Proton Bakers wins a treble
IT’S a milestone, as the best of the best bread turns 60, we have also won a treble: 1. Sectoral Winner- FMCG Bakery Sector Superbrand of the Year 2. 1st Position Top 20 Business to Consumer Superbrand of the Year
3. Overall Superbrand of the Year
The origins of the company
Proton Bakers, a family-owned business, was founded in Marondera 60 years ago.
Peter Tselentis, who was born on the Greek island of Kefalonia, founded the bakery. Peter arrived in Zimbabwe in 1947 and worked for several bakeries in Harare, where his entrepreneurial spirit drove his work passion.
Although Peter recognised the potential for growth, the municipality’s governing laws meant he couldn’t expand the business within town, so he purchased land in the Marondera industrial area. It wasn’t long before his company grew into a large corporation. Proton Bakers, the current bakery, was built from the ground up in 1959.
Bread quickly became Proton’s mainstay, and with increased competition from Harare-based bakeries, Peter decided to invest in a plant capable of producing 900 loaves per hour. He installed a Baker Perkins plant that included a single burner turbo radiant oven.
Such an extravagant purchase was considered insane at the time! Peter, on the other hand, was devoted to the bakery's success, so much so that he spent many nights sleeping in the bakery to keep an eye on things.
The entrepreneurial spirit lives in the Tselentis family’s new generation, with Peter’s vast experience serving as a solid foundation for the new generation of management led by Gerry, and Spiros Tselentis.
To adapt to the current business environment, the organisational structure has also shifted. This has resulted in increased competitiveness and the implementation of an ambitious business growth strategy.
A strong sense of pride and passion was instilled in the family business, and this will be passed down to the next generation of leadership. The company is driven by high quality standards in all aspects of product and service delivery excellence.
How the company grew to become a national force
Proton Bakers currently employs 1 750 people across the country. The company’s headquarters are in Marondera, where all manufacturing takes place, and it distributes its products through the Harare and Bulawayo depots.
Proton Bakers now has national distribution through various retail and wholesale partners. Proton Bakers is driven by an innovative culture, which has resulted in the introduction of Proton Caramel Crunch Cookies and Proton Chocolate Select Cookies to widen the consumer basket in a delightful manner.
Another highly innovative product, the Proton Sponge Cake Mix, was introduced in December 2020, just in time for the holiday baking season. Customers are extremely satisfied with this product and brought a lot of relief to domestic and industrial bakers who used to rely on imports.
Over the last 60 years, the company has refreshed its brand in order to adjust and adapt to the ever-changing needs of consumers. This has resulted in the company receiving numerous awards, including top positions in the Marketers Association Superbrand, Exceptional Marketers Awards, the Buy Zimbabwe campaign awards, The CEO Africa Round Table, and Mega Fest Business awards.
The company anticipates continuing its innovative growth path as it seeks to expand into the export market for its cookies and biscuits. This will allow the company to raise the necessary foreign currency for the importation of critical raw materials, plant and equipment.
Proton Bakers launched another new product line, Proton Strikers Biscuits, in August 2021. The newly installed plant in Marondera is producing this new loose biscuit. The new Proton Strikers Biscuits have been widely accepted by the market and have given consumers a wider basket to choose from.
Trying to succeed under COVID-19 conditions
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Proton Bakers just like any other company. Some of the most significant consequences include reduced business trading hours, which leads to a decrease in sales volumes. The need to maintain social distance and limit staff numbers had an impact on production output and, as a result, sales volumes.
COVID-19 also posed challenges in terms of raw material supplies, as the company relies on some imported components. Due to the economic challenges caused by COVID-19, supplies from local partners also dwindled. Proton Bakers, on the other hand, is continuing to fight the pandemic through several mitigatory initiatives.
The company is proud to have implemented hygiene standards that protect both employees and customers from the pandemic. Proton Bakers is also an active participant in COVID-19 awareness initiatives.
Through its mobile promotions team, the organisation collaborates with the Health ministry, Marondera Municipality, and the Zimbabwe Republic Police on various campaigns.
As the country progresses toward achieving herd immunity, Proton Bakers has joined forces with other stakeholders in the Marondera business community to promote the Marondera business community vaccination campaign.
As a result of the initiative, the number of people receiving the vaccine in Marondera has increased. This is a significant step toward achieving herd immunity for the country.
Celebrating the achievements
As the Proton brand turns 60 this year, winning the Overall Superbrand of the year is indeed a befitting milestone. It’s an icing on the cake. Proton Bakers also won the Sectoral Winner — FMCG Bakery Sector Superbrand of the Year and first position Top 20 Business to Consumer Superbrand of the Year.
Proton Bakers wishes to thank all its customers and stakeholders for making the 60-year milestone possible. Their support is enough to propel the Proton brand forward for another 60 years and beyond of providing the best of the best products. These accolades belong to the customers, and we will achieve more to delight our valued customers.