Bachar BOUBESS , Modern Mills of Lebanon: “The Lebanese cuisine is suitable for eating bread with king of Lebanese food, so the consumption of wheat flour is very high. With a maximum capacity of 300 tons/day MML produces all types of wheat flour for a wide range of bakery goods, mainly wheat flour type 85 for Lebanese Pita Bread production.”

Stating that milling industry is very competitive in Lebanon, which means the production, is much more than the consumption, Bachar BOUBESS, Owner & CEO of Modern Mills of Lebanon emphasized that a mill need to work 24 hours a day to stabilize its production, as to stay in this competitive market. We talked about products which Modern Mills of Lebanon produces, consumption culture of Lebanon and future of milling industry in Lebanon with BOUBESS who said that the company produces all types of wheat flour for a wide range of bakery goods, mainly wheat flour type 85 and also coarse bran for animal feed.

Dear BOUBESS, Modern Mills of Lebanon is one of the leading milling companies in Lebanon. First of all, could you share with us your company’s establishment story and how it has come to its current position? Modern Mills of Lebanon (MML) was founded in the year 1965 by the joint effort of two families: Boubess & Mansour. Located in the capital Beirut, Modern Mills of Lebanon started with a production capacity of 120 tons/day and easily expanded its market all over Lebanon.

Can you give us some information about your production facility, capacity and technologies you use? Which kind of products (flour, bran, wheat flour, etc.) you produce? With a maximum capacity of 300 tons/day thanks to its two lines of productions (Bühler & Alapala) and depending on the market needs, Modern Mills of Lebanon produces all types of wheat flour for a wide range of bakery goods, mainly wheat flour type 85 for Lebanese Pita Bread production. We also produce coarse bran for animal feed.

And which aspects do separate your company from your competitors in your country? What can you tell about your corporate culture and functioning? Unlike our competitors in the Lebanese market, we have one long line (Bühler) that is formed with 8 sizing roller mills specially designed for Lebanese Pita Bread production.

Could you give us some information about the consumption habits of Lebanon? The Lebanese cuisine is suitable for eating bread with king of Lebanese food, so the consumption of wheat flour is very high.

Do you serve for only Lebanese market (domestic market)? Do you have any activity for exportation, or any goal regarding this? Most of Modern Mills of Lebanon market is domestic with very little exportation.

What does your company owe its market power to, or what makes you different in the international market? We always rely on optimizing our products quality and on maintaining its stability to keep our customers satisfy and stay strong in the market.

One of the most important matters in milling is raw material. What is the status of raw material in your country, how do enterprises supply raw materials? Lebanon produces between 40,000 to 50,000 tons/year of Durum wheat suitable for semolina production, and consumes around 400,000 tons/year of hard and soft wheat: So we rely on importation of wheat from all over the world, mainly from the Black see with quantities from Canada and Australia.

What are your thoughts for the future of your country on flour milling? What would you like to add? Milling industry is very competitive in Lebanon, which means the production is, much more than the consumption, and a mill need to work 24 hours a day to stabilize its production, as to stay in this competitive market.