Page 20 - Retail Pharmacy Assistants - November 2020

18 6 MINUTES WITH ... 6 MINUTES WITH... FOUNDING DIRECTOR, NUTRAVIVA Tell us about your professional background. How did you come to start Nutraviva and what is the aim behind the company? Nutraviva is an Australian owned, family- run company based in Bathurst, NSW. I spent more than 20 years as a health and physical education professional, and have a long history of coaching sporting teams and strength training. Over this time, I developed an in-depth knowledge of the role diet and nutrition play in sports performance, injury and recovery. On the basis of significant improvements experienced with the use of collagen- based products, I decided to dedicate more time to the study of these wonder proteins and discovered that collagen was not only of particular efficacy in the field of sports, but also extremely effective for a broader range of health applications, such as gut, bone and joint issues, as well as promoting significant benefits for skin, hair, nails and boosting the body’s level of natural immunity. This is where and why the initial enthusiasm for collagen became more than merely a personal interest and led to the foundation of what is now Nutraviva – a thriving and successful Australian-owned business. Nutraviva’s goal of providing our customers with the best and most effective collagen products led to an international search for the ideal conditions and locations from which to source what are now widely considered to be the highest grade of premium collagen and gelatin products available on the Australian market. According to your website, Nutraviva offers a wide range of premium collagen and gelatin products. What has the uptake of these products been throughout 2020? For example, have you noticed an increase given people’s desire to support their immune system through the Covid-19 pandemic? Our company has experienced strong growth over the past 12 months, partly due to the increasing awareness and popularity of collagen in Australia, and also due to our strong brand presence as the market leaders in offering quality collagen-based products. When Covid-19 hit, we expected business to slow down in response to retail business closures and the general public’s financial concerns. However, the exact opposite occurred. Not only have our collagen sales continued to climb rapidly, there has also been a significant increase in demand for our bone broth powders, RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • NOV 2020