Penergetic International AG was founded in 2001 by Birgit and Robert Wilhelm. Today the company is managed by the second generation of the family: the two sons Ciril and Cedric Wilhelm. The product portfolio includes products for soil, plants, animals, compost, water and slurry.
Together with its own research team in Brazil, the company works constantly to further develop its products, which are distributed in more than 35 countries. The complex marketing is handled by local sales partners. They actively support Penergetic in its efforts to promote positive change for people, animals and the environment.
Mr. Wilhelm, what inspiration forms the basis for your company?
We offer our customers sustainable and long-term cost-efficient solutions for future-oriented agriculture. It is important to consider all interrelations of natural process chains in agriculture and the environment. Our products optimize and activate existing resources to ensure that the problem is tackled at the root, rather than just solving individual symptoms. This optimizes animal farming as well as creating high-yield crop cultivation, fertile soil and an improvement in slurry and compost. This not only improves the quality of the products, it also gets customers into a position where they can sustainably foster their harvest as well as the economic side their businesses.
Which markets are most important for Penergetic?
The most important export markets are Brazil, Canada, Asia & Bulgaria.
Our main market is Brazil. Thanks to a strong local partner, we were able to achieve a market share of approx. 1%. In Canada, our partner distributes the entire Penergetic product portfolio. We have cultivated a very profitable relationship in the area of product development here. Hence, for example, we were able to develop a product for maple syrup and liquid manure lagoons, which are now also offered in other markets. Bulgaria: Our Bulgarian partner concentrates on two Penergetic products that are important for its market. Through intensive cooperation, we have managed to introduce new technologies and practices in Bulgaria and to promote sustainable agriculture. Together, we founded the “FarmAcademy” in 2012 with the aim of passing on knowledge and technology to farmers. Asia: Animal products make up the majority of our offerings on the Asian market. These are mainly supplied to feed mills, which incorporate our “penergetic t” product for animals into their feed mixtures. Thanks to the expertise and reputation of our partner, we can successfully offer our products in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia.
“I am especially proud that we as a Swiss SME can offer our products in over 35 countries and make an active contribution to sustainable, intelligent and profitable agriculture.”
What positive or negative surprises have you already encountered in export?
We achieve positive and impressive results with our products and meet enthusiastic and interesting people from near and far, with whom new opportunities and partnerships arise. Time and again, we are pleasantly surprised to see our products being used in almost every country to encourage people to rethink their agricultural processes.
On the other hand, there is no constant in agriculture and every year something unforeseen happens. We have been prevented from exporting in the past because of animal diseases. Climate-related causes influence the purchasing power of users. We have also experienced political and/or economic changes on a number of occasions – especially after 2008/2009 and mainly in South America. The markets can take a long time to recover.
What are you particularly proud of?
That, as a Swiss SME, we can offer our products in over 35 countries and make an active contribution to sustainable, intelligent and profitable agriculture. We are grateful for the fact that we have enthusiastic and innovative sales partners who support us every day. For fast and solution-oriented processing , we can rely on our expert team, who supports us daily.
To what extent has Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE) helped you succeed?
S-GE supports us above all in the markets of Turkey, Kenya and Brazil. In Turkey, we have already been able to organize several events together, whereby we can always rely on very professional cooperation and a large network. In Kenya and Brazil, too, S-GE supports us with a lot of expertise and tailor-made solutions.
“We shall continue to expand our relationship with S-GE as it offers great added value for us as an SME.”
