Miit Pandoliker’s path to co-founding of Luano Meals Company is no longer your typical entrepreneur’s sage. He had acquired a comatose honey processing company in 2019, but transformed it into a thriving enterprise that now attracts broad investments.
Sooner than he build foot in the honey trade, Miit was operating a logistics company. It was whereas turning in fertiliser to far off corners of Zambia, that he found an untapped alternative in honey.
Raised between Zambia and the U.S., Miit recognised one thing peculiar about the honey market. While honey is held in high regard in the U.S., in Zambia, it was underappreciated despite its abundance. Miit saw potential—no longer suitable to construct a profitable trade but to empower local farmers and foster sustainable construction in the task. This realisation marked the starting of what would later transform Luano Meals Company.
The early days of Luano
When Miit Pandoliker purchased the company in 2019, Luano was a far roar from the dynamic trade it’s today. The company’s factory was shut down and saved in a container, amassing dirt and missing alternatives.
“The factory was closed, and we had to transfer every thing to Lusaka (Zambia’s capital) suitable to restart operations,” Miit recalls. His imaginative and prescient was brave, however the timing may perhaps no longer have been worse.
As Luano was gearing up to re-enter the market, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, disrupting global trade and stalling the company’s export plans.
“COVID really affected us. We had suitable started, and we couldn’t travel to make deals,” says Miit. Yet, thru determination and resilience, Luano managed to push thru. From suitable two product lines at launch, the company has grown to 12, in conjunction with peculiar offerings love infused honeys, honey barbecue sauce, and even a chocolate honey spread.
Today, Luano Meals Company sources honey from small-scale Zambian farmers, selling regenerative agroforestry gadgets to make clear that sustainability. The company’s philosophy is clear, creating value for customers with out exploiting the farmers who make the trade imaginable.
Luano doesn’t personal a single farm or beehive but instead works hand-in-hand with local farmers, helping them invent sustainable practices and making certain they are fairly compensated.
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Diversifying into Avocado processing
While Luano has made its mark as a leading honey producer, the company is now poised for its subsequent phase of mumble—avocado processing.
“The potential for avocado in Zambia is broad,” says Miit. By selling avocado cultivation alongside beehives, Luano is tapping into a sustainable model that supports both environmental biodiversity and local economies. The company is no longer suitable processing avocados but also helping farmers explore alternatives love carbon credits for his or her tree vegetation, providing them with lengthy-term financial stability.
With recent investment from enterprise capital agency wCap, Luano is expanding its reach even additional. The funding can be worn to acquire an avocado oil processing facility, marking a significant milestone in the company’s diversification strategy.
“It’s an thrilling time for us. We’re no longer suitable rising Luano; we’re creating an ecosystem where farmers and the atmosphere thrive collectively,” Miit Pandoliker explains.
Breaking into global markets
Expanding into unusual markets is no longer any small feat, particularly for a Zambian-based company. The challenges are multifaceted. Zambia’s landlocked geography adds to export charges, and recent vitality crises caused by drought have additional strained operations.
Yet, Miit has found ways to navigate these obstacles, driven by his perception in the potential of Zambian agriculture on the global stage.
“Our merchandise are already available in major retailers across Zambia, and we’ve lately expanded into South Africa via Takealot.com,” Miit shares.
However the budge doesn’t stay there. Luano is making strategic strikes to enter the U.S. retail market by year-stay, with additional plans to expand into the UK and the Center East in the first quarter of subsequent year.
“We’re centered on creating value-added merchandise, love honey-based wellness gadgets, that resonate with global shoppers,” Miit adds.
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Lessons learned and attempting forward
For Miit, the road to success has been stuffed with classes—both personal and professional. One in all essentially the most significant has been the importance of staying adaptable in the face of adversity.
“The early days have been tricky, and we didn’t have the beautiful of time. However I’ve learned that setbacks are part of the budge, and it’s the way you reply to them that matters,” he reflects.
He also emphasises the importance of building a trade with reason. By fostering lengthy-term relationships with local farmers and encouraging agroforestry gadgets, Miit Pandoliker is atmosphere a unusual standard for what agribusiness can achieve in Africa.
As Luano appears to be like to the lengthy toddle, Miit is clear about his imaginative and prescient. “We want to be extra than suitable a food company. We’re here to make a inequity—no longer greatest for our shoppers but for the communities we work with.”
He adds: “We’re no longer suitable building a trade. We’re building a future where all and sundry advantages.” It’s this forward-pondering approach that continues to drive Luano’s success, and there’s minute question that Miit Pandoliker’s impact on Zambia’s agribusiness landscape can be felt for years to advance back.
