Premiere for the big step of Kozani Alfa Pastry in the USA

By George Lampiris

Alfa Pastry, owned by the Koukoutari family based in Kozani and active in the frozen dough products, premiered the big step in the United States market. The company, which has set up a holding company in the United States, had delayed its activation and its actual start-up there, given the conditions brought about by the pandemic worldwide. However, this step was taken at the end of 2021. The company currently earns 44% of its total sales through its exports, participating in international exhibitions to attract new customers and maintaining displacement in several countries around the world. In the USA, Alfa Pastry has created Alfa Holdings USA based in Virginia, USA, which aims to participate in the share capital of other companies. The participation of the pastry industry from Kozani amounts to 100%. At the same time, Alfa Holdings holds a 49% stake in Delaware-based Kouzina Foods LLC, which specializes in trading frozen foods, specifically products produced by Alfa Pastry. The “Kouzina” brand is used for their distribution and marketing.

New investment program for the addition of production lines amounting to 5.5 million euros

It is noted that the company within the first quarter of 2022 began to invest again in Greece, with the implementation of an investment plan budget of 5.5 million euros that concerns the expansion of production lines that it maintains at its factory in Kozani. It was preceded by investments of 2 million euros in mechanical equipment that started and were completed in 2021.

As part of the wider expansion of the company, in 2021 Alfa Pastry was strengthened by 4% in human resources and by 4.5% in the first quarter of 2022.

Absorption of part of the costs resulting from high inflation

Alfa has been trying to absorb most of the increased costs of its products by making moves to mitigate the effects of the Russia-Ukraine war, which is the result of strong inflation.

Turnover at 44 million euros with a growth of 21% and a gross margin of 11%

The company in 2021 managed to significantly increase its turnover to 44.08 million euros from 36.5 million euros in 2020, running with a growth rate of 21%. The gross profit margin in 2021 was at the level of 39% with the gross results amounting to 17.3 million euros, while the margin at the level of net results before taxes was 11% and the relative amount amounted to 5 million euros.

At the same time the Alfa group had at the end of 2021 equity 41.36 million euros, compared to 37.06 million euros in 2020. It should be noted that during 2021 Alfa Pastry – as it states – continued to is in first place in terms of units in volume and value of sales in supermarkets and especially in the category of frozen dough products, having surpassed the previous, first in the category, Golden Dough.