At the heart of the Netherlands

“Everything under one roof” could be the motto of Dutch firm Prins Petfoods. The company’s site in Veenendaal in the heart of Holland houses not only its marketing and sales department, laboratories and other offices, but also the plant in which its various dog and cat food products are manufactured. Situated opposite this is the EduPet-Education Center, a newly constructed building in which courses and seminars are run on a daily basis for pet owners, retailers and breeders. This concentration on one site and the fact that the company has been owned by one family for fifty years may have helped to position Prins Petfoods in the top echelon of pet food manufacturers in the fiercely contested Dutch market. “We currently supply all the large chains in Holland as well as many smaller businesses too,” says Marlou Mulders, sales & marketing manager at Prins. The company is committed above all to the natural character of its products. The food-grade quality of all the raw and other ingredients used is guaranteed by the GMP+ certificate (Good Manufacturing Practice System), as is the related quality control inspection. A good product at a reasonable price The company has recently seen growing sales of its dry pellets in particular. “We generate around 50 per cent of our sales from these products at the moment,” says Mulders. Last year sales leapt by nearly 40 per cent, but notwithstanding this pleasing development, the company is not out for profit at any price. “We don’t want to sell our products at a loss,” explains Mulders. “For this reason we repeatedly try to explain to our retailers how important a sensible price is for their profit margin too.” Prins Petfoods has now also brought out a new veterinary line with added benefits for dogs and cats exclusively for pet product retailers. The company has remained true to its principles with the pricing policy for this line. “Anyone wanting to sell these products must sign a contract with Prins to say that they will only sell the product at a price set by us,” says Mulders. The company’s restrictive approach appears to be paying off, and expansion beyond the Netherlands’ borders looks likely. “At present we transact 80 per cent of our sales in the Netherlands, 10 per cent in Belgium and another 10 per cent in Germany.” The company is represented in its domestic market and in Belgium by its own sales staff, while sales in Germany are handled by a wholesaler. This is expected to change in the coming year…