In the picture: David Musgrave managing director Functional Wholesale Products.

From Regional Manufacturing a section of NZ Manufacturer www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

Eve Johnson sits on the board of Functional Wholesale Products and has come back into the company as Development Manager.  Eve has worked with FWF for 11 years now and was formally CEO. She shares with NZ Manufacturer plans for the future.

Functional Whole Foods Limited, based in Geraldine, South Canterbury, New Zealand specialises in the production of high quality, cold pressed flax seed oil and seed meal.

The Company formulates these products with other natural extracts to produce and market a range of products with particular health benefits. The products are sold widely throughout New Zealand and a number of countries overseas.

All products are made from New Zealand raw materials that are certified organic and are from sustainable production.

The Company has established and built the flax seed oil market over the past 20 years and remains the market leader in New Zealand.

Functional Wholesale Products is in partnership with The Herb Farm developing and producing a range of healing cosmetics that are building momentum.

What area(s) of the business are currently being developed?

1. Our partnership with Japan – we are exploring new avenues and revenue streams in this lucrative market for Flax Seed Oil.
2. New routes to market in New Zealand with opportunities to expand the concept overseas.

Does the company place much emphasis on R & D?

Yes we do and have worked extensively in the past with Massey University and Crop and Food, Canterbury.  More recently with Lincoln University through Charles Brennon.  We have found the use of students an excellent R&D find!

Where do you export to and where are future opportunities?

Japan, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Czech Republic.  Future opportunities in the UK and Europe, Hong Kong and China.

How do you find current business conditions?

Business is always challenging as you have to drive the market rather than lead it.  We would like more surety around the Therapeutic Bill proposals and more honesty from our government.   We would like for HEMP to become legal to grow and sell so that we can compete with the rest of the world.

New Zealand is known for our clean green imagine with food and cosmetics and we are in grave danger of ruining that with the use of poisons and our current lack of plan around organics and natural products.

 What assistance would be beneficial to your company’s growth?

1. Support with funding opportunities – we fall in the SME category and can fall under the radar. We are the future for New Zealand.
2. Support for Manufacturing – new technologies, opportunities to see, trail and adopt new ways to work.

Staff. Is it challenging getting the right staff?

No not necessarily as we are a unique industry and in Geraldine have been lucky with the caliber we attract.  It is about treating your staff with respect, paying fairly and valuing their input and skills.

The future. What is the 5 year plan for the company? Where to from here?

Innovation and change.  Doing business, the same way we have for the last 20 years won’t necessarily change the next 20, so we believe that you have to challenge yourself, your business, your staff, your customers and their perception of your product in order to grow and innovate.  We plan to stay firmly in the wellness industry ensuring that everybody we touch changes their health for the better.