petMaxi in Hipersuper - September 2022

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Inaugurated in 2015 and located in Ferreira do Zêzere, petMaxi is a 100% Portuguese company that manufactures premium and super premium dog and cat food. Certified by IFS Food since 2017, it sells the brands happyOne Mediterraneum, happyOne Premium, happyOne. Domus, Rufia, Campeão and Jackpot and is already present in more than 30 countries on different continents

The petMaxi manufacturing unit currently has two production lines after, in a few years, the first had exhausted its capacity. The company thus invested more than 5 million euros in a 2nd line that doubled the company's production capacity.

The growth of the pet food segment is confirmed by Helena Gomes, communication and marketing director at petMaxi. "Despite the challenges, we continue to grow and that is how we expect to end 2022. However, the growth in value reflects part of the increase in costs that we felt this semester and part of the company's normal sales growth, both internal and external. in the export market, year after year, in which this one will be no exception, despite the setbacks, he begins by explaining in statements to Hipersuper, referring that by the end of the year the company expects to reach 35 to 40 million euros in turnover, after having in 2021 recorded a sales growth of approximately 30% compared to 2020.

Inflation is marking the life of companies and at petMaxi the current context is faced with complete professionalism and in the search for the best solutions for its customers. The conquest of space in the market by the own brands is something that is being managed with serenity. "In the last two years we have seen an increase in the demand for the creation of own brand products, mainly from companies with great expression in the market, which are looking for high quality, premium and super premium foods" she says. "At petMaxi we have been able to respond to the needs of the market, since we are an IFS Food certified factory that provides close and personalized follow-up at all stages of the process of creating our own brands" underlines Helena Gomes "We believe that the market has openness to different segments In the case of customers of premium and super premium brands, who are likely to be people who feel less impact on their purchasing power, they are more loyal customers. in this case, the price may influence the choice, especially if the private label accumulates a competitive price with a guarantee of quality", he explains

"PetMaxi, as part of the agri-food industry, continues to work every day to maintain and improve the quality of food for dogs and cats. This is our commitment," he adds.

On the increase in costs that companies have been facing, Helena Gomes admits that it was "impossible not to update prices in view of the increase in raw material costs, accumulated with increases in energy and transport". But she stresses that petMaxi has "managed not to reflect all costs in prices, to help customers, considerably reducing our margins.

"SUSTAINABILITY IS ONE OF OUR MAIN VALUES"

petMaxi is proud to manage its day-to-day according to criteria of great "rigor and optimization", even in the most difficult and crisis moments. For Helena Gomes, the answer is to innovate. At petMaxi, innovation "is one of our pillars. We recognize innovation as an investment with a medium and long-term return and, therefore, we remain involved in innovative projects". "We have focused our search on solutions that are in line with environmental sustainability and the circular economy, which we cannot divulge yet. The project that is expected to come out more quickly is related to the use of insect protein. in our food" says Helena Gomes.

Hipersuper wanted to know how petMaxi has contributed to a more sustainable world, at a time when the role of companies is becoming increasingly decisive.

"Since the beginning of petMaxi, in 2015, sustainability has been one of our main values, not only at an environmental level, but also at an eco-
nomic and social. We intend to create value for the entire community, including employees and partners, through various awareness actions. We favor local and national suppliers, not only because of the local economic support, but also because they have less environmental impact through the reduction of CO2 emissions made in transport", answers Helena Gomes promptly. 

also, as it has a lower environmental impact through the reduction of CO2 emissions from transport", answers Helena Gomes promptly. "With regard to environmental sustainability, we have carried out several initiatives to reduce our productive carbon footprint. with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality he adds. Energy efficiency is also one of the company's objectives: "We have been taking measures in terms of energy efficiency, water efficiency and solar efficiency, such as, for example, the investment made in photovoltaic panels on the top of the factory buildings. for the acquisition of clean energy".

Another focus of petMaxi has to do with reducing the amount of plastic. “We eliminated the plastic that formed product packs and invested in an innovative technology that also allowed us to eliminate the stretch film that involved products for transport on pallets. ecological".

"We are currently implementing all the necessary measures for ISO 50001 Energy Management System and ISO 140001 Environmental System Certifications, for their role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and environmental sustainability. We expect to obtain these certifications during the next year, he concludes, adding that petMaxi is working on some Innovation Development partnerships within the circular economy.