Radio Control Wholesale Distributors
Ceres Delivers Healthy Options and Sustainability
CERES ENTERPRISES LIMITED
“The secret behind our success is people. Giving people real creative space to work and letting them take hold of the company is the key driver to our success,” says Noel Josephson, Managing Director of Ceres Enterprises Limited. As the leading provider of organics in New Zealand, Ceres credits the people of its organization for its accomplishments. Ceres’ vision of offering healthy options and sustainability has been supported from its inception by like-minded people who share similar ideals.
Since 1982, Ceres has grown from a food co-op garage operation to a retail store, and ultimately into a distributor of organic and bio-dynamic products to supermarkets, wholesalers, manufacturers, co-ops, and health food shops. Organics is a growing market worldwide, but Ceres has always supported the whole spectrum of the field—from produce and dry goods to household cleaners and art supplies. The company’s own product line is constantly expanding, but this exponential growth has not prevented it from preserving its core values.
TURNING IDEALS INTO REALITIES
Josephson says, “The essence of Ceres is that it’s a company born of ethical ideals. Our vision is to turn those ethical ideals into reality and uphold them in the world.” The company has become successful by giving people space to create and room to contribute, and then recognizing their creativity and involvement. “One of the prime thrusts behind the company is recognizing people, and once you have good people, it’s amazing how you attract more good people,” Josephson adds.
Marketing Manager Monette Tiu says the company’s vitality is what drew her to Ceres. “The company is so dynamic. We do things very quickly and efficiently here. We come together, discuss ideas and just do it. It’s that dynamism and openness and not being afraid to do something that makes the culture so special. People here want to grow with the company.”
GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN
The theory of employing good people also extends to the company’s philosophy in the selection of vendors. Since Ceres is a certified organic company, all of the suppliers it works with are also certified organic ones. Tiu says the company chooses food suppliers both based on their ethics and on the products they grow. She says, “Even before fair trade became a buzz word that was already the philosophy of our trading and sourcing. We recently formalized that by becoming the first EcoSocial certified company in New Zealand. EcoSocial is based on organic principles and social justice—the same codes we live by and have followed from the start. We source everything ethically and fairly, respecting our suppliers while meeting the needs of our consumers.”
Ceres’ supply chain reaches across the globe. Josephson and other staff regularly visit farmers in different countries to ensure that the product they are purchasing is ethically sourced, socially responsible and bio-dynamically sustainable. Josephson has travelled to the highlands in Peru, among other destinations, to meet the farming families who supply the company’s quinoa. Ceres visits these farmers not only to ensure that its customers are receiving the utmost in quality, but also to learn from them and keep their traditional, organic practices alive.
INVESTING IN ORGANICS, INVESTING IN THE FUTURE
With increasing information being spread about the benefits of organics, Ceres’ business has expanded, and it is attaining its vision of bringing healthy options and sustainability to the community. Tiu says the key to spreading even more knowledge is the constant dissemination of information. Ceres invests five percent of sales back into the promotion of its business, and is the biggest media player in the New Zealand organics market, dominating print, television and radio. Its investment in brand promotion has resulted in consistent growth over the years, specifically a 27 percent growth from fiscal year 2009 to 2010.
“We’re here to provide people with knowledge about organics. Slowly but surely, we’re creeping into supermarkets, as consumers want to see our products when they shop. We have talented merchandisers and a sales team who are pounding on the doors to get these products to retailers,” Tiu says. Ceres is quick to admit, though, that the core focus is pushing substantial information about organic products, not just the brand.
In addition to its education and marketing initiatives, Ceres is constantly making investments into developing its product line. Since little has to be spent on product development, the company searches for new organic products that are alternatives to mainstream ones. To compete with the massive snacking industry, for instance, Ceres recently launched a line of organic rice chips and rice crackers that deliver nutrition while maintaining flavor.
The company has also recently invested in a new ERP system that monitors batch tracking and controls all of the products that are coming in and going out of the warehouse. “We’ve outgrown the small business system. Now we need to get into more advanced technology to be able to keep up with our growth and what we see as a growing market demand for our products,” says Tiu. “We’re doing improvements in infrastructure, but maintaining the very core of what we started with.” Going forward, Ceres plans on maintaining its leading status in New Zealand, but is looking to enter into new markets like Australia.
Tiu adds, “As with every other company, we’re trying to improve our efficiencies, which is why we’re implementing these investments in technology. We are trying to match up who we are as a company against what’s going on in the world. Profits don’t drive our business, but rather trying to maintain the health of the community. That’s been the thrust of Ceres from the beginning. We want to be able to keep up and maintain that.”
About the Author
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