Molly Hawkins Group
| Cooperative federation (SA) | |
| Industry | Food processing |
| Founded | 1959 |
| Founder | Molly Hawkins |
| Headquarters | Dáuzas, Kausania , |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | |
| Subsidiaries |
The Molly Hawkins Group is a Gylian multinational group of companies active in the confectionery sector.
Established by Molly Hawkins in 1959, it is one of Gylias' largest groups, one of its few multinationals, and the largest chocolate and confectionery manufacturer in Tyran.
History
Molly Hawkins opened her first confectionery company in 1959. She established a factory in Kausania, and developed her own candy bar recipes. The company steadily gained in popularity, and transformed into a cooperative federation by incorporating competitors.
When the group's expansion attracted the attention of the Inspectorate of Competition, Molly devised a new strategy inspired by Gaulette. She approached the Darnan Cyras government, and secured an agreement: the group would fully cooperate with the Agricultural Produce Marketing Board and follow its directions, and in return it would be allowed to consolidate the Gylian confectionery industry under its umbrella.
Emboldened by the agreement, Molly devised an ambitious plan to dominate chocolate production in Tyran, based on the advantage of Gylias being Tyran's main producer of cocoa and vanilla. The first international branches of the group were set up in neighbouring Molise, and initial expansion focused on Common Sphere member states.
The "Hampi agreement" of 1966 marked a watershed for the Molly Hawkins Group. Amid steady growth and international expansion, it reached the limit of local milk supply, due to agriculture minister Sesi Liol's firm opposition to raising cattle in Gylias. However, Tennai had an abundance of milk, and was undergoing a massive dairy development program. Negotiated by Molly with the assistance of Niloufer Khanum Sultana, the agreement committed the group to mainly importing milk from Tennai, and in exchange it received free rein to expand in Tennai's confectionery market.
Buoyed by the "Hampi agreement", the group embarked on an aggressive international expansion starting in the 1970s. Its strategy was to reproduce the conditions of Gylias abroad: simultaneously offering high wages and workers' self-management to workers, low prices to consumers, and relying on profits from Gylias and other subsidiaries to cover the difference. Its method of acquiring competitors and converting them into cooperatives within the federation appeased the concerns of competition regulators in the countries it expanded to.
By the 1990s, it was recognised as the largest confectionery manufacturer in Tyran. At home, it expanded its cooperation with the government through participation in the Social Partnership Program.
Activity
The Molly Hawkins Group mainly manufactures and sells confectionery and chocolate. It has also expanded into several adjacent product areas, including breakfast cereal, chewing gum, coffee, and dairy products.
In Gylias, it cooperates closely with the public sector, a relationship similar to that of Agsa and the National Capital Investment Board in financial services and Miyashita Industries in heavy industry. It has consolidated the Gylian confectionery sector, in cooperation with the APMB and NCC in planning, production, and distribution.
The Gylian Journal describes the Molly Hawkins Group's reputation as "paradoxical": its international expansion led many to see it as ruthless and engaging in cut throat competition to eliminate rivals, while in other quarters it is admired for its social ethos, manifested in its adherence to the Rochdale Principles, upholding workers' self-management, high wages, good working conditions, and aiming for market-clearing prices and equilibrium rather than profit.
The group requires all its employees to be members of their countries' respective trade unions. In several public appearances, Molly was known to boast that the group never had an industrial dispute in its history. It also requires 100% of its production to be traced back to the farm level, and mainly relies on Gylian cocoa and vanilla because of the guaranteed strong labour protections.
Organisation
The Molly Hawkins Group is a group of companies, registered as a SA.
It is organised by workers' self-management. Management is carried out by the 10-member Management Board, supervised by the 15-member Supervisory Board. Both boards are elected annually. Each member company in turn is self-managed, and elects a Management Board and Supervisory Board.
Founder Molly Hawkins served as the president from its foundation until retiring in 2000. She remains an honourary member of the Management Board, and is said to exercise behind-the-scenes influence through subsequent presidents.
Its headquarters are in Dáuzas, Kausania.
Member companies
The Molly Hawkins Group is active in multiple countries in Tyran. Some of the largest subsidiaries are located in Cacerta, Delkora, Megelan, Akashi, Tennai, Ruvelka, Ossoria, the Northern States, and Acrea.