Navigating New Frontiers

At the forefront of the Millenium Group, Hareeish Kumar, CEO, stands as a dynamic leader renowned for his exceptional achievements spanning diverse industries. His strategic insight and fervour for creativity have elevated the group's achievements. Driven by a profound commitment to positive change, Kumar's leadership embodies excellence, sustainability, and community upliftment, positioning him as a true catalyst of progress.

Emerging from the UAE, Millenium has firmly established its reputation as a premier distributor and exclusive representative of globally acclaimed food and beverage ingredients within the GCC region. With a steadfast commitment to client convenience and a resolute emphasis on innovation, Millenium has consistently positioned itself as a pioneering brand across its diverse domains.

Discussing the extensive product range, Kumar, expressed the company's aspiration to lead the market in trading and distributing food ingredients, raw materials, and chemicals, acting as a crucial bridge between manufacturers and end-users across the UAE and GCC region. An organisation committed to maintaining international standards and safety regulations on a global scale, the brand proudly serves over 600 dedicated businesses. Embracing the tagline 'Responsibly serving your needs,' Millenium operates with a diverse portfolio, enriched by value-added offerings tailored to various socio-economic segments, which contribute to its distinctive character.

Further, Kumar also highlighted ongoing new innovative initiatives within the company.

Successful Collaborations

MEFCO, a division under Millenium, stands as a major player catering to the food and beverage sector with extensive operations spanning the GCC. Kumar underscores the company's prominent position as a leading importer and exporter within the GCC, particularly excelling in meat ingredients and functional applications. Discussing ongoing partnerships, he highlights recent achievements: "We've successfully collaborated with numerous multinational food industry giants, securing exclusivity to represent them across the GCC. We're also introducing our own brand for the F&B segment, soon to be launched. Furthermore, we've diversified our involvement within the F&B industry, including new divisions, co-packing, and private label initiatives."

MEFCO has evolved into a global brand for several foreign food processing companies from the US, UK and other European countries operating in the UAE and the GCC. One of the significant factors that influences MEFCO to be a giant player in this segment is its collaboration with some of the most prestigious F&B brands. In addition, it is one of the food ingredients distributor for international brands such as McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, HEINZ, Unilever, NESTLE.

Building a legacy

The MEFCO & MILLENIUM portfolio currently consists of brands such as KERRY , RED ARROW, CELANESE, OLAM, BRISTISH SALT , Sensient, KMC, BUNGE, Deutsche Back ,BASF, and on Chemical side ROHA, Hi Media, SOLVAY, LG Chem, SHIKOKU, INOVYN, KLK OLEO and others. Being the sole distributor of these brands in the UAE, Kumar says that the brand looks for quality over quantity. “We are representing Kerry ingredients and flavours. Famous for its golden dip coating bread crumbs. As a global food and beverage leader, Kerry crumbs and coating system has always stayed ahead, creating new fusions, and we are proud to be the authentic supplier of the brand to the major fast food chain players.”

The UAE is the largest US consumer food export market in the Middle East and the 16th largest overall. Sensing this, Kumar focused on the local market in the UAE, exploring opportunities for suppliers and manufacturers. His efforts paid off when he introduced some of the famous international brands to the region. Speaking about the wide array of products that MEFCO offers, Kumar said: “It’s all about finding the right partnerships. There are a lot of factors that come into play when getting a product ready to enter the market. Service is 100 times better when you know what you are selling and whom you are targeting, and so far, our partnerships speak a lot about our market study.”

Targeting the taste buds of the multicultural locals in the region, Kumar talks about the various partnerships that MEFCO has forged over the years. “A perfect brand harmony is created when you meet your customer's need. Our partnership with Red Arrow exemplifies that. Red Arrow makes a wide variety of smoke condensates that are widely used for smoke flavours, barbecue sauces, snack foods, and other flavouring needs. We are the distributors of Celanese and British salt as well. The USP of British salt is its pure form. It is a vacuum dried salt with zero black particles.”

He further added: “There is Olam Spices, a US company, in the category of spices. They prepare spices including garlic, onion, parsley and other flavours. Another Danish company, KMC, produces various types of starches with potato base.”

A positive outlook

In the spotlight is Millenium Group's resolute vision, Kumar accentuates: "A vision that crystallises our aspiration to stand tall as a premier food ingredients supplier and an all-encompassing solution provider, guided by our dedicated team of leaders who embody unbridled passion. Our hallmark has always been fostering enduring partnerships, underpinned by unwavering ethical principles and service excellence. With a firm grounding in the extensive knowledge, invaluable experience, and exceptional expertise of the F&B industry, we're committed to delivering on this vision."

Efficiency at its best

The F&B industry depends on the smooth and timely supply of raw materials. Since the ingredients required by food industries come from many different geographical locations, sometimes halfway around the world, transportation and logistics play an important role in ensuring the success of the industry. As food products are susceptible to rotting and putrefaction, Kumar has made sure that the company adopts a high-profile distribution centre for goods.

“We have a 100,000sqft storage area in Technopark, which is temperature-controlled where we store all the materials. We supply to all the brands from here who are into the food processing business, such as Sadia, Americana, NESTLE, McCormick, AlKabeer, and LuLu.”

A pathway to Success

As an influential force in the global market, the UAE and India's collaboration through the Dh Rupee Mechanism is a strategic leap forward. Kumar reveals that such initiatives fortifies economic bonds, empowers local currencies, and opens doors to a future of shared growth and prosperity. "The UAE-India dirham-rupee mechanism is a game-changer for both nations. It not only strengthens our economic ties but also boosts the Indian currency. By facilitating direct trade in our own currencies, we reduce dependency on third-party currencies, leading to cost savings and enhanced financial stability. This innovation fosters trust and cooperation, laying the foundation for deeper bilateral relations. It's a step towards a more prosperous future for both the UAE and India," he adds.

Message for Indian diaspora

In the present era, India has not only witnessed significant advancements and the emergence of fresh opportunities for growth but has also swiftly explored new frontiers. As an Indian, I take great pride and joy in being a citizen of the largest democracy with the world's most rapidly expanding economy. I admire the genuine sense of unity among Indians in the UAE and worldwide, consistently elevating the country's reputation on various global platforms.

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