Wednesday, 03 December 2008 09:48
LNB Poland Sp. z o.o.
GENERAL MANAGER: Wojciech Kalicki
OPERATIONS: Feed branch
ESTABLISHED: 1993
EMPLOYEES: 204
www.lnb.pl
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Present on the market of feed mixes and additives for more than 16 years now, LNB Poland from Kiszkowo near Gniezno, Poland, has earned a reputation of a reliable business partner. It has done so on the strength of exceptional customer care, strife for high quality products and top of the range technologies. The success that the company enjoys has drawn the attention of real market leaders – since 2007 Cargill enterprise, world class producer and supplier of products and services for food, agriculture industry.
Written by: Bartosz Sowiński
Milestones
In 1993, when Polish and Dutch investors established LNB Poland, its main headquarters were located in Poznań and the company dealt primarily in the import of premixes from Holland and their further marketing among domestic clientele. Such state of affairs did not last long as in 1997 a go-between decided to become independent and launched an automated new generation manufacturing floor in Kiszkowo in the vicinity of Gniezno. Two years later its headquarters were moved there, too, which at the time comprised the aforementioned manufacturing unit, office building and modern laboratory. And although it has been certain since then that this event made a milestone in LNB history, the company did not intend to rest on its laurels. Thus, in 2004 the firm founded Research and Development Institute, which draws on up to the minute scientific findings in order to improve on quality and broaden the assortment. In 2006 in turn it set up a warehouse of an impressive 7.000 sqm size with high storage shelves capable of keeping up to 5.000 tones of ready products. A storage programme launched shortly made it easier to manage such a huge space and facilitated the completion of assignments in terms of reducing the risk of confusion as well as shortening loading time. Without such investments LNB Poland would not be able to improve the quality of products, diversify goods on offer or develop new technologies. And it is to these factors along with individual approach to customer’s requirements that the firm won the pole position on the domestic market of premixes. Such success made the industry leaders focus attention on LNB shares and hence, in 2007, Cargill enterprise, an international supplier of foodstuffs, agricultural goods and risk management services, became their owner. LNB products have thus grown to be a logical complement to a wide assortment of its main shareholder as it boasts plants turning out concentrates and feeds in Poland and 60 other countries. Currently, LNB brand is recognized in Denmark, Holland, Romania, Bulgaria, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Surinam, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Baltic countries, China and Philippines.
The product range
The offer of LNB Poland comprises a wide array of high quality premixes, supplementary feed mixes, feed additives milk replacers and prestarters for all the livestock species and technological groups. Among the premixes on offer one might find such as containing amino acids, enzymes and other biologically active substances, whereas among feed additives there are premixes made with coccidiostats permitted on the Polish market, herbal products and probiotics. While manufacturing process in LNB Poland remains under control procedures complying with Quality Management System, the goods are turned out by three independent production lines in the plant considered to be among most modern in the country. These lines are automatically operated by the electronic system which processes production formulas facilitates their reading and sends them to scale drivers. The procedure thus arranged enables the firm to maintain the purity of products as all the weighing related errors that might bring about contamination instantly suspend the whole activity. Its last phase consists in packaging of ready products performed automatically by packaging machines, palletisers and a comprehensive shrink-wrapping set of appliances. The products duly secured are finally forwarded to a warehouse by means of rolling transport facilities. Nevertheless, the company is not going to content itself with already introduced solutions and is bent on new investments. As Henryk Kowalski, LNB Poland Production Department Director, proclaims, it will be: “a top notch warehouse operating system with radio communication. All the activity in storage area will be performed online. If a worker takes a pallet from a shelf, it will be automatically registered. We would like to comply with all the feed law regulations and it is necessary that we electronically catalogue our products as well as basic ingredients.”
Customer care – reliable and on time
The management of LNB Poland is well aware of the fact that customer satisfaction remains crucial to commercial success and, therefore, finds its mission in tying bonds with existing business partners and establishing liaison with new clientele. The declaration posted on the firm’s booklets and website may well make its basic tenet of philosophy: “A good partner understands problems of others, but only the best offers aid to solve them. That is why we have put in that extra effort in order to meet demand of our clients and serve them with our knowledge and experience. We are truly passionate about our work. Every customer is an important partner for us. We do our best in order to make him choose and appreciate our services.” In order to prove that this declaration is not merely a slogan LNB Poland organizes regular meetings with cattle, poultry and pig farmers as well as distributors. It also creates formulas on individual request and provides technical support, feed related counselling, research panel discussions and practical training. The company cooperates closely with academic institutions and seeks advice from scientific authorities from Poland and abroad. The most important and loyal customers may also count on free of charge ingredient quality and feed homogeneity analyses performed by LNB laboratory staff. Concerned about customer’s precious time, the firm has introduced a state-of –the –art logistics system which within the span of 24 hours allows for reloading of a several dozen lorries with basic ingredients and loading of an equal number with ready products. Fully automated packaging lines and brand new warehouse make it possible to prepare loading of 20 cars within 10 minutes each. The company’s fleet is equipped with GPS facilities, which help locate the car on the route, monitor the process and inform the clients on the progress being made. Owing to that LNB brand reaches big and medium sized feed mixing plants as well as individual cattle and poultry producers preparing their own mixes. Farmers can also buy the company’s goods in more than 400 distribution points scattered around Poland.
Quality and technology combined
LNB Poland finds it extremely important to pay attention to products’ outstanding quality and safety, which are secured by Quality Management System ISO 9001 : 2000 and Food Safety System HACCP. Quality Management System supervises the manufacturing standards starting from basic materials being accepted and ending with ready product being provided. HACCP System in turn monitors production related activities in order to eliminate potential risk and provide only the best and truly safe feed mixes. Once implemented, the quality regulations are being constantly improved and their compliance with various norms is being certified by independent auditors. Suppliers are also chosen very carefully on the basis of strict criteria measuring quality of basic ingredients, which are tested by qualified experts from the lab section. It is there that classical chemical analyses and brand new NIR (Near-Infrared) methods are employed to examine basic feed parameters – the content of protein, fat, fibre, ash, dry mass, vitamins and minerals. In addition, the lab people use high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and atomic absorption spectroscopy (ASA), which help assess and eliminate the jeopardy of potential pollution with toxic heavy metal elements. Owing to the top notch equipment and procedures as well as the expertise of LNB workforce the firm is confident to guarantee the best possible quality of products on offer.
Focus on organic ingredients
In 2004, when LNB Research and Development Institute came into being, the company was among the first in the industry who undertook scientific research with a view to improvement of livestock production. This investment set off the process of creating feed mixes that are organic, of certified efficiency and good value for money, too. The staff there boasts expertise in animal feeding and cooperates with pharmacologists, chemists and toxicologists with the aim of preparing prime quality supplementary feed mixes and premixes, taste and olfactory additives, mineral and vitamin blends and prevention enhancing products. Once developed, innovative solutions for phytogenic additives are further improved by means of up to the minute analytical techniques. Currently, the Institute exploits state-of–the-art innovations consisting in extraction and securing active substances, which facilitate the process of searching for up to date alternatives for antibiotic growth stimulators withdrawn from the market and coccidiostats utilized in poultry feeding.
Domestic recognition, regional impact
It goes without saying that LNB Poland’s strife for excellent quality and customer satisfaction has been recognised by the industry. From among the prizes awarded to the firm it is worthwhile to mention: gold medals conferred at “Polagra” International Trade Show in Poznań, Poland, and International Cattle, Poultry and Pig Farming Trade Show. The company also prides on being a member of an elite Business Gazelle Club (Klub Gazel Biznesu) gathering the most dynamic entrepreneurs under the patronage of “Puls Biznesu” magazine. The only representative of the feed industry, the LNB Poland has been honoured with a title “Far Play Enterprise” for ethical and legitimate business activity. LNB trade mark is well established in the region too. On its 15th anniversary in June 2008 the enterprise hosted more than 700 guests including clientele, local authorities, industry organizations, veterinary services and advisors. Willing to support sportsmen, scientists, people of culture and the ill, the brand has earned trust among the locals. For that reason, it provides funds for Orphanage in Gniezno and The Association oh Help for Disabled Children in Kiszkowo. A regular strategic patron of annually celebrated “Dni Kiszkowa” festival, the firm takes pride in backing local community that its workers belong to.
