The FINANCIAL — Berta, the largest manufacturer of everyday hygiene products in the Caucasus region is looking for new markets.
The company now is participating in the Private Label Middle East-Dubai (PLME-Dubai) exhibition, to be organized in the Dubai World Trade Centre on September 18-20. “The high production capacity of the factory gives us the opportunity to export 70 % of our production,” Vasil Sulkhanishvili, General Director of Berta, told in an exclusive interview with The FINANCIAL.
The exhibition shell of Berta will offer two lines: one is the already existing line, and the other is a totally new one. “To increase awareness of Berta worldwide and improve our export, we decided to participate in the PLME exhibition,” Sulkhanishvili said.
Berta has invited their potential clients to the exhibition to introduce the company and show their product lines. The company also intends to present their new direction of private label, meaning that the company offers high quality products produced under the client’s brands.brand of Berta. Company representatives haven’t named the particular brands yet, but they state they have serious plans enquiries and are looking into development of this direction.
“Our expectations of the exhibition are quite high,” Sulkhanishvili said, “Currently we share 20% of the Georgian hygiene and chemical market and 10% of our productivity is exported to Azerbaijan. Our production increases by 20-30% monthly. But if we worked full-load, the whole Georgian market would take up only 30% of our production capacity. We plan to find new buyers and markets on the PLME exhibition willing to take interest in our potential,” he added.
Berta entered the Azerbaijan market in the beginning of June. The company’s products are already presented in 1,700 supermarkets and network shops. Berta is strengthening their competitiveness in Azerbaijan currently.
Sulkhanishvili says Azerbaijanis differ from Georgians and the company needs extra research and surveys to own a bigger share of Azerbaijani market.
“We had better studies in Georgia as we did many researches on Georgian water, Georgian Skin type and Hair type, even what type of food is consumed in Georgia, etc. All of our products have been adjusted with to Georgian water. We plan to do the same in Azerbaijan and other countries we expand to,” Sulkhanishvili said.
“Although there is much talk about how hard it is to enter any foreign market, the thing is that if you properly study and follow the instructions set by those countries then it’s quite easy to start business relationships with them. We have a very careful attitude toward increasing the export as it is the main direction of our development,” he added.
After Azerbaijan Berta plans to enter the Armenian, Kazakhstani and Tajikistani markets. Affordable prices remain the main message of Berta in export countries as well.
Currently Berta produces 93 types of products. The biggest share of the company productivity goes towards powder detergents. They are in high demand in Georgia as well as in Azerbaijan. Aside from powder detergents, Berta produces soaps, shampoos, laundry soaps and liquid detergents. The company constantly is adding new types of products to their current collection.
“Vardo is the new type of powder detergent of Berta, which will be available in the market next week,” the General Director said. “The product will be cheap and therefore affordable for the whole population.”
“Prices are defining the dynamic of sales. We offered a special discount for liquid products this summer and it positively influenced on the number of our consumers. As more time passes the more consumers we have. Anyone who tries Berta never gives up using it,” Sulkhanishvili claims.
As to be expected, the main consumers of hygiene and chemical products are female. But according to the company they have lots of male consumers as men always follow women’s taste on products like shampoo or powder detergents. The needs of consumers differ according to their settlement type. If automatic powder detergent mainly is in demand in the cities, powder detergent for hand wash is more popular in the rural regions.
Talking about the reasons of the high popularity of Berta, Sulkhanishvili named the label Made in Georgia.
“Our main priority is that we are known as a Georgian Company. All products are produced locally and are distributed to the population in a short period. It gives us the opportunity to always have fresh and ecologically clean products. If Berta wasn’t a Georgian company, we wouldn’t have so many consumers in such a short time,” he said.
Berta group pays a lot attention to the ecology of the region. The factory has been built with systems of the highest quality. They don’t let the water they use back into the water table but instead return it to the system where it is used multiple times.
Currently the company employs 250 individuals. Employees are all local, mainly IDPs living in the Tserovani area. Berta isn’t planning to extend their number for the moment, but after a serious increase of productivity, more employees will be hired.
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