By Heneage Mitchell
Gryson NV is a manufacturer of rolling tobacco and is well known within the industrial landscape of West Flanders. The company is actually based in Wervik, the heart of the Belgian tobacco industry, where it operates production facilities of over 25,000 sqm. It is a typical West Flanders-based, family-run enterprise, owned by Guido Vandermarliere. Gryson is seeing sustainable expansion internationally.
Exports are an increasingly important component of the company’s success.
The daily management of the company is in the hands of production manager Jan Casteleyn and commercial manager Dirk Vandoorne. Gryson has continuously invested in the modernization and optimization of its production equipment and in the further development of a dynamic commercial and administrative organization. Gryson employs more than 200 dedicated people in production and in the commercial field. It operates sales departments in Belgium, France, Spain, Germany and Italy, among others, and enjoys close and rewarding cooperation with agents and importers worldwide.
All this has led to results that Gryson can be proud of. The company processes over 4 million kgs of tobacco per year, and its brands are placed among the top 10 in France, Spain and other countries, and it has one brand in the global top 10.
Tobacco from around the world
Gryson produces RYO (Roll Your Own) and MYO (Make Your Own) tobacco from a selection of tobaccos that are purchased worldwide. The different blends traditionally include some 10 to 15 types of tobacco, which mostly come from Brazil, India, Indonesia, Malawi, Zambia, Poland, Italy and France. The locally cultivated Belgian tobacco is also still used, although the available quantities have reduced substantially over recent years after the European subsidies were stopped.
The product range has been substantially expanded over recent years. Gryson offers a wide range of blends and tastes and can quickly and adequately capitalize on the developments in various markets.
In the “primary” section the weighted tobacco blends are conditioned, achieving delicate aromatic blends with a moisture content of 28%. The resulting blend ‘rests’ for 24 hours to allow the flavors to develop after which time the mixture is ready to be cut.
After cutting, the moisture of the tobacco is brought back to 17% - 19% before being stored in special 15-kilogram boxes. Then, the tobacco is ready to be packed in various weights.
In the packing department, the cut tobacco is prepared for the consumer with modern scale machines, ultra-modern packing machines, flexible bundle machines, automatic cardboard packers and pallet machines. In this way, pouches and boxes in various sizes and shapes and zip bags of the various brands are filled, which are then sold in Belgium and across the world. Since April, 2009, Gryson’s finished products and all packaging are stored in the new semi-automatic warehouse, which can hold up to 7,500 pallets.
Products
Gryson’s product range has been substantially expanded over recent years.
The core brand groups are Domingo, Fleur du Pays, Orlando and Arizona. In addition, there are some smaller brands that remain popular in Belgium due to Gryson’s long history: these include: d’Harelbeke, Super Wervikse Tabak and Broutteux.
These brands are marketed in various types of packaging ranging from 25 grams to 500 grams.
Gryson offers a wide range of blends and tastes, which means that the company can quickly and adequately capitalize on the developments in various markets.
Asian favourite Domingo is a refined mixture of some twenty skilfully selected tobaccos. Domingo is available as a traditional ‘Dutch’ blend and also in a wide range of excellent top flavors. This internationally-oriented brand is distributed in more than 50 countries worldwide. Gryson brands are available in over 60 countries worldwide.
Gryson also produces a variety of smoking accessories, including: hand rollers, metal rollers, papers, tubes and filters.
The Asian market currently represents a rather small part of Gryson’s business but nevertheless it is moving forward strongly. With actual distribution in about 10 countries, Gryson has earned excellent results and market shares in the Asian Pacific region with its Domingo brand.
Domingo is a young brand but has proven its potential. Created in 1998, the brand has seen radical changes effected over the years with a wide range of traditional tastes (original half zware, Virginia blend, blond and dark blends) and the addition of a wide selection of exotic flavors such as vanilla, cherry, menthol, strawberry and raspberry. This aromatic range has been created and developed specifically for the Asian market. The latest addition to the Domingo brand family is Domingo Double Vanilla, a double injection of vanilla flavor for extra taste!
The company is continuing to develop international markets and is looking for new partners to help with the distribution of its products.
Drop by booth 3E1 at inter-tabac ASIA (March 15-17, 2012, PICC, Pasay City, Manila, Philippines) where Gryson is exhibiting alongside its sister company cigar manufacturer J. Cortes.
