Bioactive Technologies Wins Export Award

Bioactive Technologies International Wins Export Award - Branding Colostrum

Auckland, June 6, 2003 -- Auckland company BioActive Technologies International, a pioneer of this country’s natural product’s industry whose colostrum products are used by top sportspeople, has been presented with a Trade New Zealand Export Award by the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon. Helen Clark.

(Note to editors - media are invited to attend the presentation of the Trade New Zealand Export Award to BioActive Technologies International by the Prime Minister, on Friday 6 June, at 1pm, at the company’s Head Office, 19 Mahunga Drive, Mangere Bridge, Auckland).

Founded by Graeme Clegg in 1984, the business first made a name for itself as New Image, a manufacturer and direct marketer of nutritional, weight loss and energy products to Asia. After being hit badly by the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s, the company underwent a radical restructure in order to survive and grow, says Mr Clegg.

Manufacturing was outsourced, and BioActive Technologies International (BioActive) was established, a health product marketing company that has a particular focus on colostrum products.

“Our New Image direct sales business is booming,” says Mr Clegg, “yet BioActive has really surprised us with its incredible success. We pioneered the marketing of colostrum which, as an ex-farmer, I knew to have amazing health properties. The world loves our premium products and our Symbiotics brand is the number one colostrum brand in the world.’

Colostrum is the pre-milk fluid produced from the mother’s mammary glands during the first few days after birth. Mr Clegg says it consists of over 200 biologically active components including immune and growth factors.

“This is the only product in nature specifically designed to boost a human’s immune system. It is not milk, but the whole functional food for the newborn. Colostrum has been known since the dawn of time as a giver of vitality and immunity. It's great for adults as well. It is supported by more than 5000 scientific studies.”

BioActive Technologies International uses colostrum from calving cows, purchasing the raw material from Fonterra, producing a range of products and marketing them internationally under its own or clients’ brands.

Strategy & Marketing Director Edward Ludbrook says the results have been fantastic:

“We’ve had an excellent reaction to our products internationally generating explosive growth in export sales, currently greater than 100% a year. We expect our growth to accelerate even more in future.

“BioActive is the sort of business the experts say New Zealand needs to become wealthy again,” says Mr Ludbrook. “We take a raw agricultural product and add unique value to it before selling it internationally. Entrepreneurial marketing is tough, yet with a good team very exciting.”

Mr Ludbrook says to date the company’s focus has been almost 100% export, but it is now going to work towards a leadership position in the domestic market.

“The most admired active people are sportspeople and we have developed a very large group of famous Kiwi sports men and women who rave about our products. Everyone from New Zealand’s current Ironman Cameron Brown and top aerobics champ Angela Macmillan, to a string of All Blacks and Warriors.”

Graeme Clegg says the high quality of New Zealand colostrum and the size of the country’s dairy industry mean BioActive can offer an excellent product internationally at a very competitive price. He says the fact that there is extensive scientific support for the benefits of colostrum is another strength.

“We have two key audiences,” explains Mr Clegg. “One is the ‘wellbeing’ market, this is people wanting to cope with life’s busyness. They want more vitality and immunity. Our target is individuals and families.

“The other audience is what we call the ‘performance’ market, people who are looking for results. Our products are being used by some of the top sportspeople in the markets we’re selling to.”

Mr Clegg says BioActive is currently selling to 15 markets throughout Asia and Europe, using Trade New Zealand and its networks to establish relationships with wholesalers and retailers in the beauty, health and pharmaceutical sectors.

Trade New Zealand Account Manger Fiona Murray congratulated BioActive on winning an Export Award.

“This is a dynamic and entrepreneurial company that is positioning New Zealand colostrum as the premium colostrum product in the world, targeting the top end of the market through very effective branding and marketing.

“Its strengths include in-depth knowledge of the international health and nutrition business, and good technical knowledge. Its structure and approach enables it to be a fast moving, agile business. It is also taking a lead role, working with other companies to help position New Zealand’s flourishing natural products sector internationally.”

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