NutriFusion expands into petfood with nutrient-dense products

NutriFusion, a company that focuses on adding natural nutrients from fruits and vegetables into food processors’ products, initially had no plans to expand into petfood. But once they did, they saw immediate growth.

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“The challenge is educating the consumer and petfood processor of the huge benefits of plant-based nutrition over synthetics."

NutriFusion, a company that focuses on adding natural nutrients from fruits and vegetables into food processors’ products, initially had no plans to expand into petfood. “We were presented with an opportunity when we began receiving queries from within the petfood industry,” says William Grand, CEO and founder of NutriFusion. “This included the US and international accounts who were interested in our omega-3 powders. As we became more immersed in the pet industry, we were asked to develop animal-appropriate fruit and vegetable nutrient-dense products for the US.”

Once that opportunity presented itself, however, the company saw immediate growth. “North America is our largest market by far and we’ve experienced a sizeable increase in sales in 2014,” says Grand. “Our sales more than tripled [in 2014] and we’ve already experienced an increase in sales for the first quarter of 2015.”

The pet industry is  on trend, like many human food manufacturers, by moving away from synthetics, according to Grand. This made the petfood market a natural fit for NutriFusion's supplement-like products. “There is a greater interest in nutrition from fresh fruits and vegetables,” says Grand. “Our unique process allows for this by offering ‘nutrient-dense’ products that can greatly impact the health of pets. Since pets are considered a special member of the family, as with any family member, health and nutrition are important and have a positive impact on the pets’ wellbeing.”

NutriFusion has several existing products that fit well into the petfood industry, including its flagship product, GrandFusion—an organic nutrient powder that is a blend of fresh fruits and vegetables designed to enhance the nutrition profile of consumable products. An all-natural product, GrandFusion has been shown to lower oxidative stress in animals, according to the company. It’s an excellent source of vitamins A, C, D, E, B1 and B2, and supplies all the complex nutrients and phytonutrients from fresh fruits and vegetables.

Other supplements and products that easily bridge the distance to serving the petfood industry include a vegetable protein powder and an omega-3 powder made of flax and fish oil.

But the company also decided to create products aimed exclusively at the petfood and treat industry. “We have recently introduced two new products that are blended to provide the correct nutrients for the petfood and pet treat industries,” says Grand. “The Pet Blends began with the same nutrient powder as used in the food industry. We then adjusted the fruits and vegetables to make them suitable for animals, while also ensuring the appropriate levels of natural vitamins from the fruits and vegetables.” And while NutriFusion is still getting its petfood legs, the company has plans for product launches in the second quarter of 2015 and in early 2016.

Now that NutriFusion has  expanded into the pet world, the company continues to see opportunities for growth, especially for its flagship brand. “An area of opportunity for NutriFusion is to extend brand awareness for our products, specifically GrandFusion,” says Grand. “Our goal is to increase awareness of the benefits of adding GrandFusion directly into petfood products and pet treats. GrandFusion is very easy to mix into pet foods as it does not impact taste, flavor, odor or texture. What GrandFusion does is supply plant-based nutrition that modern-day food processing strips out.”

The company’s markets include human food, beverages and nutritional supplements, but it’s the petfood and treats market that Grand says is going to spearhead growth in 2015. “We have distributed NutriFusion products in Australia and New Zealand; meanwhile countries like France, Germany and Liechtenstein are all in the early stages of development,” says Grand. “We anticipate rapid growth [in 2015] due to the high interest by pet companies globally to incorporate our products into theirs.”

Current growth has already led the company to expand its management. To handle increased product volume and oversee company growth, NutriFusion recently hired Myra Mackey to serve as the company’s vice president of business development. Mackey previously served as national sales manager for ConAgra Foods/Ralcorp Inc.

NutriFusion’s biggest opportunity—its GrandFusion brand—is also its biggest challenge, according to Grand. “The challenge is educating the consumer and petfood processor of the huge benefits of plant-based nutrition over synthetics,” he says. Synthetic vitamins are cheaper, but Grand says his product is more effective—something that will serve the company well as it wades into a petfood market increasingly focused on specialty nutrition for pets.

Just the Facts

Headquarters: 19 Executive Park Road, Hilton Head, South Carolina, 29928, USA

Facilities: Products are contract packed.

Officers: William J.H. Grand, president and CEO

Sales: North America is the company’s largest market and it experienced a sizeable increase in sales in 2014. Sales more than tripled in 2014, and NutriFusion has already seen an increase in sales for the first quarter of 2015.

Brands: GrandFusion fruit and vegetable nutrient powders.

Distribution: US, Canada, Asia

Employees: Less than 10

Website: www.nutrifusion.com

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