We spoke to Mr. Kupenko Vladimir, owner and founder of Agroforce, to share why he chose the Visable sourcing platforms and marketplaces, in his aim to expand his companies' international markets and find new customers.
How did you become such a success?
The company began with 4 employees and 300 hectares of land. Today we have more than 20 employees, 1300 hectares of leased land with advanced irrigation systems and more than 15 units of modern machinery for land cultivation.
Major factors contributing to our success are our specially designed warehouses capable of storing more than 10,000 tons of grain and enabling us to maintain the best grain quality.
In 2020, our company received the organic certification. The organic product quality certificate is issued by the reputable organic standard certification body “Organic Standard”.
We have chosen this direction because organic farming has gained recognition all over the world. It provides answers to questions regarding food quality and the population's health. Regarding the ecosystem, this choice is essential for conserving the soil, for maintaining natural areas within and around the organic fields, and for avoiding the use of harmful chemicals and insecticides.
In addition, the rational resource allocation allows us to offer a low price of pea per ton (the same applies to other products).
What kind of seeds and grains do you export?
We export mustard seeds (white, yellow, and black), grains (millet, spelt, durum wheat, etc.); oilseeds (rapeseed, oil flaxseeds, oil radish); legumes (lupins, non-GMO soybeans, vetch seeds, green peas, etc.); cereals (millet, durum wheat, etc.) and coriander.
Who are your customers and where are they based?
Our main customers are manufactures of poultry and animal feeds, cereals, and sauces.
We mainly export to European countries such as Poland, Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Spain, Portugal, Italy and England. They make up about 44% of our sales, so Europe is extremely important to us.
What goals have you set yourselves over the next couple of years to expand your growth?
- 2022 – we want to become the No. 1 exporter in Ukraine of grains, seeds and cereals to Europe
- 2023 – we aim to obtain a 10,000 ton grain silo
- 2025 – our goal is to build our own compound feed mill
What was the reason for having a company profile on Visable (EUROPAGES & wlw)?
Our main aim of being on the Visable sourcing platforms and having a profile page available in 26 languages was to expand our international markets and find new customers.
Has your presence on Visable (EUROPAGES/wlw) been successful and what was your return on investment?
44% of our potential clients find us thanks to EUROPAGES. The rich content on our profile and the detailed product catalogue enable these prospects to target their searches and find us easily.
Would you recommend Visable?
Definitely.
What advice would you give ambitious Ukranian companies wanting to export?
Believe in yourself. Provide the best service possible of high-quality products. Play fair. And most of all invest in global marketing solutions such as Visable in order to expand your export markets and increase revenues.
