in February 2004, with a second production line expected to come online sometime in the autumn of 2005. But the company said that the new Kruglyi God brand (which means 'All Year Round') had proven to be such a hit with Russian consumers that production capacity was being stepped up well ahead of schedule.
As one of the leading suppliers of the Russian retail trade, Kairos is well-placed to benefit from the increasing volumes that the rapid expansion of Russia's network of supermarkets and hypermarkets has entailed. Kairos has also invested heavily in marketing support for its brands.
The new production line will focus on fish and seafood products, substantially increasing their share of Novo-Mar's output. At present, seafood products account for some 15 per cent of the volumes produced by Novo-Mar, while fish accounts for 75 per cent; the new line will lift seafood's share to 40 per cent of the increased output figure.
Valeria Malaya, manager of the Novo-Mar production facility, said that the second production line would allow the company to double its manufacturing output. "We will not only be increasing production of exisiting products but also launching a number of new products under our Okean Vkusa (An Ocean of Flavours) and Morskaya Palitra (Sea Palette) brands."
The increased output will also help Kairos meet its target of expanding sales beyond Russia. At present, the products made at Novo-Mar are sold entirely within Russia itself, but the company said it hopes to soon begin exports to other CIS countries and the Baltic states.
