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Equichem
INTERVIEWEE: Anna Lovis, Principal Account Manager
Could you please supply some basic information about your company?
We are a family-owned company in Carol Stream, Illinois. We were founded in 1980 and supplied flour/cereal milling ingredients (vitamin and mineral premixes for flour fortification) and then slowly branched out to specific vitamin and mineral premixes for the energy and sport drinks and grew from there. We have three family members working full-time and running the business.
Currently, what kinds of beverage premix offerings do you have? If there is a specific area of nutrition, function, or materials type that your company specializes in, can you please describe it?
We formulate and manufacture vitamin and mineral premixes for all different beverage types including dairy milk, soy, energy, and juice beverages.
What are the most popular kinds of blends you offer?
We are seeing beverage trends leaning toward more demographic specific products, such as formulas for women, men, and children. We are seeing more products for specific targets, such as blends for immunity, joint health, multi-vitamin, skin enhancing, etc., as opposed to general "energy" or "electrolyte" formulas.
Are there any new innovations in product type or existing product evolution that your company has brought to market recently? Which of your products are having the most impact on the market?
We are working on custom premixes that work with those lines that address specific product marketing, lately being things like joint care, heart healthy formulas, and immunity blends. These premixes help beverage companies target products they want to pursue to market and sell based on what interest they are receiving from consumers and trends. They also help companies extend their existing lines, too.
Where do you see the demands from beverage companies heading in the future with regard to the types of premix products they want? What are the greatest challenges when it comes to filling those kinds of needs?
The major obstacles that beverage companies face in incorporating vitamin and mineral premixes is working with flavor profiles that blend well to mask the unappealing or strong flavors of vitamins, minerals, herbs, and nutraceuticals. This can be quite challenging as many companies have a great-tasting beverage and then they inquire about enhancing it by adding these premixes. Usually the original flavor profile has to be altered to incorporate these blends.
Another obstacle is protecting and keeping the activity of the vitamins and minerals intact through processing. Since beverages usually go through some sort of pasteurization, that means high heat is involved in their production, which can destroy the activity of the vitamins.
How do most beverage companies go about doing business with you?
We receive requests from companies to help them launch beverages that they want to produce; and provide the premix profiles desired. Sometimes it is a long process, from R&D bench top testing, to product test markets, and finally to a full product launch, but it is always a nice feeling to see the final product in the market! We have been growing mainly by word of mouth, references, and through satisfied repeat customers.
Equichem
510 Tower Boulevard
Carol Stream, Illinois 60188-9426