Fresh ideas from Prague

Download: Fresh ideas from Prague (PDF file)
Established by the Bouska family in 1994, the company is acquiring growing significance in the European pet supplies trade with its products. Vafo Praha is already represented in most countries in Europe. Apart from its own domestic market, the Czech pet food manufacturer counts France, Germany, Poland, Finland and Lithuania among its key markets. A new venture is its involvement in Italy, where Vafo Praha products have been distributed by Eagle Italia since the start of the year. The company is gaining a greater foothold outside the continent of Europe, too, and is already represented in Malaysia, India, Syria and Trinidad. This brings the number of countries in which Vafo Praha's products are distributed to 35.
Extensive range
One of the strengths of the company, which only employs 30 people in spite of its wide-ranging international presence, is its extensive range. Vafo Praha offers a broad spectrum of products in all price categories from economy to super-premium: "Astor" for dogs and "Mica" for cats in the economy category, "Brit" in the premium segment and "Brit Care" in the super-premium segment. The "Brit" label, the top-selling line accounting for 70 per cent of sales, also covers treats for dogs and cats. The company aims to create a new focus in the coming year with the introduction of a new treat line comprising extruded products.
The still relatively new "Brit Care" brand, which has been on the market since October 2007 for dogs and September 2008 for cats, is enjoying a strong upward trend. Both lines are oriented to the life cycles, breed and weight of individual pets. The range is completed by private label products, which are supplied to major retail chains at home and abroad. Vafo Praha's annual production capacity is 19 000 tonnes overall and growing, thanks to international expansion.
How does Vafo Praha explain its strong growth in recent years? Project manager Jakub Majer cites several reasons for its development: first, the freshness of the raw ingredients used in the products. These come predominantly from Czechia or other EU countries. The lamb used in the foods originates in New Zealand and is both BSE- and GMO-free, according to Vafo. The company points to the composition of the foods as another plus point: they are produced from entirely hypo-allergenic and highly digestible ingredients such as lamb, salmon, rice and potatoes. This careful selection of ingredients guarantees a high…