October 23, 2014
BIOMIN to expand Asia-Pacific operations and launch new products
Animal nutrition giant BIOMIN unveiled its growth plans and strategies for its various operations at the conclusion of the BIOMIN World Nutrition Forum held October 15 to 18 in Munich, Germany.
The disclosures were made by top management officials, including Andreas Kern, CEO of Biomin Holding, who announced the upcoming global launch of gut performance product Biotronic® Top3 and the completed integration of Digestarom® in the company's product portfolio.
The company's gut performance strategy also fits well with the current trend to move away from antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) in Asia, according to Jan Vanbrabant, CEO Asia Pacific.
Kern also announced the extension of the company's research facilities in Tulln, Austria, and the shifting of BIOMIN's headquarters to the ERBER Group Campus in Getzersdorf, Lower Austria next year.
Further investments will include new production facilities in Panama, and Wuxi, Jiangsu, China to allow the company to be closer to its customers in those two markets.
Also in the Asia-Pacific area, BIOMIN recently invested in the Aqua Research Center of Nong Lam University, Vietnam, which will be opened soon.
New offices in Myanmar, New Zealand and Japan were also set up this year.
Sustainability was a key topic at the Forum and is also one of the key principles BIOMIN adheres to in ensuring customer satisfaction. Asked how BIOMIN differentiates itself from companies which are quick to hop onto the sustainability bandwagon, Erich Erber, director of the Executive Board of ERBER Group, said ,"the real difference is whether the term 'sustainability' is just used as a label or is actually part of BIOMIN's culture."
"If sustainability is part of our culture, customers will feel it. If we are not consistent in our approach of being sustainable, customers will just leave us. So it is important for us to build a long-standing relationship with them," he added.
The World Nutrition Forum, according to him, "is a perfect example of how we are leading the industry."
Saying he has not heard of any other company organising a forum of such scale, Eder said "our products are sustainable" and "we have ISO certification for our carbon footprint, and our new headquarters in Austria is the first building in the country to be LEED Platinum certified."
Franz Waxenecker, director of the development department at BIOMIN, agreed. "Though being sustainable is claimed by many players in the industry, having a third party certification like ISO 14040 sets us apart from many of the rest."
