Divis enlists European distributor to fuel expansion ambitions
Emerging Swiss carotenoids and vitamins player Divis Nutraceuticals has signed a pan-European distribution deal with fellow Swiss chemicals specialist, Omya International, with particular growth potential seen in former Soviet Union markets like Russia.
Spokesperson Claudia Mastrangelo told NutraIngredients the company had been seeking a distributor for some time and had “evaluated Omya as the best partner” because of its extensive sales network.
“We are looking to increase our market presence but we don’t have the sales force to cover all markets in terms of language and resources so having a local partner in many markets like Omya makes things much easier,” she relayed.
“We had seen the way they have represented other companies and we were impressed by that.”
Mastrangelo said having a local partner like Omya was also key in helping to negotiate complicated regulatory affairs.
“We see a lot of potential in a lot of eastern European markets and in the case of Russia it is a very gig market with very special regulations and Omya are present there and have an understanding of this,” she said.
Divis other market of interest are Turkey and Israel along with traditional western European countries. Presently North America is the biggest market for Divis which has been trading in nutritionals since 2003, when Divis Laboratories formed Divis Nutraceuticals.
“We achieved significant growth there over the past years,” Mastrangelo said.
The five-year distribution deal will see Omya, which has a calcium form as its only real nutritional offering, distributing the Divis portfolio that includes lutein, lycopne, zeaxanthin, beta-carotene, astaxanthin, omega-3 and vitamins A and D3.
For Omya’s part, it highlighted how the deal showed an increasing interest in the nutra space.
“This collaboration demonstrates our commitment to the food and nutraceutical industry and by adding additional resources confirms our support to this industry,” said Peter Bigler, the general manager in distribution services at Omya.
“The product portfolio of Divis complements perfectly with our range of natural calcium carbonate.”
Heinz Niggli, Divis general manager for America and Europe, added: “This initiative provides us with a powerful new resource to grow our sales and add to our existing business in the region. It is an integral part of Divis sales growth strategy to best serve customers through local presence, fast communication and efficient logistics.”
