|
MENA Region Market Developers — Food & Confections |
|
About us |
|
Who we are
Founded in 1986 — and registered in California in 2013 under the legal name of LAPRVD CORP. — La Providence is a team of progressive and professional export representatives for North American manufacturers of consumer goods, namely Foods, Snacks, Beverages and Confections. With offices in the US, France and Egypt and affiliates in the Gulf Cooperative Council, we provide in-depth market coverage of the MENA region for the suppliers we represent.
It all started in 1970 when Mr. Ebeid, Chairman and CEO of La Providence, founded Gulf International in Dubai, with the objective of introducing U.S. and European food products to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). With a long and consistent background in multinationals such as RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company and Carnation International (now owned by Nestlé), Mr. Ebeid applied his experience and secured a very successful venture. Gulf International soon became one of the first and most prominent importer and distributor of consumer products in the UAE. The company now still exists under different management and kept its leading position as a result of the flagship agencies introduced by Mr. Ebeid in the early stages of development.
Having accomplished his goal, Mr. Ebeid proceeded to use his know-how to focus on and introduce branded food product lines to the whole MENA region and founded La Providence.
What we do
· Extensive traveling to the MENA region
· On-the-spot market study
· Cost analysis
· Set strategic marketing objectives with distributors and implement them
· Expand the distribution network by opening new markets
· Coordinate budgets and forecasts between suppliers and distributors
· Advise and counsel on strategies for promoting and advertising the products in accordance with local, social and cultural traditions to create brand awareness
· Advise and counsel on labeling legislation in conformity with local health regulations
One of our main objectives is to contribute to a consistent development and expansion of sales and distribution of the branded food products for our suppliers.
Our strengths
· Our solid knowledge of the MENA market business practices, language, culture and tastes coupled with our clear understanding of North American corporate functions and strategies give us an unmatched competitive edge
· We are well established in the MENA consumer markets and business circles as a result of working in the area for more than 30 years
· We have the ability to enter all MENA markets with new products at once for our suppliers. The regulations for imported products are the same for all Arab countries. We therefore arrange for special production consolidations to supply these markets
· We also derive our success from focusing on fewer leading brands, thus servicing our suppliers and our distributors more effectively and efficiently
Our achievements
· From a small representation in Bahrain, in a matter of 3 years, La Providence succeeded in establishing a network of distributors covering 9 countries
· We worked very closely with SB Global Foods and Doumak to develop a Middle East-specific package for Campfire® Marshmallows and have successfully become the only fish-gelatin based Marshmallow and the market leader in its category in the whole MENA region
· We soon built a total average of US$2 million per year business for our suppliers, which did not have a presence in the Middle East markets prior to dealing with us
· We established Amurol Confections' Bubble Tape as the Bubble Gum market leader in the Middle East, with Kuwait as one of the highest per capita consumption in the world |
