• Investments to boost the specialisation of the production centres exceeded 17 million euros.
• Importaco has approved a new strategic plan to increase its turnover in nuts by 25%.
• Importaco’s activity in innovation represents 5.4% of its sales with 189 launches in the markets of Spain, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Scandinavia.

Importaco, a global food company specialised in nuts and mineral water, has achieved a turnover of 745 million euros in 2022, 9% more than in 2021. This increase is due to the commercialization of higher value-added products and the increase in the price of raw materials.

Net profit was €3.5m, 69% lower than in 2021. This decrease was mainly driven by the fact that higher energy, transportation and raw material costs have not been transmitted to customers to contain the increase in food prices. In this regard, operating costs have increased by 7.5% compared to 2021.

“2022 has been a complicated year in economic and social terms. However, we remain committed to the development of Importaco through constant investment in our production centres. We have an ambitious plan for the coming years that will allow us to reinforce our leadership in the food industry through the nuts and mineral water markets” said Toño Pons, president of Importaco.

Importaco has invested more than 17.5 million euros. These investments have been mainly dedicated to production centres, 33% to quality, efficiency and specialisation projects and 67% to commercial development, digital transformation, people and sustainability. The most important investment in the 2022 financial year was the sectorisation and expansion of the production capacity of the Importaco factory in Poland, where more than 2 million euros have been invested.

Evolution by business

In Nuts, 105.2 million kilos were produced, a reduction of 9% compared to 2021. This decline is in line with the reduction in nut consumption in Europe (1) as a result of rising food prices. “This situation has meant that consumers are concentrating their shopping and choosing cheaper products, which affects the higher value and impulse categories such as nuts and dried fruit” explained Toño Pons. The investment in this business has exceeded 15 million euros.

In Natural Drinks, Importaco maintains its second position as the second national company dedicated to mineral water, with a volume of 880.8 million litres, 9% more than the previous year. With regarding investments, 2.5 million euros have been invested.

Approval of a new strategic plan

In 2022, Importaco approved a new strategic plan for the development of the Dried Fruit business for the period 2023-2025. The company’s objective is to grow by 25% over the next three years in this business, reaching a volume of 130 million kilos of nuts and dried fruit. Importaco’s activity will continue to focus on the Retail, Industry and Food Service markets through innovative and value-added product ranges, produced with the highest quality and sustainability standards. This plan includes an investment volume of 60 million euros over the next few years.

Commitment to healthy innovation

Importaco’s activity in innovation represents 5.4% of the group’s sales, a total of 40 million euros. During 2022, Importaco’s activity in innovation was recognised by the Camp de Morvedre Business Association.

In 2022, 189 new products were launched in retail and industrial markets, mainly in Spain, the UK, the Netherlands and Scandinavia. These launches are characterised by improvements in nutritional profiles for reduced fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) and the development of new ranges of nut spreads and sports nutrition with plant-based proteins. In the ingredients market, new developments have focused on the creation and application of nut pastes in sectors such as ice cream, confectionery and bakery.

Progress in sustainability

Importaco has made progress in its sustainability strategy through decarbonisation projects with the reduction of its emissions by 10% with respect to 2021 and through an investment of 2.2 million euros to achieve 13% of self-consumption in its production centres.

In sustainable agriculture, the company has succeeded in certifying Importaco Terra’s La Guita Farm in Farm Sustainable Agriculture, being the first almond plantation certified in Spain. In terms of personnel, the workforce has increased to 2311 professionals and women occupy more than 40% of the pre-management and management positions.

(1) According to data from Circana and Nielsen IQ TAM13 2022, the evolution of nut consumption in the countries where Importaco is active: Europe (-6.5%), United Kingdom (-5%), Italy (-4%), Germany (-11%), France (-22%), Spain (-1%).