Puratos adds a new dimension to its image
(Caption) Eddy Van Belle, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Daniel Malcorps Group Chief Executive Officer and Board Member.
Famous throughout the world for the quality of its ingredients, its technological innovation and its services, Puratos is developing its corporate image in order to fully reflect what the group has become today: the "reliable partners in innovation" of hundreds of thousands of bakers, patissiers and chocolate makers in more than 100 countries. More than simply a change of logo and image, this is a really important evolution in the group's vision of the future and the intensification of the partnership relationship it maintains with its customers.
The Puratos Group has evolved considerably over the years.
Quality improvement - the company's whole raison d'etre since it was founded - has taken on a new dimension as a result of the changes experienced in recent years on the different markets. One notable change is that consumers are becoming increasingly demanding in terms of taste. Today, health and food safety are viewed as highly important and often placed at the top of the agenda. In addition, as a result of mobile populations and globalisation, everybody enjoys the pleasure of discovering specialities from other cultures. And finally, a new need has gradually developed. Because neither men nor women have time to cook, they want convenience food that is easy to prepare and eat. These are new dimensions that the Puratos group has wanted to integrate into its thinking and its activities.
"We want to be even closer to our customers, even more available to them to help them grow in markets which are constantly evolving" affirms Eddy Van Belle, Chairman of the Board of Directors. And Daniel Malcorps, Group Chief Executive Officer adds "It is precisely this evolution in consumer markets which has led us to redefine our vision. We believe that everyone, everywhere in the world will attach more and more importance to the quality of their food in the future. Of course, the definition of quality can vary from one country to the other - one continent to the other. It is up to us to pay attention to this and to respond to the resulting specific expectations, both from professionals and consumers".
The consumer, the final decision maker
Integrating the consumer dimension in its relationship with customers is a relatively recent notion in the professional world. For Puratos, this dimension very quickly became a requirement and has been integrated in its mission. "Aside from the fact that the true mission of any company is focused on its own development, the satisfaction of its customers and that of its shareholders, it also represents the role that the company must play to make its vision concrete. For customers, it must be the main reason which encourages them to choose Puratos as their supplier -- partner", continues Eddy Van Belle. And Daniel Malcorps further underlines that "this choice implies a differentiation of Puratos compared to the competition - a differentiation which, for us, resides both in the partnership and innovation dimension with our customers and in satisfying consumers, our customers' customers".
Above all, the Puratos story is one of passion
"Our profession is our passion; helping bakers, patissiers and chocolate makers the world over to develop their business", underlines Eddy Van Belle. "We do this by working alongside them. By listening to them and understanding their expectations better, we develop ingredients, products, technologies and solutions which are reliable, original and innovative. Because our principal goal is to give our customers the greatest peace of mind possible at work. Moreover, our world presence and our understanding of different cultures allow us to bring to our customers a certain inspiration which is completely in symbiosis with what consumers are looking for".
A reliable partner in innovation
In the world of bakery, patisserie and chocolate, innovation often requires a hefty dose of courage, talent and patience. Since Puratos was founded, the notion of innovation has always been at the centre of its preoccupations. Indeed, Puratos is the company which invented the first complete improver, T500, in 1953. 20 years later, S500 marked a new milestone in the quest for quality. Today, the latest innovations from the group are, on the one hand Acti-Plus technology which combines the positive synergies of enzymes and emulsifiers in improvers, and on the other, the launch of the first cold glaze: Sublimo. And so Puratos has innovation "in its genes" and is determined to make every effort to help its customers innovate. For Puratos, innovation is the best means of generating development. Although this particular path is certainly not easy, it nevertheless allows the group to develop exceptional partnerships with its customers, to the extent that creating a new product or a new solution together generates links which go much deeper than classic supplier/customer relationships. "Being our customers' reliable partner in innovation means long-term effort" remarks Daniel Malcorps. "With the goal of responding even better to customer expectations by taking account of the "consumer" dimension, we have launched discussion groups among our staff all over the world".
The unicorn, a strong symbol
"When we were looking for a symbol for our new logo", continues Eddy van Belle "the unicorn was an obvious choice. The unicorn is a legendary animal which symbolises courage and ethics. The unicorn led us to reflect on the values in which our group believes. Knowing that we want to become the "reliable partners in innovation" of our customers, we decided to link three values to "reliable partner", i.e. ethics, team spirit and quality. Indeed to create a partnership, you must be highly ethical in your approach, create a team spirit and have quality development as a common goal. Courage, passion and vision are linked to "innovation". To innovate, you need courage. You also need to be passionate. Passion moves mountains, as they say. And finally, you need vision in order to bring your efforts to a successful conclusion. These are the values that we want to share with our customers".
Puratos Values
The reliable partner…
ETHICS
In everything we do, ethics drive our decisions. Being true to our conscience, maintaining our professional standards, honouring our commitments and assuring absolute food safety.
TEAM SPIRIT
Team spirit is an essential part of the way we do business. We believe that the whole exceeds the sum of the parts. Put simply, by working together we can achieve more and have more fun.
QUALITY
Getting it right first time, every time - and always looking to improve. There is no better expression of our daily drive for quality.
…in innovation
COURAGE
Passion is nothing without courage. Seizing opportunities requires a certain amount of bravery: never be afraid to try new things.
PASSION
With great passion we help our customers to grow their business through new ideas. With great passion we create a working environment that stimulates people to develop, and rewards their enthusiasm with trust and support.
VISION
Innovation requires vision. The vision to build on our experience. To search eagerly for new horizons. And to work with our customers to prepare for an ever-changing future.
Gradual implementation
The change of image will happen over two years. Puratos will take advantage of it to gradually introduce new types of packaging which will be easier for customers to use, perform more efficiently in terms of conservation and be better for the environment.
Daniel Malcorps concludes: "We want our customers to progressively familiarise themselves with our new identity before the Europain exhibition in Paris next April, where they will discover an entirely new stand, with a new approach as well as new products and concepts which should provide an even better response to their expectations and those of consumers".
2005 and 2006 will therefore be important years for the evolution of the Puratos group with the goal of confirming it in its mission of being the "reliable partners in innovation".