NutriFusion is a company that developed a process to stabilize and concentrate the natural vitamins and minerals found in fruits and vegetables. Pulse 2.0 interviewed NutriFusion President and CEO William Grand to learn more about the company.
William Grand’s Background
What is William Grand’s background? Grand said:
“I’ve always had a passion for making a difference in the world, which has been my life’s professional and personal driver. With this, I became very involved in corporate management, sales and marketing, and product development with an emphasis in food and retail, and the opportunity to work closely with companies from Asia, Europe and Canada. Over time, the skills that I developed that were sculpted around my passions led me to co-found and serve as the CEO of NutriFusion, a company dedicated to elevating everyday food products with the nutrient-rich benefits of fruits and vegetables.”
Formation Of NutriFusion
How did the idea for the company come together? Grand shared:
“The creation of NutriFusion in 2008 was a natural progression in my career as it really tapped into my desire to help others, acknowledging the health issues we continue to see related to diet. It’s no secret that there is a clear tie between diet and health, and good health continues to decline. My co-founder Myra Mackey and I identified an opportunity to create something that could provide much-needed intervention, and over time, NutriFusion has flourished. I find a lot of satisfaction in knowing our efforts are tying back to what I’ve held dear for a long time.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Grand reflected:
“Over the years, my co-founder Myra and I, and the rest of our team, have made many memories. Thinking about our mission and what has driven us day in and day out, I think my favorite memory is one that is much more overarching – the steady development of our company and the satisfaction I feel for bringing to market such unique products. The challenges of the early years made the company’s success so satisfying. We’ve really come a long way. I imagine as time passes, that memory will continue to shift but always remain a core motivator in my professional life.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Grand explained:
“Since 2008, NutriFusion has been amplifying the value of processed beverages and drinks, food, pet nutrition and nutraceuticals via the sourcing of fresh, high-quality fruits and vegetables to create a product in powder form full of crucial and stable nutrients. Unlike others playing in the space, NutriFusion’s rich whole-food nutritional blends do not use any synthetic additives, excipients, preservatives or synthetic ingredients. What’s more, the company is entrenched in research and development and has been able to achieve very stable nutritional powder that can be easily added into food products.”
Challenges Faced
What challenges have Grand and the team faced in building the company? Grand acknowledged:
“The most recent challenge we’ve faced – not just for NutriFusion but across the whole food industry – is in relation to the recent changes in the marketplace brought about by new USDA regulations around organic food. The entity has become much more diligent in ensuring the industry functions correctly and ethically. However, with this they sometimes go down rabbit holes that could potentially do more harm than good. In this case, the USDA is working to control the process from the ground up (literally, the ground) all the way to the consumer. This requires extensive reporting, which can be very tedious and overwhelming. Sadly, many growers are throwing up their hands and leaving the industry entirely, which has left us to re-source some of our produce.”
Evolution Of NutriFusion’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Grand noted:
“Through NutriFusion’s consistent R&D efforts, our team has been able to identify new and innovative avenues to develop and deliver the best fruit and vegetable blends.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Grand cited:
“I would say our most significant milestone is the accelerated pace at which NutriFusion is growing. While we certainly have had to weather some storms (as most companies do, especially in the startup stage) we’ve risen above the challenges to improve our product, strengthen our culture and elevate our relationships with vendors, customers, employees and more. To be where we are operationally is also a significant milestone. With so many moving parts, especially in an industry like ours, to be able to streamline processes so that the company is a truly well-oiled machine takes a great deal of work across all individuals, and I feel we’ve really achieved that.”
Customer Success Stories
After asking Grand about the company’s customer success stories, he highlighted:
“I cannot share specific customer success stories (privacy), but can certainly answer broadly. We have numerous customers who started out by buying a small amount of product as they were testing the waters, just getting their businesses up and running. We think back to the time when NutriFusion was just starting out, when we were the little guys trying to make our mark, so philosophically, we intentionally try to support smaller businesses so that they can grow and become large industry players.”
“We’ve done this by supplying them with small amounts of product, and then eventually they get up into a case and then, before you know it, multiple cases. Now, we have customers that go through tens of thousands of cases. We feel good as a company and as individuals who have been in their shoes to see that success.”
Funding
When asking Grand about the company’s funding and revenue details, he revealed:
“In terms of funding, we are proud to report that NutriFusion is fully self-funded. This began as a significant challenge but not entirely surprising considering the year that the company was founded (in 2008, it was difficult for a startup to secure a bank loan with GM and Chrysler in bankruptcy, the real estate industry in turmoil, etc.). However, by weathering the storm under the most difficult of circumstances, we’ve been able to operate with no bank line or line of credit.”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Grand assessed:
“The total addressable market that the company is pursuing is $1 trillion.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Grand affirmed:
“Unlike our competitors, NutriFusion offers truly rich whole-food nutritional blends that do not include synthetic additives, excipients, preservatives or synthetic ingredients, something that we are very proud of. What’s more, we make it a point to engage actively in research and development which has allowed us to achieve very stable nutritional powder that can be easily added into food products. NutriFusion is unique as we provide nutrition from fruits and vegetables which is of significant value to today’s food scientists and technologists as they work to improve plant-based nutrition worldwide.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future company goals? Grand concluded:
“NutriFusion has experienced significant growth since the company’s inception in 2008, most notably in the past year. As our unique fruit and vegetable blends continue to grow in the offering, we expect our base to grow for both our pet and human nutrition consumers. With this, our main goals are to continue down this path of growth, supported by our excellent team and the ongoing research of our partners, as well as to help people move past the hype and misinformation and adopt our blends to promote better health. As a company, we are people first; with growth, we know we are making a real difference.”
