“Golden Hundred of Polish Agriculture”: Awards for the agricultural industry awarded
“Wprost” has been rewarding the largest companies in the agri-food industry and leaders of individual segments for years. This year, the event was held under the slogan of the 10th anniversary of the largest Polish investments in the agricultural industry. The special award was given to the Polmlek Group, and the winner of this year’s ranking is the Cedrob Group.
This year’s gala took place at the castle in Gniew. The awards ceremony was opened by Katarzyna Gintrowska, president of PMPG Polskie Media SA. – Over these 10 years, the Polish agri-food industry has become the driving force of our exports – last year alone, the value of foreign sales exceeded PLN 230 billion. This is the result of the work of hundreds of thousands of farmers, entrepreneurs and employees who prove every day that Poland is a country flowing with milk and honey – literally. – said the president at the beginning of the event.
Then, Jerzy Borucki and Andrzeja Grabowski, owners of the Polmlek Group, spoke.
– I am glad that the largest companies building the Polish economy, Polish farmers, are with us, it all starts with you, you are the strength– said Andrzej Grabowski.
After these speeches, Adam Nowak, deputy minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, was invited to the stage: – This kaleidoscopic gala shows how the Polish economy has changed in recent years and how, thanks to investments and relations with external partners, this industry has promoted our country. We are pleased that among the hundred we have representatives of both the private and cooperative sectors, as well as those based on foreign capital, entities that often made various and very risky decisions. Being in this hundred shows that the decisions made were good – said the deputy minister.
Later, the results of the ranking were announced and awards were granted to individual industry leaders and entrepreneurs.
She was the winner of this year’s “Golden 100 of Polish Agriculture” ranking Cedrob Group.
Special Award, leader of strategy, development and innovation received by Polmlek Group. For 31 years, it has been a company that not only invests – in plants, people, research and development – but, above all, inspires. The company has created the most modern powder plant complex in Europe and a project to obtain lactoferrin – a protein of global importance that brings the Polish dairy industry into the era of medicine and biotechnology.
Polmlek also has 15 plants in Poland, 1,500 employees in Morocco and thousands of cooperating farmers.
During the event, awards were also presented in individual industry categories. Winner in the category: dairies became MLEKOVITA, and the award was received by its president – Dariusz Sapiński. Mlekovita products can be found in 167 countries around the world, and the network has over 15,000 suppliers – the company has achieved revenues exceeding PLN 10 billion.
Award in the category: distributors went to AGROLOK. This is a company that strives to support Polish farmers at every stage of their work with knowledge, experience and honesty – we heard from the stage. – I would like to thank all those who contributed to our success, and above all, our 120,000 partners – said Marek Tański, president of the company’s management board.
In category producers of plant protection products the award was granted to BASF Polska. The head of sales of Agricultural Solutions BASF Polska, Artur Juszczyński, when receiving the award, thanked employees for improving the quality of our agriculture over the years, but also his partners, distributors and, above all, farmers who use the company’s products.
In category sugar refineries the award went to: Krajowa Grupa Spożywcza SA Today it is not only the largest sugar producer in Poland, but also one of the key pillars of national food security. The Group includes seven modern sugar factories, including: in Krasnystaw, Dobrzelin, Nakło nad Notecią and Kluczewo, which annually process millions of tons of sugar beets from thousands of Polish growers.
In category support for Polish exports the award was given to Wiesław Różański from UPEMI. The award winner has been promoting domestic production on international markets for years, making it a symbol of quality and tradition. His vision and consistency made the Polish meat industry one of the pillars of export, recognizable and valued on all continents.
Statuette Innovation Leader went to Euromilk – for the EM Lizard robot. It’s a feed pushing robot. He supports breeders, cares for animal welfare and reduces the carbon footprint, and at the same time… works independently. The award was received by the company’s general director, Robert Szepietowski.
For the creation of as many as seven Industry Skills Centers related to the agri-food and biogas industries, an award in the category Education received Beata Matecka from the Business Consulting Group Capital Group.
In turn, the distinction “The Gold Standard of Investment in Safe Food Packaging” was awarded to TORPOL. This is a company that, thanks to obtaining the BRC certificate (high quality of food safety management) with an AA rating, joined the elite group of producers that meet the most stringent international food safety standards.
In category “Technologies for agriculture” the award was received by Frizo sp. z o. o. Today, it is a company with over 200 specialists – including 100 engineers – working in three production plants, creating modern ventilation, refrigeration and heating systems. It supports the dairy and food industries by providing solutions that allow production to be faster, safer and more ecological.
In the category “Multigenerational Farm of Tomorrow“the award went to the SNELA Agricultural Farm. The award was received by Mr. and Mrs. Maria and Sławomir Snela.
In turn, a distinction in the category “Ecology – Leader in the implementation of biogas plants in Poland” went to NaturalnaEnergia.plus. The award was received by the company’s sales director, Mr. Marek Poloch.
In the area “Ecology – Innovative ecological construction”the award went to the SKB Group . The statuette was received by Marek Ormański, commercial director at the SKB LDR Group. This company was appreciated for its environmentally friendly solutions. Today, the company not only implements sustainable construction projects, but also actively supports the energy transformation process of Poland by creating local biogas plants.
In category leader of the SME sector the award went to Romuald Wołyniec’s company SuperFarm. The leader in consumer sales of dairy products MLEKOVITA became the company. This is a company that is conquering the market at an impressive pace, almost doubling its revenues year to year – we heard from the stage.
In category “30th Anniversary Brand” the award went to Łaciaty – the brand of the Mlekpol cooperative. This brand is not afraid of challenges, combines tradition with innovation and has been gaining recognition both in Poland and around the world for years – already present in over 100 countries. Its success is proof that Polish quality can be a global standard, and consumer trust – the greatest reward – we heard in the company’s laudation.
Reward for Socially Responsible Companies went to Animex Foods Sp. zoo The award was presented by Katarzyna Kala-Kowalska, president of the management board of DS Smith Polska, and received by Marta Tworek, the representative of the management board for ESG of Animex Foods. The award was given because the company invests in sustainable technologies, modern plants and the circular economy, and builds a strong business without losing sight of people and the planet.
In category Local CSR Activities the award went to the Siarkopol Tarnobrzeg Group.
Statuette in the category Visionary and Industry Innovator in turn, it went to President Dariusz Sapiński from SM MLEKOVITA. “He is a strategist who thinks in terms of the entire market: he consolidates plants, builds a distribution network and introduces solutions that are ahead of trends. For him, a brand is not a logo, but a promise of quality, and innovation begins with the needs of the consumer,” we heard in the laudation.
Debate
During the event, there was also a debate “Used opportunities and missed opportunities. 10 years of Polish investments in the agri-food industry”, led by the managing editor of Wprost, Szymon Krawiec.
A description of the industry and the full ranking were also published in a special issue of “Wprost”, which was prepared for this event.
