Successfully Got Going
Interview with Andrej Volynec, Managing Director of Quarki fresh food GmbH
Milk – a cultural asset and high-quality food that contains a variety of nutrients. Milk provides valuable protein, calcium, iodine, vitamin B2, and B12. For many people, the daily consumption of dairy products is a matter of course. Quarki fresh food GmbH in Berlin is familiar with a variety of dairy products. Quark, kefir, and co. are based on Eastern European recipes and are naturally different from others.
Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Volnyec, milk is on everyone's lips – in more ways than one. The processing of milk has a long tradition, at the same time dairy products are trend indicators and not uncontroversial. How does Quarki fresh food manage to succeed in the competitive market?
Andrej Volnyec: We focus on innovation, observe trends, and respond quickly. This way, we can continually introduce new products into the market that meet the needs of consumers.
Wirtschaftsforum: Quarki embraces trends while being rooted in Eastern European traditions. This mix of tradition and modernity is an important characteristic. How did this come about?
Ingo Straub: Quarki fresh food is a family business specializing in dairy products from Eastern Europe. With this, we operate in a steadily growing market. The company was founded in 2004 by my father; I have been involved from the beginning and have been managing director for five years. We started with our own production facility. Since 2017, production has been outsourced to selected partners, while at the same time we were able to expand our product range. Today, at our Berlin location, we employ seven staff and generate about 20 million EUR in sales.
Wirtschaftsforum: They emphasize that innovation is crucial to successfully position oneself in the market. What does the product line look like today, and what innovations are in the pipeline?
Andrej Volynec: Our roots are in Eastern European cuisine; that's why core products like quark, kefir, sour cream, and quark bars differ in structure and taste from conventional dairy products. We occupy a niche with great potential. Our products have a nostalgic note and particularly appeal to people from Eastern Europe, whose numbers in Germany are steadily increasing. Not least due to the war in Ukraine, many Ukrainians have settled in Germany, who appreciate our products. However, we are not only focusing on this target group; we also want to excite German consumers about Eastern European cuisine. In the fresh food sector, we have already successfully established ourselves, and now we are focusing on the frozen food sector. There are new products like ice cream and protein quark bars as well as ideas in the vegan range like vegan cream. However, we are still in the development stage and will expand the range step by step. Since we want to keep our corporate organization lean, we work with external specialists in development.
Wirtschaftsforum: Quarki supplies all major retail chains in Germany and was one of the first niche providers to be listed at Kaufland. What challenges arise in positioning oneself in the market?
Andrej Volynec: In addition to the fact that one must react quickly and flexibly to trends, it is crucial to strictly adhere to schedules from production to delivery, thus ensuring the quality of the goods. We deal with perishable fresh products, and cold chains play a decisive role. Because we place great value on authentic, natural products and, for example, do not use preservatives, the shelf life is limited and one must be quick. In day-to-day business, this is the biggest challenge.
Wirtschaftsforum: You have quantified the turnover at 20 million EUR. Is this a fixed figure from previous years, or have there been fluctuations?
Andrej Volynec: In 2023, we had high demand for sunflower oil; this has since changed, and turnover has decreased. However, in the main business of dairy products, the development is consistently positive; here we want to continue growing with new products.
Wirtschaftsforum: Communication is essential to establish new products on the market. Which marketing tools have proven effective in the past?
Andrey Volynec: We have tried many things and found that campaigns on social media and promotional deals in retail provide the greatest added value for us.
Wirtschaftsforum: Quarki aims to continue growing. Are there specific goals, and what success factors do you rely on?
Andrej Volynec: Our goal is to continue growing internationally and to excite customers in Europe with healthy products. Consumers have become more open-minded; consequently, we see good opportunities for our niche products that harmoniously combine tradition and modernity and are simply delicious.