“Speed will be our first issue“

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“Tolsa’s aim in the next few years is to develop from being a cat litter manufacturer into a leading international pet care supplier,” explains Enrique Gómez Navarro, general manager of the Tolsa Group, in conversation with PET worldwide. The company achieved sales of € 170 mio in 2008 and it intends to base its future growth above all on continuous innovation and maximum efficiency. The Tolsa Group views a high level of commitment to its customers as a priority: “The customer is the reason why our group exists. Satisfying and even exceeding their expectations is what our work is based on,” says Enrique Gómez Navarro. “Reacting flexibly to market trends” The Spanish group aims to react more swiftly and flexibly to current market trends than in the past. “Speed will be our first issue. We are flexible in our work and we are prepared to redefine it when necessary,” stresses Enrique Gómez Navarro. The company’s decision to launch a cat food line in the Italian market, where Tolsa’s “Sanicat” is the leading cat litter brand, at the beginning of this year is in line with this aim. “In most European countries, the cat is the most important pet. As a leading manufacturer of cat litter, we see great potential for our group of companies to score a success with cat food also,” Enrique Gómez Navarro states. The new cat food line, also marketed under the “Sanicat” brand, includes both dry and moist food and is positioned in the premium segment. Tolsa intends to launch the new cat food in some eastern European countries too, and it has already made a start in Poland. In the future, Tolsa wants to invest more heavily than before in its own brands. Sales of its own cat litter currently account for only 25 per cent of its overall pet sales, whereas its private label business with large retail chains is responsible for 63 per cent. This change of tack became clear at the last Interzoo, at which the company presented a new professional cat litter for the speciality trade under the “Sanicat” label. To strengthen its position in the pet supplies trade further, Tolsa offers pet stores new product displays, explanatory posters and various point-of-sale materials. Speedy European growth Tolsa’s development constitutes an ongoing success story. Established in 1957, the Madrid-based group now employs over 920 people, 670 of whom are engaged in the cat litter business. As well as consumer products for pets, which account for 70…