"Start up" in a Warsaw studio apartment
A young couple, Justyna and Leszek Wąsowicz, together with a friend set up a company called "BONA" S.C. It was located on the third floor in a private apartment, and it was them and their friend who packed their first delicacies with their own hands. At the time, no one would have imagined that in 30 years the company would be a world-famous Polish importer of dried fruits and nuts, with a modern and one of the largest facilities in the industry in Europe, and its shares would be listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, which, incidentally, only have been operating for a year.
At the stake of life
Besides, there was no time to think about such distant perspectives. It was necessary to control the current dynamic development. The chance was enormous, but there were also threats. Our Entrepreneurial 20-year-olds put not only their ambitions and dreams at stake, but also their own and their loved ones' financial security. The company was created with its own bloodshed, without the patronage of any Business Angel or a rescue parachute.
New command center
Company's development could be seen from day to day. We are now moving to a rented place in Warsaw's Sadyba, and the company changes its name to "PH BONA Leszek Wąsowicz".
Very first employees
We have experience and gain reputability. Thanks to the positive welcome on the market, we hire our first permanent employees and we buy the first packing machine! We are changing the headquarters to a larger one, this time at Łopuszańska Street.
We are moving to a rented place in Wyględy (near Warsaw), where we hire more employees. In order to increase the effectiveness and quality of production process, we invest in new modern machines.
We are buying our own property
We are developing so dynamically that we can afford to buy our own land. We are investing in real estate in Wygledy for the construction of the facility.
After all, "on its own"
We are opening a new production facility with an area of 1000 m2 - for the first time on our own property. The company is growing and employs over 60 people.
A pioneer in the category of poppy masses
We are modernizing the existing production facility, in which, thanks to several months of work of high-class specialists, we are constructing an innovative production line for poppy-seed filling, which turned out to be a Christmas bestseller of the 21st century.
We were among the medium-sized enterprise
We already have two production plants with a total area of 2,500 m2 and an office at ul. Stołeczna 26. Small business has transformed into a medium-sized manufacturing company.
First in industry with HACCP
The highest quality is our organizational imperative. Therefore, we are the first in the dried fruit industry to receive an innovative (at that time) HACCP certificate.
Private Limited company.
After the model development of the company also follows the legal status of the organization. The company becomes a limited liability company.
We are breaking new sales records, and at the same time we are expanding the facility and assortment, we are renting new locations.
The first Consumer's Golden Laurel
Our work on maintaining the highest quality and continuous improvement of products was prized for the first time with a prestigious award. Our products have been awarded with the Consumer's Golden Laurel.
Joint-stock company - a higher level of development prospects
On August 25, 2006, we changed the legal form of the company to "HELIO Spółka Akcyjna". This change is dictated by broad marketing plans related to the "HELIO" brand and works aimed at entering the company on the stock exchange.
IPO - the first dance on the Warsaw dance floor
On April 16, 2007, HELIO's inaugural listing on the Warsaw Stock Exchange takes place. The capital obtained from the WSE allows for further dynamic increase in sales, as well as the necessary investments. The funds obtained from the issue give us wings for further development.
A new chapter "Brochów"
We buy a property in Brochów (near Sochaczew), on which a new, modern and comprehensive production facility with extensive warehouse will be built. Over 70 thousand square meters of the lot allows you to successfully look into the future, as it eliminates the most burdensome growth barriers for the Company.
The first TV campaign
HELIO invests heavily in brand promotion. The first TV campaign is launched.
We enter business salons
The entrepreneurship of managers is appreciated by business experts. Justyna Wąsowicz - Vice President of the Management Board of HELIO S.A. - was placed on the List of the Most Entrepreneurial Women Managing Companies in Poland prepared by Gazeta Finansowa, and HELIO was classified, among others, on the list of Locomotives of the Polish Economy, i.e. the most dynamically developing Polish enterprises.
Greenfield
We are starting the construction of the largest investment in the history of the Company, i.e. a new production, warehouse and office complex in Brochów.
Top 1 on the market
HELIO becomes the quantitative leader on the market of packaged dried fruits and nuts (data from the GfK Polonia Research Agency). The strong position of the Company on the domestic market is confirmed by numerous awards.
The WSE appreciates our activity
HELIO investor relations website was among the 10 highest rated websites in its category in the 1st edition of the Issuer's Golden Website competition, and the quality of HELIO products was recognized with a high position in the Stock Exchange Company of the Year ranking in the category of product and service quality.
The Company's condition is excellent. The near prospect of putting the new facility into operation means that we are expanding our product range with the exclusive HELIO GOLD dried fruit and nuts line and the HELIO fudge line. We are also expanding our sales department by creating nationwide structures to support the traditional channel.
Power explosion
We are putting our true gem into service - a new and modern production and warehouse complex in Brochów (near Sochaczew). The usable area of the facility exceeds 10,000 m2, which means that it is one of the largest facilities of this type in the nuts and dried fruit industry in Europe. Interestingly, the facility is located near the intersection of the key European routes (E30 and E75), which in the context of the ongoing expansion of motorways in Poland makes the location a significant asset of the company. However, what is the most important and strategic for the further activity of HELIO, thanks to the application of the highest standards of quality and safety of food production, the new facility has passed a certification audit according to the international BRC standard - Global Standard for Food and Safety.
Sales explosion
The new facility resulted in a period of HELIO prosperity and record increases. The potential of production allows the Company to dynamically increase sales revenues.
An explosion of recognition
We are reaching for the title of Business Gazelle once again. The managing body of the company, Leszek Wąsowicz, is nominated by BCC in the Polish Business Leader competition, and HELIO is at the forefront of Newsweek's ranking of the most valuable listed companies. HELIO products are awarded with numerous awards from trendsetters, consumers and industry experts, including Consumer's Golden Laurels, Golden Receipt - Polish Merchants' Award, Product for the Lady of the House Medal, or Women's World Superproduct.
The first 100 million PLN
For the first time in the history, we exceed the threshold of PLN 100 million in annual revenue. In order to meet market trends, the Company is the first in the industry to introduce a line of dried fruit and nuts without preservatives - HELIO Natura - to the mainstream sales channel. The introduction of the line is accompanied by an intense cross-media educational campaign. We are starting the fanpage on facebook.com/HelioBakalie. The results of TV and press campaigns are impressive and distinguish HELIO over the next few years from the industry. The company is also involved in a number of projects promoting healthy lifestyle and nutrition. Permanent cooperation with the Department of Human Nutrition at the Medical University of Warsaw begins.
We are expanding our portfolio with microwave popcorn. New products appear, and the company is constantly developing, constantly updating production processes to the latest and highest standards of production quality.
We are not resting on our laurels. We invest in infrastructure and brand. Media research indicates us as a leading industry player, and we are expanding our facility in Brochów with a nut roasting section.
We are increasing our production competences with a nut roasting facility and setting up an experimental walnut plantation. The aim of the project is to check which of the 10 used varieties growing in local conditions will be most effective and useful for the dried fruit and nuts industry. Thanks to this, we want to contribute to increasing the efficiency of walnut cultivation in Poland, and thus leave a mark for future generations. The project is planned to last for many years, and it is on the verge of investment and CSR.
CSR is not new to us, but we are starting to communicate it
As part of corporate social responsibility, we engage in a large number of projects - both local and national. Among others we become a cyclical partner of the world championships and the Polish football championships for children from orphanages, and we are also involved in the campaign "Beautiful because healthy" or Christmas with stars for children from orphanages.
Permanent development
At the same time, we are constantly increasing the usable area of our complex in Brochów, which already reaches 20,000 m2. The total area of land in Brochów exceeds 100,000 m2. We are implementing further media campaigns that make us stand out from the competition. According to independent studies by media monitoring agencies, we are in the lead of nuts and dried fruits, including TV industry or the press. We also reach for radio, outdoor and... of course, the Internet and social media, including setting up our YouTube channel, producing video recipes and viral videos. We also try to reach new consumers, to the younger generation, e.g. we establish cooperation with a popular bodybuilder and MMA fighter - Hardkorowy Koksu. We create a humorous slogan First mass, then... cake! and as the bodybuilder adds in the spot - with HELIO it's legit!
Sky is the limit
We enter the 20s of the 21st century with dynamically growing revenues from sales, including dynamically developing exports. This is the moment in the organization's development when we want to start using our sales potential abroad. It is also worth adding that we already have experience in this field in many countries, including: Denmark, Sweden, Great Britain, the USA, Lithuania, Belarus, Romania, Germany, the Czech Republic and Hungary. We can boast of the title of the Ambassador of Polish Business, as well as many business and industry awards. The annual Golden Consumer Laurels, Business Gazelles, and the nomination for the "Polish Business Leaders" are just a few examples of our recent successes at the turn of the decade. Therefore, we are entering the next decade on a wave - with faith and enthusiasm to reach new business peaks.
The most valuable Polish brand and over a quarter of a billion turnover
We close the financial year with a turnover of PLN 273.000. Our core business is still dried fruit and cake mixes in the B2C segment, and we are intensively developing exports. At the same time, the HELIO brand is awarded the highest position in the nuts and dried fruit industry in the prestigious ranking of the most valuable Polish brands prepared by the editors of Gazeta Finansowa and the editors of Rzeczpospolita. HELIO facility is one of the largest and most modern in the industry in Europe, and the production is certified to the highest international BRC standard.
Sustainable development
The company continues to develop in a sustainable and socially responsible manner. Despite technological progress, we maintain harmony with the environment and social environment, among others we have our own photovoltaic farm, we co-create an educational campaign under the patronage of the University of Life Sciences in Poznań "I do not eat palm trees - I protect orangutans", and we are also a cyclical partner of the World Football Championship for children from orphanages.
Reliable business partner
In times of increased risk related to a pandemic, the stable and transparent financial position of HELIO is gaining in value. As a company listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, with an exemplary banking opinion and a stable Polish ownership structure, we are a reliable business partner for our suppliers, recipients, employees, shareholders and other stakeholders.
