Global Berry – Food and Beverage Business

Supplement and health food company Amazonia is poised for rapid growth after launching several new products earlier this year. Pippa Haupt wrote.

Amazonia, recognized in Australia for its acai products, is going global after launching a new R&D center.

The 1,450-square-meter site, dubbed the “Innovation Center,” will serve as Amazon’s global headquarters, with plans to expand its reach and global footprint.

Founder Dwayne Martens says the hub is a dream come true.

“It’s a beautiful little place for innovation; we have an R&D lab where we can innovate quickly and provide Amazon and contract manufacturers with the latest health trends.

“We’re very, very well-versed in that area. I live and breathe it,” Martens said.

The focus, Martens said, is to bring more innovation to more people looking for organic, natural, healthy foods and supplements.

“Our development is very agile and flexible, but the center will allow us to develop specifically for the needs of our export partners.

“We’re also manufacturing now, which ends up being more profitable on the bottom line and makes us more price-competitive internationally,” he said.

Founded by Martens in 2008, Amazonia exports to several countries including South Korea, where it is a leading supplier of botanical supplements.

The company is also the largest supplier of frozen acai berries to the United Arab Emirates, Europe and Australia, and currently has an export relationship with government agency Austrade.

“We are very aligned with Austrade, working with them to identify export opportunities.

“We also have partners in the UAE, Southern Europe, South Korea and New Zealand,” Martens said.

Amazonia is looking to expand its presence in New Zealand and Southeast Asia, and more fully into Asia next year.

Other goals include doubling operations in established markets and even tripling its UAE operations.

Martens said: “We are currently in the planning stage, but we are developing some key products for the Asian market and we hope to see some of our products launched in the country by the middle of next year.

“The biggest bold goal is to bring plant-based protein and whole-food nutrient-type supplements into these regions in powder form.”