Aznar Asc fruit juice Company in Azerbaijan
Aznar Asc
Strategic Direction
·
AzNar ASC entered
fruit/vegetable juice market with pomegranate juice products in various
categories. The company’s short-term strategic direction is to increase its
number of pomegranate plantations, and introduce new technologies, thereby
raising the quality and extending the assortment of its products, and to expand
its distribution network. The company is also interested in finding
international partners to grow its business.
Key Facts
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Full name
of company:
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AzNar ASC
|
|
Address:
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Mirza Shafi
12, Baku AZ1095, Azerbaijan
|
|
Tel:
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+994 (12)9
235 32
|
|
Fax:
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+994 (12)9
200 21
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www:
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www.aznar.az
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Activities:
|
Producer of
juice, table sauces
|
Source: Euromonitor International from
company reports
Company Background
·
The company was previously
known as Geokchai Canned Factory (Geokchai is a district of Azerbaijan, known
for its various types of pomegranate). Geokchai Canned Factory was founded in
1978.
·
By 1984, the factory’s products
were distributed to all republics and regions of the former Soviet Union,
winning prestigious awards in the biggest international contests. The collapse of
the Soviet Union and subsequent slump in production affected the factory
strongly. However, in early 2006, the factory was revived as AzNar Geokchai
Canned Factory (AzNar ASC).
·
AzNar ASC offers consumers a
wide spectrum of products designed both for individual and wholesale buyers.
The company’s manufacturing capacity extends beyond juice products, into
pomegranate table sauces.
·
At the end of the review
period, the company still had only regional coverage, concentrated in Geokchai,
Baku and other cities. However, the company plans to develop nationwide
coverage, although it faces strong domestic competitors specialising in the
production of natural pomegranate juice, including the producers of the O’Grae,
Jale, Dadmali, and Sonti brands.
·
Having restored the activity of
the factory, AzNar is planning to plant new pomegranate gardens to replace cut
down plantations. It aims to offer consumers in Azerbaijan natural juice
products without chemical preservatives, artificial colours or flavours. The
company supplies juice in a variety of glass jar sizes and pure juice or
concentrated juice in 220 litre barrels.
·
Geokchai’s pomegranates enjoy
international recognition and they are regarded as "the true Azerbaijani
pomegranates”. The secret of the taste and guaranteed quality of Geokchai
pomegranates lies in the district’s unique microclimate and soil composition.
·
AzNar’s laboratory is an
important element in the factory’s quality management system: it provides
complex chemical, technical and bacteriological controls. The laboratory is
equipped with the most advanced equipment.
Production
·
The company supplies the
domestic market with juice, freshly squeezed without any additives, made from
local pomegranates.
·
AzNar’s modern manufacturing
facility includes the following technological elements: three lines of raw
material primary processing with a total output of 20 tonnes per hour and
equipment for juice processing and ultra-filtration; a line of juice processing
and storage in aseptic containers; two lines of spreading capacity in glass
bottles in 1-litre, 0.75-litre, 0.33-litre and 0.25-litre packages; and a
production sector for pomegranate table sauces.
·
The company’s production
capacity consists of pomegranate juice and table sauces. Juice accounts for a
45% share of total production while table sauces accounts for 55% of total
production. In 2007, the company upgraded its manufacturing facilities by
purchasing modern technological equipment from leading European companies:
Bertucci (Italy), and Rieckermann and Schmidt (Germany). This provided the
company with a completely computerised complex for the production of natural
and concentrated juice meeting the highest branch, technological and hygiene
standards. This upgrade impacted the company’s sales shares. The modern
processing system provides the juice with all the organoleptic properties
(taste, colour, odour, consistence) of fresh juice and conserves all natural
biochemical elements of pomegranate.
·
AzNar’s factory cooperates with
domestic wholesalers and trading networks, as well as companies that have their
own factories and juice packing lines. Additionally, the company has
established relationships with neighbouring markets.
·
The company does not
manufacture products for third parties, either under licence for branded
players or private label items for large retailers.
·
The company provides modern
technologies and upgraded manufacturing facilities, and it cooperates with
pomegranate specialists in other companies. AzNar aims to offer consumers in
Azerbaijan juice that has the unique taste and natural properties of the
legendary Azerbaijani pomegranates. It also aims to expand this offer to
international markets.
Competitive Positioning
·
The company entered
fruit/vegetable juice in Azerbaijan in 2008. It quickly gained almost a 1%
share of off-trade value sales in fruit/vegetable juice in 2008, to emerge as
the 15th ranked player in this category.
·
The company could grow its
shares in the short-to-medium term, largely through expansion in terms of
distribution and flavours.
·
The company is positioned in a
relatively mature, yet dynamic soft drinks category.
·
While the company has narrow
branding, it offers a wide range of product types, such as natural pomegranate
juice (100%) pomegranate juice with sugar syrup, concentrated pomegranate juice
and natural quince juice. However, it still lacks a wide distribution network,
partly because of the dominant activity of the main brands.
·
The company positions its
products in the economy segment, although it is increasing its range of juice
product types.
·
The company successfully
follows market developments, brings innovation in terms of the naturalness of
pomegranate and quince juice products. It is striving to maintain and improve
its position in the very competitive fruit/vegetable juice category in
Azerbaijan.
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Product
type
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Value share
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Rank
|
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Fruit/vegetable
juice
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0.5%
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15
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Source: Euromonitor International
