It’s about the people at Kocbek!

Our guiding principles for entering into new ventures is finding the highest value product and ensuring the people behind the product share the same principles, ethos,  and passion as we do.  In this blog we focus on the people behind Kocbek.

Why are the people behind an organization important to Alles Mooi?  Because we believe in long term relationships. We believe in WIN WIN and we partner with suppliers that share this ethos. All new ventures are faced with hurdles. You need GRIT to overcome these bumps, but having a supportive relationship with the supplier goes a long way.

Kocbek pumpkin seed oil mill is now in its 3rd generation (since 1929). That in itself tells a story. I had been using Kocbek oils for almost 11 years but it was only until I decided to take the product to South Africa that I met with Gorazd.  I immediately connected, there was TRUST.

Trust is a combination of ethics and competence.  To explain this in an example. Even if your best friend is a physician you will not go to him if he is not a competent physician.  Alles Mooi is a forward looking business and we must partner with organizations that have organizational competence to keep leading.

Gorazd and his family have taken Kocbek global. This outcome is not only about the product but the people driving the business. I recognized immediately that we could learn a lot from Gorazd. And very important, Gorazd was eager to share his experiences with us.

The Kocbek family mill is the same original mill that was started in 1929. I immediately recognized in Gorazd that we shared many values but importantly, we are both driven. What stood out to me when I first visited the mill was the farmers at the mill that day.  One day a week is allocated to the local farmers who bring in their own seeds for processing. They pay a conversion cost only.

It was evident to me that the Kocbek family give back to the local community the same respect which they have received since 1929. For me having grown up on a farm in the Aliwal North area I immediately felt the genuineness that so often prevails in farming communities. Culture is less about different nationalities than it is by having similar experiences during those early years when our characters are molded.

Alles Mooi is privilidged and proud to partner with the people of Kocbek.