El Pomar is a company dedicated to the production and marketing of dairy and non-dairy products. They are currently present in 8,000 stores in Bogotá and its surroundings. Nelson Molano, general manager of the company, assured that this semester they will begin a project for the construction of a plant in Barranquilla, from which they aim to reach the northern area.
We have dairy and non-dairy: soft drinks, nectars, oats and ready-to-drink coffee drinks. We have high protein products and vegetable, almond drinks with and without sugar. We have understood that the consumer is looking for alternatives, like people who gave up milk. Cheese is a category that has been growing on the consumer’s table. Vegetable drinks have gained strength and are also growing.
Where does the company’s income come from?
The own brand makes between 12% and 15% and the rest is made by the maquila. Our own brand is only sold in Bogotá and the maquila reaches national level through our allies. Some already export to the United States, since their arrival capacity is much better than that of our brand. We are thinking about an expansion that wants to generate greater penetration, since we have some weaknesses in terms of distribution.
Where are they going with the products?
We are arriving in Cundinamarca and with the new product lines we will be nationwide. We make white labels for D1, like almond drink, for example. We have two lines of business: maquilas, which work with retail and companies, in addition to our own products. We were recently certified by the FDA and we can export to the US with a very great ally: we managed to export a product that they wanted to bring to that country.
How long ago did you start with the maquila?
We started in 2018 with D1, which is one of the oldest brands. Those from the white segment worldwide have an important weight, although they arrived a little late in Colombia. This has become very relevant in many categories and the consumer has already lost their fear, since they have the same parameters as traditional brands.
How will the brand expansion plan work?
We have a project that we planned to start this year: a new plant in Barranquilla. When you think of a dairy company, you only think of two regions: Bogotá or Antioquia because they are the two largest dairy herds in the country. However, within our production we have developed other business lines such as soft drinks, nectars and vegetable drinks. Our process has moved away from milk, although it is still very important. We are studying Barranquilla because we understand it as the north to reach Atlántico, Magdalena, Cesar and Santanderes. That part represents 33% of national consumption.
How much has been invested?
It is a project that upon completion could reach $25,000 million. We made the investment in the land, which cost $5,000 million with the purchase of 20,000 meters. It is a big project and we will do it in stages. In four years we will have it consolidated. We hope to start during the second half of 2024.
How have you fared in terms of revenue in 2024?
We have been growing until the end of April at 15%, which is a very good figure because the category has not been growing. It has been a year in which we have seen deflation and prices have fallen. It is a stage of growth even though we have not raised prices. The consumer is not putting up with price increases.
How many people do they employ?
We have grown by 200 jobs in the last two years. When the pandemic ended we were 300 and now we are 500.
