| Vita-Tech - A Healthy Dose of Success |
| Cover Story | |
| By Kate Burrows | |
| Sunday, 01 January 2006 | |
 Technology, equipment and training set Vita-Tech apart from competitors. Vita-Tech manufactures nutritional supplements that are meant to address a number of conditions. “We’ve established ourselves as an innovator of science-driven nutritional support formulas for major issues facing human health and vitality, including a desire for increased longevity and quality of life; resistance to age-related conditions such as diabetes, loss of vision, memory and immune-system compromise,” Tierney says. “Although these are not medical claims, they relate to the use of science-smart nutritional support systems along with the appropriate lifestyle changes necessary for them to work correctly.” Vita-Tech is products are specially designed to help buffer the onset of these conditions, Tierney explains, and each one aims to meet specific goals. “We are not a salt-and-pepper or commodity manufacturer,” he says. “Our emphasis is on novel nutrients, weight-management supplements, performance drinks and the overall replenishment of essential nutrients to support human vitality.” To continually produce effective nutritional supplements, the company invests heavily in technology to ensure the most efficient and cost-effective processes. “We have a continuous investment in technology that meets or exceeds the need for pharmaceutical-level validation for the most-rigorous inspections,” Tierney explains. “Our manufacturing technology has to be rigorously inspected on a regular basis, and standard operating procedures must be clearly written for every piece of equipment that touches our products. To meet our inspection requirements, we don’t buy used equipment, because pharmaceutical validation demands continuous acquisition of new technology. This is important, because old or outdated equipment, no matter how shiny and inexpensive, may not meet new FDA standards.” Tierney says Vita-Tech has recently invested in two world-class 20,000-pound Bohle blenders for large-batch processing and performance-drink mixes. To further ensure the highest level of quality, Tierney says the company extensively documents all its manufacturing procedures. “We have written validation protocols for the facility and all equipment, as well as continuous training on equipment for our employees,” he explains. “We also keep updated third-party compliance reviews, and at least one-half of our quality-assurance staff is on the production floor during manufacturing operations to ensure compliance.” Vita-Tech strives to maintain a firm grasp on industry trends, to ensure it is able to stay on the cutting edge of the industry. “The awareness of emerging regulatory rules of the road are necessary to forecast new equipment and facility-design requirements,” Tierney asserts. “In view of this, Vita-Tech belongs to major trade groups, and we also participate in seminars where regulatory authorities, such as the FDA, participate in peer-group interaction. We’ve continuously been involved in these groups. We regard our participation and interface with regulatory authorities as being indicative of our positive attitude toward increased dialogue aimed at consumer protection.” In the past several years, the company has witnessed dramatic trends. “The trends have been written on the wall for many years,” Tierney says. “Marginal producers have been falling by the wayside because they have chosen not to invest in their future. This relates to their compliance with regulations supporting increased consumer protection. Further to this, an increased and accelerated trend toward industry consolidations is evident, with mergers and acquisitions bringing industry segments into critical mass.” In the future, the company plans to continue to grow at a pace that will allow it to maintain the integrity of its products. “Our future lies in the vision that bigger is better, as long as quality standards are maintained,” Tierney says. “In this regard, Vita-Tech will be increasing its square footage, and will reach out to overseas markets while increasing its emphasis on regulatory requirements of non-U.S. clients. We also plan to seek out investment opportunities in branded products and distribution companies.” To ensure employees are in line with its quality assurance strategies, Vita-Tech designs intensive training programs. “We walk our talk when it comes to training policies,” Tierney says. “This includes the integration of formally scheduled training for equipment operations and ongoing on-the-job training. “We stress everything from current regulations to CPR and hygiene training for all people in production and selected areas of management. “Our records are fully auditable by regulatory authorities,” Tierney continues. “We have some form of formal training every quarter. For senior executives and skilled operators, we deploy them throughout the U.S. and Europe for equipment training and knowledge enrichment.” As a result of its commitment to continuous training, Tierney believes Vita-Tech will remain a recognized leader in the industry. “We intend to always be recognized as a high-quality participant in the nutritional sciences on a global basis,” he says. “By and large, the majority of the clients we have today have come to us by referral – I believe this is the highest accolade anyone can give.” |
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