Animal Feed is on the Move in Poland
To encourage the success of animal feed dealers, Cargill provides trucks and tools to establish an innovative delivery service.
January 01, 2015
In the early 2000s, Cargill introduced its brand of Nutrena® specialty animal feeds to a new market: Poland. At the time, the company was operating several locations across the country, most of which focused on the company’s work in animal nutrition. With plans to widely distribute its popular, high-quality Nutrena products, Cargill first had to develop a trusted network of dealers.
After several years of building those relationships, the company addressed logistical challenges. Given the high volumes of feed consumed on farms, dealers needed to ship large deliveries to rural villages on a regular basis. To help its dealers succeed, Cargill launched an innovative program, designed to draw new feed customers, increase profits and keep pace with growing demand.
The initiative was a comprehensive mobile distribution program, which enabled dealers to better deliver on their customers’ unique needs. First, Cargill and its network of dealers invested in trucks to haul deliveries more quickly and efficiently. It was instantly successful, providing customers with both convenience and consistency. Dealers were able to deliver feed directly to their doors—always on the same day, at the same time. “I was not convinced at first, but now I see it differently,” said Bogdon Styperek, a dealer who owns a store in the Polish village of Nochowo. “I hit five or six villages per day, and business got better each day. Most were new customers who had never shopped at our store.”
Year by year the program evolved, equipping dealers with new tools like training materials, promotional campaigns and uniforms for mobile salesmen. Cargill even commissioned a Polish composer to write a distinctive 15-second jingle to play as the truck pulled into town. There are now more than 260 mobile trucks on Poland’s roads serving thousands of customers. And as their needs continue to change, Cargill remains focused on providing its network of dealers with the resources and products they need to be successful.
[video caption] Thousands of customers listen for the distinctive jingle that plays from Nutrena trucks as they roll into town with new deliveries.