Nova Food is a new and promising player in the ice cream market and beyond.

Nova Food is a new and promising player in the Ukrainian market. The company specializes in the production of confectionery products for enterprises involved in ice cream production. The company was founded in May 2021 and within two years successfully implemented a project to commission production facilities and completed the construction of its own warehouse logistics. During this period, the company made significant investments in the purchase and installation of the necessary modern equipment for the production of special confectionery products, which allowed it to effectively integrate into the existing market. Nova Food focuses on developing optimal solutions for the needs of ice cream manufacturers and aims to become a leader in B2B solutions for this market. We spoke with Oleksandr Kobetyak, co-founder and director of Nova Food LLC, about the company's work during the war, the intricacies and nuances of doing business, competitive advantages, product range, and plans.

– Oleksandr, please tell us how 2022 turned out for your company, what difficulties you faced, and how you managed to keep production going.

– I would like to note that 2022 was an extremely difficult year for our company, as it was for most businesses in our country. We had to face great difficulties caused by the consequences of Russia's military aggression against Ukraine. However, thanks to careful planning and prompt actions of our team, we were able to preserve our assets and team and successfully launch production.

At the end of February 2022, we completed the process of receiving some of the main items of production equipment from a manufacturer in Germany. At the same time, we worked with a logistics operator and freight carriers to charter trucks to deliver the line to the Nova Food plant (Lviv region). This delivery was scheduled for February 25, which obviously did not happen due to the outbreak of full-scale war during those days.

I will not hide the fact that during this period, as shareholders of a newly created business, we considered alternative options for continuing the production launch process, including relocating production facilities, for example, to a safe territory in one of the neighboring European countries.

After a short period of time, we rejected these ideas, as our united team had a strong desire to work and develop for the benefit of our homeland, especially at such a critical time for it. Our efforts were focused on the successful launch of production and its further development.

Of course, the war provoked a number of other negative factors that created difficulties for the timely launch of production. Examples of such factors include the categorical refusal of foreign specialists to come to supervise the installation of equipment, interruptions in the supply of electricity, a significant increase in the cost of foreign currency, and so on.

Despite all the challenges of the time, we were able to overcome the difficulties and ensure the stable operation of our company. We used various strategies, such as attracting local specialists and reducing our dependence on foreign specialists.

We also made significant efforts to improve infrastructure and secure alternative sources of electricity for production. Our efforts paid off, and we were happy to see our company gaining momentum and developing.

– How would you describe the market segment in which your company operates? Is there a lot of competition?

Our company, Nova Food, has focused its efforts on the market for sugar wafer cones, sandwich ice cream cookies, and sugar-coated cookies used as an accompaniment to ice cream. As of today, there are several manufacturers of this type of product on the market, and of course, there is moderate competition in this market. Our competitors are competent and experienced market players, which further motivates our company to constantly work on improvements and enhance our own efficiency.

Our goal is to offer our customers the optimal combination of a high-quality product, active participation in a consolidated R&D process, and a favorable and transparent pricing policy.

To achieve this goal, our company has a full set of tools at its disposal, from the most modern energy-efficient equipment from leading European manufacturers to the specialized experience and expertise of our management.

– Who does your company currently cooperate with? Do you have partners abroad?

– Today, our company cooperates with industrial ice cream manufacturers both in Ukraine and abroad. The total production capacity is over 100 million waffle cones and over 3,500 tons of cookies annually. And we aim to increase our productivity in the near future by making additional investments.

I would like to note that we also cooperate with several wholesale distributors who are involved in the sale of our products on the HoReCa market. Our customers are located both in Ukraine and abroad, in particular in Poland, Lithuania, and other European countries.

We are also establishing future cooperation with companies from African countries in order to level out the impact of seasonality.

– Could you tell us more about the range of products for ice cream production that can currently be ordered from you?

– Nova Food offers a wide range of confectionery products for ice cream production, which are available for order in the B2B sector. Our sugar waffle cones are available in various sizes, starting from the smallest size of 100 mm in length, which is a unique opportunity on the Ukrainian market. In addition, we have installed several production lines for the manufacture of cookies of various shapes and sizes for use as sandwich ice cream toppings or as unique fillings and sprinkles.

We also have plans to enter the retail sales segment with our own B2C products. To this end, we have invested in additional packaging equipment to ensure the highest quality products for our customers. We are working to expand our product range and increase its diversity to meet the different needs of our customers.

– Did you introduce any new products for the 2023 season, and if so, could you tell us about them?

– The new products we offered at the beginning of the 2023 season were related to expanding the range of products for ice cream manufacturers. In particular, new solutions were offered to the market in the segment of sandwich ice cream cookies and non-standard products as additives and fillers. Some of these products have been successfully integrated into ice cream production by our partners.

Currently, our specialists continue to work on the development of new products for the ice cream sector. We are focused on expanding our offering and providing our customers with new opportunities to create unique and original products. We are confident that our new products will be successfully introduced to the market and will find their fans among ice cream manufacturers.

– Do you have any difficulties with raw materials, equipment, or packaging for the production of cones and cookies for ice cream sandwiches?

– Of course, as with any other business in Ukraine, our company constantly faces certain difficulties and challenges in its operations.

However, these risks and the efforts made to hedge them are not comparable to those that had to be applied in the first months of the full-scale war, which coincided with the launch of our business case.

We constantly monitor market trends and changes in the food industry so that we are always prepared for challenges that may arise in relation to the supply of raw materials, energy, or packaging. In addition, we regularly audit our suppliers and check their quality so that we can respond quickly and effectively to any problems.

– Do you have plans to expand production and product range?

– Yes, our company is constantly working to expand production and product range. We are always open to new ideas and opportunities to improve and develop our business. Our specialists constantly analyze the market, including global trends, and take into account the needs of consumers to provide them with high-quality and tasty products.

In particular, we plan to expand the range of our products, which are currently the mainstay of our portfolio. In addition, we also plan to open new production facilities, which will increase production volumes and ensure high-quality products for our customers.