Report
Our client is a small family company, specialized in the hand-made production of jams, preserves, juices and sauces. The company, established in 2014, manufactures jams, preserves, juices and sauces from seasonal and all-year products and original mixes (blueberries, strawberries, orange and carrot, chestnut, quince, apple and vanilla etc). All products are 100% handmade, natural with no preservatives. The first two years of its operation the company established a solid clientele in the domestic market and grew quite rapidly, which resulted to new products.
The company visited the Enterprise Europe Network office in Arcadia before even starting to operate, looking for information regarding national and EU regulation for starting and operating the company, labeling, branding and also looking for financing opportunities. With the help of EEN staff the company got all the necessary legal and financial information to establish its operation. It didn’t use any financing after all, but followed all the regulatory information provided to set up and start its operation.
After the first 1,5-2 years of its operation and after having quite good results in the domestic market, as mentioned above, the company visited the EEN office again, looking for ways to make its first steps in EU market. The EEN colleagues drafted an updated advisory, which included the following actions on behalf of the EEN staff:
– Market research
– Profile drafting
– Identification of relevant fairs and other events relevant to the targeted market
– Participation in BE and CM
– Products compliance with EU regulations
After completing the market research and helping the company prepare its products for EU market (new label and packaging according to EU regulations, new products that appeal to the targeted markets) and the identification of events that could be a good opportunity to meet potential interested companies, the company proceeded with its participation in 3 brokerage events and one company mission organized by EEN Arcadia.
With the use of the database and the participation in these events there the company had the opportunity to make its first contacts with EU companies and establish commercial communication with some of them. During the last B2B event that the company participated in, there was also a first commercial agreement with an Austrian company, which is already importing the Greek company’s products in Austria.
IMPACT
The first export was completed in December 2016 to Austria and two other contacts from the brokerage events are on the way to an agreement. The company is already planning its participation to some important international fairs for 2017, with the support of EEN Arcadia and is continuously in contact with EEN for new events for internationalization.
This company approached EEN office in a very early stage (before being established) and together with EEN staff it made a three years journey from being an idea to introducing new products and exporting to a foreign market. The company was supported by EEN throughout this period and managed to establish an important share in the domestic market and also make its firsts contacts and steps in EU market.
