Interview Yakult | Onderneem in Almere

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The role of innovative technology in the food sector is increasing and the demand for sustainable and healthy foods has also grown significantly in recent years. Japanese company Yakult is a perfect example of a globally known company operating at the intersection of both transitions. Who doesn't know them? The recognisable little bottle full of dairy drinks that contribute to good intestinal flora and digestion. Less well known is that the factory that has been producing and bottling all Yakult drinks for the European market since 1994 is located in the Vaart industrial estate .

It is no coincidence that Almere was chosen, explains Marketing Director Theo van Uffelen: "Yakult wanted the factory to be in the Netherlands, a country with a strong dairy industry and well-educated people. Then we ended up with Almere because it has the best quality groundwater and because we were given all the freedom to realise our plans there."

Proud of our innovations

Innovation is very important to Yakult. "We have a strong basic product, but are constantly looking for opportunities to develop that further and attract even more consumers to us. A recent development we are proud of is the introduction of Yakult Plus Peach. It has a new flavour made especially for the European market. With new product innovations like this, we give the public more choice and continue to surprise them."

Yakult is also busy with sustainability and reducing its carbon footprint. "A few years ago, we replaced the plastic packaging around the bottles with cardboard. That has already saved us tons of plastic. We are looking at ways to improve the bottle in terms of environmental friendliness, which are innovations that require a long time and a lot of research in cooperation with our parent company in Japan. We work with living organisms, so safety and quality are crucial in our company."

Almere is the perfect home base for Yakult Europe

One of the main reasons Yakult chose Almere in 1993 is the high quality of its groundwater. This water is Yakult's main raw material. But there was more at play, Theo says: "At the time, Almere was really a very young, fast-growing city that welcomed us with open arms and gave us all the space we needed to implement our plans. There was a great willingness to think with us, and it is still there. The relationship between Yakult and the municipality of Almere has always remained good. Whether it's changes in bus routes, new regulations or changing policies, contact with the municipality is excellent at all levels. When we have a high visit from Japan, we organise a meeting with the municipality. Mayor van der Loo has also visited our research and production facility close to Kobe, Japan. That does show the level of mutual commitment".

A close-knit family with strong local ties

The Almere-based Yakult branch opened its doors in 1994 with about 35 employees. Over the past 30 years, Yakult Almere has grown along with the city. Today it employs 120 people, 80 of whom work in production. The remaining employees deal with Marketing & Sales, Finance, Planning & Logistics, HR, ICT, Science and Corporate Communication. About 50% of the employees live in Almere. This is especially true of the factory employees who work at the plant every day. Many of them have been working at Yakult for 10 to 20 years, sometimes even from the beginning. Theo: "In Japan, it is common to stay with one company for your whole career, something we encourage here too by taking good care of our people. We invest a lot in training and have held several workshops on our core values in recent years, such as Teamwork and Better Tomorrow. Everyone in the company participates in these sessions, which creates a great sense of togetherness and commitment. As a result, it sometimes feels like a family business with strong local ties." The bond with the Japanese parent company is also still very strong. About 10% of all employees are from Japan.

Talent enough

Despite the tight labour market, Yakult has so far had little trouble attracting new talent: "A few weeks ago we posted a vacancy for an ICT specialist, and a job interview is already scheduled tomorrow. The new generation is very concerned with health and wants to make a positive contribution to society. That helps us attract talent, but Almere's central location is also a plus. It is reasonably well served by public transport and you are hardly ever in traffic jams".

Community involvement

Yakult's global mission is contributing to a healthy society, and they live up to that in Almere too. For instance, the company has sponsored football club Almere City FC for years and donates bottles of Yakult to Voedselbank Nederland every week. Theo: "Many of our social activities focus on education and information. Together with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, we have set up a program in which children from Almere can also be introduced to classical music. Yakult Europe has been the main sponsor of this orchestra for more than 30 years, and we celebrated that. We are always happy when we can give something back to the city and hope to realise more great initiatives for and with Almere in the future."

Also come to Almere

Almere is the youngest city in the Netherlands and rapidly developing, which makes it attractive to startups and innovative, sustainable companies like Yakult. The city offers a unique blend of technological progress and sustainable transition, with a contemporary infrastructure and convenient location. Almere promotes growth and collaboration, offering entrepreneurs the space to pioneer, innovate and flourish. Almere gives entrepreneurs space!

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