Raising the Bar Together: Quality, the EMPWR Way

Quality Is a Shared Mindset

At EMPWR, quality and safety are part of our culture, owned by every person involved in production, across sites.

In the Netherlands, Hans Folbert, Manager QA/QC, describes it best: “Doing a bit better tomorrow is what we breathe and practice every single day. With a dedicated team of professionals, we challenge the status quo and actively raise the bar.”

Meanwhile, in Croatia, Anita Aščić, Quality Manager, echoes that same belief from a people-first perspective: “It’s not only about quality but also about safety, and the culture of our employees. Quality belongs to each person involved in making our products. Everyone is part of it.” 

This shared ownership across our factories turns commitment into culture and excellence into habit.

Masters of Consistency

Consistency is the secret ingredient behind trust. Every EMPWR bar passes through an intricate web of checks and controls to ensure that what leaves the factory is as perfect as what was envisioned in development. 

Hans explains: “Not a single batch leaves the factory without a sensory evaluation. Every individual bar passes checkweighers, metal detectors, and vision systems before being packed and shipped.” 

Innovation, the Quality Way

Each new protein bar recipe begins with two expert teams working in sync: R&D driving innovation and Quality defining its standards. Together, they make new bars possible.

At times, true collaboration means challenging each other for the right reasons, as Anita explains: “We make their lives difficult sometimes,” she says with a laugh. “Every material has to pass additional controls, and our rules can limit them a bit, but that’s what guarantees safety.”

Behind every new bar, layer, and flavor, Quality and R&D work side by side, one driving creativity, the other protecting integrity. It’s this balance between innovation and control that ensures every new recipe tastes extraordinary and meets EMPWR’s uncompromising standards.

Scaling Up, Without Compromise

As EMPWR continues to grow, maintaining excellence at scale is a deliberate choice. 

Hans explains it from a different angle: “I would turn that around. It’s not growth that challenges quality. By safeguarding quality while launching new products and customers, we create the foundation for expansion. EMPWR provides the resources and commitment to make that possible.” 

Anita agrees that the same principle is the foundation of EMPWR’s success. “No matter the volume, the system stays the same. There can be no production growth without quality first.” 

At EMPWR, scaling up never means scaling back on quality. 

Certified Trust

Our Quality experts believe that every certification tells a story of commitment, but quality itself comes first. The standards simply follow. 

“Quality is already there,” says Hans. “Even without the certificates, we would still do things the same way. The certificates confirm what we already stand for: trust, consistency, and care for our customers.” 

Across both sites, EMPWR operates under the highest international standards, including BRC and IFS. 

In the Netherlands, this foundation is strengthened by SMETA 4P, Kosher, Halal, RSPO, Rainforest Alliance and Informed Sport certifications. 

In Croatia, the team complements that excellence with ISO 14001 and ISO 45001, as well as several customer-specific approvals, including FDA registration for the U.S. market and upcoming Costco Appendix certifications. “These standards aren’t just checkboxes,” says Anita. “They shape our daily work and define our mindset.” 

Both reflect the same truth: excellence does not begin with certification; it begins with a mindset. The certifications simply prove that commitment to our customers every single day. 

Partners in Quality, Partners in Growth

For EMPWR’s customers - leading brands and retailers worldwide - quality is more than assurance; it’s a growth enabler. 

“Just as we rely on approved and safe suppliers, our customers can rely on us,” says Anita. “They know they’ll get products that are safe, compliant, and satisfying for the end consumer: we share the same goal.” 

Trust built on consistency is the foundation of every long-term partnership. That reliability is what transforms collaboration into lasting growth.

Quality, the EMPWR Way

From Croatia to the Netherlands, every bar that leaves an EMPWR factory carries the same DNA: precision, passion, and pride. Quality is not achieved alone; it is built together by great people who share a clear common goal.

“Practice what you preach, don’t overpromise, and make tomorrow better than today,” says Hans.
Anita nods in agreement. “With a good system, a good team, and good production, the result will always be a good product.”

This shared mindset keeps EMPWR excelling, delivering superior taste and texture, and earning the highest quality feedback from our customers time and again. That is how EMPWR continues to raise the bar together.