Driven by its core values of creating high quality, value for money products of a wide variety for its customers, Signature Snacks has not let its infancy in the convenience food market affect its aspirations to become the number one brand across all categories of premium snacks.
PREMIUM SNACKS AT PREMIUM QUALITY
Starting the construction of its 86,000 square foot factory just three years ago, and commencing production in January, 2015, the Company has secured all the relevant approvals to successfully fuel its dream of exporting snack products to international markets, while cementing the Signature Snacks brand locally as a name known for having one of the best manufacturing facilities in Dubai.
“We currently hold HACCP, ISO 22000, BRC, IFS and HALAL certifications, as well as the recent award of +A grade from Dubai Municipality for our manufacturing facilities; the same grade as some of the world’s biggest brands who have operations in the Middle East,” Mazen Nabulsi, General Manager of Signature Snacks proudly notes.
After showcasing some of its new products at the recent Gulfood 2016 exhibition, the Company has big plans to utilise this exposure as a springboard to continue building awareness of its brands on an international scale and to bolster the Signature Snacks name around the world.
ADDING PREMIUM
With a current premium snack range comprised of a large selection of biscuits, cookies, crackers, and wafers across 11 sub-brand categories, Signature snacks has placed emphasis on market research to ensure that the latest industry trends are continuously monitored and its products remain relevant to the customer. One of the ways in which the Company achieves this is by attending trade shows; guaranteed to offer exciting interaction with clients, an insight into the competition and offering the perfect environment for the formation of new business relationships.
“At this year’s Gulfood, we revealed some of our additional premium categories to potential clients for the first time; such as dates and nuts. Trade shows have been extremely important to building a name for ourselves in the industry in such a short space of time and we have participated in many international shows in the past year, including Gulfood, ISM, SIAL and PLMA,” says Nabulsi.
“This year, however, we are expanding our presence and will participate in even bigger global events such as Africa’s Big Seven and Moscow Trade Show.”
With the ultimate aim to benchmark its products on the world’s premium snack leaders, Signature Snacks has so far penetrated 65 countries, achieved through heavy investment in trade spend including below the line (BTL) activities to promote and build the Company brands on a global scale.
He further details: “Based on the efforts of our growing sales team and deploying a comprehensive sales strategy, we are aiming to roll out our portfolio in an additional 35 countries this year; placing particular emphasis on Africa and CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) to reach our goal of seeing Signature Snacks’ products in 100 markets worldwide.
“To facilitate both this target and our new product range, we will be expanding our production capacity and warehouse facilities to cater for our growth trajectory. Machines to support the production of dates and nuts have been purchased, in addition to the proper warehouse storage, production areas and cold stores.”
ABOVE STANDARD
Backed by a dedicated team of senior staff who share decades of experience in the snack market, the Company has been able to add value to its offering by imparting a huge amount of industry knowledge onto its workforce.
“We constantly update our procedures and trainings to reflect any regulatory changes and to also continuously improve our own standards. This is a vital differentiator that cements our relationship with prestigious suppliers, and garners international respect from longstanding and prospective clients,” says Nabulsi.
Demonstrating awareness that both a local corporate social responsibility programme and local supply chain is crucial to securing long-term sustainability, Signature Snacks has begun following in the footsteps of many well-known conglomerates by reaping the benefits of working with approved local suppliers.
He explains: “As a local producer, we have excellent relationships with our local suppliers and as our business grows, we hope to build on the momentum we already have. Where the quality meets Company product standards/measures, an approved local supplier in fact offers us several advantages such as quick dispatch, credit facility and easy payments.”
Keenly focused on growing both its product range in line with industry trends and further rooting its supply chain locally, Signature Snacks has all the core business elements in place to unlock new market potential.
Nabulsi concludes: “Going forward, we have a very aggressive plan to penetrate remaining untapped MENA countries and beyond to achieve our goal of Signature Snacks’ products in 100 markets.”
