Moulay Hassan Debbarh, CEO, Cartier Saada

Exporting to over 30 countries, Cartier Saada has been less severely affected by the pandemic due to its diversified and balanced portfolio.

How has the company evolved since 1948, and what have been the main milestones?

Cartier was founded by Mr. Cartier, a Frenchman who used to live in Morocco. He had a Moroccan neighbor, and in 1965 they broke the wall between each other’s houses, which became one of the first mergers in Moroccan economic history. Since then, the company has not stopped growing, and now among our stakeholders we have customers, suppliers, and many different people involved in the business. This makes it stronger than any other business because of these converging interests.

How did COVID-19 affect your turnover in 2020?

Unfortunately, we did not escape the slowdown; we were impacted but less so than many other companies. Our loss is around 20%, and I take this as positive. We have been less affected because of our balanced portfolio. First, we export to over 33 countries, which has diversified our risk. Second, our portfolio is balanced because we not only have the HORECA business, but also supermarkets and wholesalers. Currently, COVID-19 is not affecting all sectors the same way, and having a balanced portfolio makes things less dangerous.

What are the main products and services that you are selling the most?

From our diversified portfolio, olive is the core business, especially during this period. Even though olive consumption has fallen, olives make up one of the main features of tapas in Spain. Even during COVID-19, people are gathering their close family members, and olives are part of these special moments, especially in the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and the US, which are our main markets. The crisis is always a threat and an opportunity; however, for us, it is always better to be positive. We will move forward while ensuring safety first for our people, customers, and our partners. We have a long-term view and perhaps we might lose a battle, but we will not lose the war.

How is your partnership with the Angel Camacho Group progressing, and do you have any other partnerships?

With the Angel Camacho Group, we share human values, and this is the basis of our partnership and strategy. This has taken us much further than one can imagine. Today, we have technical exchange, human experience exchange, and portfolio sharing, and we have a total strategy as a group. Angel Camacho Group owns only 10%, but we feel we have been working together for years. We have a lot in common, and together we will have many good surprises for the market. Our penetration of the US market has been excellent because the Angel Camacho Group owns its own subsidiary of distribution for the American market. We need it, and it needs us, and we can progress together hand in hand.

What are your goals and main priorities for 2021?

Our main priority is safety first, but we also want to keep moving forward. We still aim to increase our figures, quality, and relationship of people and be near our customers, even if we use technology. Being near someone does not mean being near them physically, but we need to hear them, feel them, and satisfy them.

“We will move forward while ensuring safety first for our people, customers, and our partners.”