Fortitech expands on premix demand
point to date, spurring it to expand into larger facilities with
greater capacity.
The company has relocated of its Mexican branch from Coyoacán to Mexico City, where it said it will be close to the business district as well as the airport - thereby improving its distribution capabilities. According to Fortitech, its premixes are primarily used in functional beverages, indicating growth in that category is contributing to an increased demand for vitamin and mineral premixes. "Demand is the highest that we've seen it in a long time," Mark Fanion, communications manager with Fortitech, told NutraIngredients-USA. The company, with headquarters in Schenectady, New York, has been relocating and expanding its facilities both to meet increased demand, as well as to seek out new markets. "We're outgrowing a lot of the facilities we've had and we're seeing a lot more business," said Fanion. The supplier is relocating its California office to a new facility in Ontario, California which is said to be 350 percent larger than the original location. Fortitech is also constructing a manufacturing and laboratory facility near Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. In addition, its headquarters will see a 35,000 square feet addition by the end of 2007. These moves are intended in part to increase the company's capacity as it looks to boost its presence in Asia. "We're doing what we can to tap into the Chinese and Indian markets," said Fanion. The company also has manufacturing and laboratory facilities in Brazil and Denmark. Within the functional beverages category, Fanion said energy drinks draw the largest share of their business. These popular products marketed for both sports nutrition and as a lifestyle accessory, are still on the upswing. According to Datamonitor, between 2000 and 2005, consumer spending on sport food and beverages - of which energy drinks play a role - grew by 6.7 percent to $3.1bn in the US. The analyst predicts by 2010 total consumer spending on sports nutrition products will reach $6.9bn. The US is set to account for $4.8bn of this, and European sales will rise to $2.1bn.
