“United we stand” might be the motto for one of the first potato packers and distributors in France, Pom’Alliance, which is about to launch new products on the UK market in the forthcoming weeks.
Back in 1996 six small-sized individual companies located in the main production areas in the north and south of France decided to team up in order to offer the retail trade a strong sourcing option in volume and an ambitious marketing support programme.
In 2001 the six pioneers fused into a public company Pom’Alliance. Today, thanks to its direct involvement in the production sector, the company consolidates, packs and markets more than 250,000 tonnes of potatoes a year.
Being the interface between production and distribution gave Pom’Alliance the ability to influence the chain both up and downstream. Downstream, it has developed a strong partnership with selected producers; establishing contractual links has been at the heart of the business’ supply strategy.
Tailor-made grower assistance through the company’s technical department has proved beneficial as market demands and standards have risen. As a private company, Pom’Alliance is able to handpick the producers it deems most suitable to the task in hand, therefore avoiding what it sees as the worst aspects of the co-operative system.
This choosiness extends to varietal development. The company will only work with certified bedding plants, which comes at a price, but is designed to provide assurances of the purity of each variety.
Quality and adherence to standards are checked at every stage of the supply chain. Pom’Alliance is ISO9001-2000 accredited. EurepGAP certification already covers 20 per cent of its production and this is slated to increase rapidly in the next few years. Packhouses collect, wash and pack potatoes according to consumers’ expectations and a particular emphasis is put on storage, a vital element of the potato job. The company can store up to 60,000t of spuds at its sites at any given time.
Pom’Alliance recognised early on that the true test of its worth would be whether it could manage every aspect of the chain for every customer. Therefore the offer is organised around three major products.
Bulk salad potato is the major line, including tender varieties such as Agata and Charlotte.
Now the company is introducing two new products; a 750g baby salad potato bag with a light protective technical film and anti-steam system. Available all-year round, the product reflects Pom’Alliance’s desire to emphasise its easy-peel potato range and stretches beyond the traditional spring production period. For the catering sector, bakers have also been added to the company’s portfolio.
Since its inception, the company has placed great stock in its ability to innovate. The French potato industry as a whole has undergone dramatic change in the last decade, as it has responded to the market requirement for greater segmentation.
Pom’Alliance was the first to develop a full washed potato range. It also introduced new varieties such as Cherie and Amandine onto the market. Reflecting its confidence in its new offer, Pom’Alliance has invested in new packaging and gave its customers the options of microwave trays and long-life bags.
Guy de Foucaud, marketing manager, says: “On the marketing front, we have taken advantage of our scale by creating a tight commercial web and using this to build a coherent communication policy, the type of which has rarely been seen in the potato category. The strategy is based on brands that reflect the company’s know-how and its solid and consistent range of varieties.
“Successfully segmenting products according to quality and specific client specifications has given us a foothold at every level of the retail and catering industry, and a valuable insight into the different dynamics and demands of the two sectors.”
The cross-Channel business has been under way for some years, since Pom’Alliance wisely repositioned its offer towards catering.
The UK has now become a priority target for Pom’Alliance and the arrival of former Burbank employee Andrew Foster to lead development in this area was no surprise.
“‘La Cabrette” remains our flagship offer as the first marketed brand ever launched on the French potato market,” says Foster. ““Pom’Saveur” is an alternative to “La Cabrette” while the “Les Gourmandes” range is tailored to meeting the needs of the catering sector. Last but not least, the “Doreoc” brand has been developed for pre-packed products for supermarkets.”
A sales team based in production and packhouse sites dovetail the company’s capacity and demands of its customer base.
All this allows Pom’Alliance to cover the French national market and also be a big player on various European marketplaces. The company mainly exports to Germany, Spain, Italy and the UK and is developing new markets in Russia and Greece.
Backing its products with committed commercial and marketing support, Pom’Alliance hopes to make the difference in a competitive environment.
The ability to differentiate itself from the competition is crucial and recent promotions at New Covent Garden in London, which will possibly be mirrored elsewhere in the UK, were another example of an approach that stands out from the crowd.
