Ferplast -The trend is innovation a partnership

It is obvious that everyone involved in the pet industry is familiar with Ferplast , its products and its philosophy. But will Ferplast continue to produce and market its products in the years to come just as they have done all the years In the past?

Today

Today Ferplast supplies a full assortment of pet products, which enables its customers to find nearly all the products they need, "under one roof." Keeping this strategy in mind, it is therefore not surprising that they have also launched a full line of aquariums and accessories. This commercial strategy is a huge advantage for the company as well as its customers. Customers. Customers will be able to order and have these orders delivered and invoiced from one address; on the other hand, it provides Ferplast with a huge efficiency advantage in the manufacture and delivery of these products. Due to this fact, and of curse as a result of having implemented the right logistic systems, they are able to deliver 96% of the products innovation and a broadening of the range, but also with an aggressive commercial strategy. In September the company opened a new commercial branch in Poland, a new addition to the well-established local offices and warehouses in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, ltaly and the Benelux. Last summer a showroom was opened in Japan, a country that has always shown a big interest in Ferplast products. In the near future a new plant in Slovakia will be started up, and with a surface area of 22,000  square metres, it will represent a huge investment that will allow Ferplast to be considered as a strategic partner of the Slovakian government. Together with the Ukraine facility, where all the soft bedding products and leads are produced, this new plant will enable the company to continue to offer high quality products at the right price. This has always been part of Ferplast's philosophy, together with the goal of exercising control over every single stage of the production cycle: from raw materials to finished product. Also the new range of aquariums and accessories are produced entirely at Ferplast, so that each and every element is built and tested to ensure the maximum product life and efficiency and that it complies with the strictest international safety regulations. The introduction of the new aquarium range on the market is proceeding entirely according to expectations.

The Future 

• By "the future," Ferplast means the coming 5 years.

First of all, part of its approach to the market is based on the following points:

Safety: the products must be safe for the pet and the consumer as well as for the staff in the production facilities;

• Quality: high quality products at a mid-range price.

Nearly all the quality control is done internally;

• Innovation: substantial investments in research and development;

• The highest level of service;

• Balance: the products, most of them made from chemical raw materials, must be in balance with the natural environment.

Therefore, it is not surprising for instance that the water used during production is fully recycled.

Regardless, as has been the case in the past, remaining focused on the consumer is naturally very important. However, the big difference between now and the past is that the attitude of the consumer continues to change rapidly and the requirements can vary even within one region in a certain country. For this reason, maintaining 100% control over production means a higher degree of flexibility.

Innovation

Review and research are a necessity at ferplast. The company is continually refining its products, inventing and designing new ones, observing animal behaviour in relation to the articles created for to promote their well-being and comfort. However, the company's ability to innovate and develop is mainly fuelled by its constant measurement of itself in relation to the outside world. Ferplast has shown it can seize upon opportunities presented by market trends, and often even anticipate them, so that on many occasions it has become the unrivalled trendsetter within the et industry. This ability to design and develop new products and concepts is the added value represented by the Ferplast brand. In this regard, it is worth repeating that many products are patented by Ferplast, which further confirms the level of innovation at the company.

And if being a leader means always capitalizing on market trends and discovering new business opportunities and new markets, then this is even further demonstrated by the company's decision to participate in the international Motor Show, which was held in Paris from 25 September through 10 October, by exhibiting a range of accessories especially designed for travel by car. The participation in this major exhibition was a success for the Italian company, and the public showed great interest in what Ferplast has to offer.

In addition to this, the company has also discovered, much as other parties in the pet industry have also done, that outdoor and traveling is a segment which will lead to all sorts of new and innovative products. With this outdoor and traveling segment approach it is able, for instance, to make projections involving the graying population which have enough time and money to spend on their pets. Therefore, even more innovations can be expected from Ferplast.

The development of partnerships with other corporate brands is a new phenomenon in the marketing world. A few well-known examples are for instance .

Philops/Douwe Egberts in Europe with the well-known Senseo coffee machine. Ferplast has been closely following the development of this partnership recently. In this regard, the company already has a partnership with Philips for the distribution of the TL lamps that are now required for its Cayman line of aquariums. The lamps are sold under the joint logos and brand names Philips and Ferplast. In addition to the strong image offered by the Philips logo, they also benefit from Philips' knowledge and expertise in the field of high quality lamps.

In addition, the company has a partnership with Walt Disney. Under both brands, Ferplast currently sells mainly small animal cages and classic carriers, which is a beginner's line for kids.

Design

We all know that Italians are well-known for their highly designed products. Up to the present. Ferplast has always had products with a good design. It is common knowledge that products that are well-designed sell better in the market than those that aren't. for this reason, Ferplast plans to spend much more time and dedication to finding the right design for it products or to re-style the design of exiting products.

Marketing and Brand

Due to the growth in the up-and-coming markets such as Eastern Europe, Russia and Asia, Ferplast will roll out its products in these regions as well. In spite of the fact that Ferplast is already a well-established brand and known by so many customers all over the globe, it plans to launch an aggressive communication strategy by 2005 to increase its brand awareness even further.

Therefore, we can conclude by saying that Ferplast has enjoyed a marvelous period up to now, however with its changing strategy, we can expect that the company has even more bright years awaiting it in the near future.

Main Facts of Ferplast:

R&D investments                       8%of the turnover

Registered patents                   over 30 in the last 3 years

Turnover in 2003                      87 millions of Euros

Growth trend 1999-2003                            +62%

Products in the catalogue                         over 1.600

Export                           80 countries in 5 continents

PETS International Magazine (ISSUE 8,2004)