Endulza tu vida

Our group decided to focused on Alpina which is an example of successful Colombian company.

 

This business was started by Max Bezinger and Walter Gogger in 1945. Both founder come from Switzerland and fall in Love with Sopó  which make them feel like if they were in their Country.  In this year they start producing swiss cheese while in Colombia people use to eat just a kind of cheese that we can define fresh cheese. We can say that Alpina is innovative and the first company to promote products such as Emmental, Gruyere and Parmesano.

In 1950 Alpina obtains a loan from the bank and buys first lands and then builds up an industrial factory where it starts developing milk derivative such as yogurt and kumis.

 

From the beginning till today Alpina has been working and living in a high quality culture where important factors such as trust and innovation made the difference in order to offer always a better product.

 

In 1975 there is an improvement from the financial point of view. Alpina makes an agreement with some Colombian partners and it’s not a familiar company anymore: it becomes a company which starts looking for a global market.  Apart from the economic strength there is a progress even concerning the products.  New products such as Arequipe, Finesse and Boggy are launched into the Colombian market.

 

In 1985 we see how Alpina gets much bigger than 10 years before. Now it’s able to reach the entire Colombian market. Bonyurt, Alpinito and Leche Alpina UHT become important products for the Colombian Market.      

 

 Alpina buys Chambourcy and Passicol and grows up. It’s now attending 120.000 customers.           (In the last 10 years it was counting on 20.000 customers).

 

In 1995, when it seems that Alpina is big enough, something happens. Thanks to the knowledge and the willing to carry on growing the company specializes itself and as a result of this change we can see how it starts business relationships  with foreign  countries:

 

• ALPINA PRODUCTOS ALIMENTICIOS ALPIECUADOR S.A.

• ALPINA PRODUCTOS ALIMENTICIOS  CA. (Caracas - Venezuela).

 

In this year a new products is launched on the colombian market: the avena. This is considered one of the best products. It belongs to the group of milk drink and we can surely say that it gives a shove on the market and it helps to position every day a little bit more the brand in the customer’s head.

 

As said before Alpina is getting bigger and bigger.  In order to take control on the difficult and demanding Colombian market it has to grow up even from the industrial point of view. That’s why there is a new industrial factory in Chinchina. A part from this,  they develop a new technology in orde to be able to do asepting packaging.

 

In the same decade the company gets the permission from the FDA and the agriculture department of  USA in order to be able to export its products to USA.

 

In 2000 INCONTEC gives to Alpina the certificate ISO9001. This certificate is given to the  factory located in Facatativá.  Alpina is the first Colombian company to get this certificate. Being recognized by Incontec gives more importance to the company because it demonstrates that the company works respecting high standard quality during the production till the final consumption. 

 

In 2002 Alpina carries on with its profitable growth: we can see how 200 US MM reach 550 US MM. Due to this improvement the company launches to the market functional products such as Yox, Regeneris and Frutto. Those products are very healty and help the well-being of the final customer.

 

Core Business, Innovacion Internalization and Corporative models are the new strategic focuses.

 

Alpina buys part of Friesland (brand Puracé) which is a good company that works in the pacific region. After that buys Proloceki from Ecuador (brand Kiosko. Leader concerning cheese).   The result is a customer growth. This business is not counting anymore with 120.000 customers but 180.000.

 

In 2008 there is an additional expansion and Alpina understands the importance of a sustenable growth. Alpina Foundation and corporative responsibility are the result of this new way of thinking.  In this period sales are reaching a value of 676 US $.

USA becomes very important and that’why  a Headoffice is opened outside of Colombia. The aim is  accelerating  the developement of the production. 

A part from this new change we can see how the company wants to study the market in order to have fresh information to work on. Alpina Institute starts investigating on nutrition.

 

In 2009 Alpina Products gives 260.000.000 bonus to the colombian Market. The company  does a great job on the shared service and receives a recognition thanks to the wat it’s running the business. The idea of the shared service is reducing costs,  simplifying processes and generating values.

 

In 2010 we have an evolution for the corporative model introduced by Alpina. This model is devided into 3 parts:  countries, corporative centre and centralized processes.                            Entrerrios, a yogurt factory, becomes one of the important and modern industrial factory of latin America.

 

In 2011 Alpina starts buiding up it’s first factory of  Alpina Food in New York.