"There is plenty of room to grow"  

Download: "There is plenty of room to grow" (.pdf file)Pet in Europe:Two years ago, Royal Canin announced its target of establishing 20 new production plants in just ten years. Have new factories opened this year, and what are your plans for the coming year?Pascal Jouannet:To continue to follow the rapid growth of our company, we need additional capacity. Therefore our plans of establishing 20 production units in strategically placed countries are in line with our global development plan. Currently three new plants will soon start to produce in the UK, Canada and Poland. Other projects have been initiated through land acquisition and preliminary plans in several other important countries, where our growth will be accelerated through local production.Pet in Europe:How did 2007 turn out for Royal Canin in retrospect?Pascal Jouannet:We are ahead of our strategic plan and still continue to enjoy double-digit growth through many new product introductions and major innovations. Our growth is not only taking place in newly developing countries but also in major developed countries. This is the key to our growth, as every year many additional consumers are convinced by our "Health Nutrition" approach, in which we have been and will continue to be a pioneer.Pet in Europe:In your opinion, how has the segment covering dry food for dogs and cats developed across Europe compared with moist food?Pascal Jouannet:We don't do such comparisons. There is plenty of room to grow for both based on the respective merits of both offers. However, dry food products still continue to develop, as the still low calorific coverage in many countries provides a great opportunity for growth for a nutritional brand like Royal Canin.Pet in Europe:What experience have you gained from the market launch of "Exclusive Proteins"?Pascal Jouannet:As this is a completely new approach in terms of dog nutrition and the "Exclusive Proteins" products have only recently been introduced, it is too early to provide a specific answer to this question. We will have to wait further to assess the full potential of this positioning. The initial response of the trade was highly supportive of this new product concept.Pet in Europe:How has Royal Canin supported the market introduction of this product range in the speciality trade and among consumers from the marketing point of view?Pascal Jouannet:The product range, developed by our R&D centre, is aimed at dogs with a high digestive or skin sensitivity…