Joko was created twenty years ago by the Kosyl couple, with in the beginning the aim to develop their own brand. However, Gregory and Elizabeth soon realized that the subcontracting activity would also provide them the desired progression. Actually, in 2011 Joko Private Label accounted in the end for up to 95% of the Group’s turnover.
"Our positioning in this area is clear," explains Anna Diaczenko, Head of Marketing, "We work for large companies that rely on subcontractors with large volumes of production. We offer the full range of make-up products: from lipstick to pressed and/or cast powders including mascaras, lip glosses, concealers, foundations, eyeliners, eyeshadows and blushes...”
Joko production capacity is really impressive and it is rising year after year, along with its investments in new automated machines. And the two production units located in Wolomin (30 km from the centre of Warsaw) have nothing to envy to the most modern units in other countries of the European Union. “The equipment used to manufacture the lipsticks, the powders, the hot filled products are all latest-generation machines. The workshop has just received a brand new Taiwanese back injection machine which is currently being tested and which will be running in a few days. Some additional productive investments are earmarked for 2013 with, among others, the automation of the assembly shop.”
A battery of tests
The staff at Wolomin has every reason of being proud to display the whole battery of tests (preservatives, stability tests, skin tests, compliance with the applicable legislation) to which the microbiology laboratory and quality control laboratory submit the products. "For long-terms development, explains Diaczenko, we can guarantee a period of 6 months from the start of the project to the final completion and acceptance of the formula. A time frame that can be brought down to three months for colours made on our existing formulas."
The Wolomin facility is actually divided into two distinct parts, one dedicated to the "powder" products, and the other one to "liquid" products, both of them in an ultra-clean environment. "Of course we scrupulously comply with the highest standards in force in this area (GMP, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 22716) depending of the legislations in force in the different countries," emphasised Diaczenko. "Our packaging is entirely sourced from external converters. As for our development strategy, commercially speaking, it is clearly oriented towards countries where we are not sufficiently known, the United States, France, but also Asia, where we also become competitive with our prices and outstanding quality."
