FRUIT, VEGETABLES AND WATER – THE FUNDAMENTAL SOURCES OF NUTRITION, HYDRATION AND PLEASURE – ARE OUR INSPIRATION. AS A COMPANY KNOWN WORLDWIDE FOR ITS FRUIT AND VEGETABLE SOFT DRINKS, OUR AMBITION IS TO OFFER A UNIQUE AND INNOVATIVE RANGE OF BRANDS IN A VARIETY OF PHENOMENAL FLAVOURS, AND TO CONTRIBUTE TO A MORE SUSTAINABLE WORLD EVERY DAY.
Our aim at Sumol+Compal is to have a positive impact on society and we believe that innovation is one of the biggest tools to achieve this. That is why we work every day to develop the best options to fit our consumers’ needs for a balanced diet and lifestyle. Our ambition is to create a world where people can live healthier and happier lives.
Innovation has always driven growth at Sumol+Compal. Innovation’s strategic contribution to the renewal of the business and its closer alignment with the needs of our markets (particularly those outside Portugal) is seen as crucial. This culture of innovation – based on an experimental and entrepreneurial mindset – runs through the
organisation and is applied in our day-to-day operations: taking risks and being prepared to make mistakes are seen as stepping stones to success.
Our ability to understand the consumers and to identify their current and future needs has ensured that our brands remain up to date, relevant and unique. This is only possible because we put the consumer at the centre of everything we do – especially in innovation. We use advanced research techniques to get to know who our consumers really are and to develop insights that show us new approaches to their needs. It is this obsession with our consumers that sets us apart and drives us on to develop new
concepts and to question business models, processes, technologies, etc…
Our innovation team is outstanding, with experts in technical development, sourcing and marketing. Their experience and know-how really make the difference. And their achievements speak for themselves: 400 new recipes developed each year, leading to new flavours and experiences, new concepts and improvements to existing recipes in the portfolio. This is only possible because we are passionate about what we do. Creating new products to surprise our consumers is something we get excited about.
But passion is not enough. Curiosity to learn more and the assumption that we should listen and learn from our stakeholders are also crucial. Working closely with our suppliers allows us to discover new varieties of fruit and new ways of mixing them together to create different textures and different taste experiences, namely in fruit juices and nectars. It is an ongoing quest for taste superiority throughout all of our brands’ portfolio.
We believe in driving innovation through partnerships – and this forms the basis of how we work with our long-standing suppliers. Looking to the future, we want to keep boosting innovation and we challenge entrepreneurs to join us on this mission. One example of our approach is the Centro de Frutologia Compal (CFC), a unique training in Portugal where young fruit entrepreneurs are given theoretical and practical training. Over eight (8) years, the CFC Academy has already trained 84 fruit entrepreneurs whose ambitions are to develop their own businesses. Overall, the CFC has provided over 400 hours of training in partnership with around 130 companies, educational institutions, public entities, agricultural technicians and diverse specialists in different areas.
Our commitment to the planet and to our consumers runs through the entire value chain. SUMOL+COMPAL has always been concerned about contributing to the development of the Portuguese economy, creating close ties to local communities and maximizing the amount of locally produced fruit and vegetables in our products.
It is our constant desire to innovate in everything we do that allows us to keep growing in a sustainable way. Innovation goes beyond new products, so we are working hard to revolutionize our production processes by using the most modern equipment. Management of our supply chain is also being transformed through automated warehouses and advanced technologies like 5G to improve operations. We also believe that this digital transformation will shape our relationships with our customers, so we are creating a completely new model that will increase the amount of value generated within the business.
We are a proud Portuguese company with international ambitions. Our brands have established a strong emotional link with Portuguese consumers over the last 70 years, and we are proud of this history and our achievements. We want future generations to feel the same.
It is in our nature to shape the future every day.
