US manufacturer of nutrient systems Fortitech officially launched its European affiliate, Fortitech Europe, at Health Ingredients Europe, which opened yesterday in Paris, France.
Fortitech, which already had sales offices in Europe, formed a joint venture with German chemicals company BASF in June this year, which saw it taking over the chemical company's European and Asian premix customers.
Fortitech, which develops customised premixed nutrient blends, is also starting work this autumn on the former BASF plant in Nilose, Denmark. The company said the plans, to be finalized by the end of 2003, will transform the plant into a state-of-the-art facility and will double the capacity of the existing plant.
"Fortitech is making a global expansion push right now, and Europe is a key growth marketplace for us," said Jens Skytte Soerensen, the recently appointed managing director of Fortitech Europe.
"A base in Europe will give us faster turnaround times for our customers who before had to wait for orders to arrive from the US. And we will also be able to offer better customer service and sales support to our European clients," added Maria Michael, marketing manager of Fortitech.
She said that overseas business currently provides around 30 per cent of Fortitech's sales, but with the BASF venture, Europe and Malaysia will now become key markets.
Fortitech's premixes are used to fortify a wide range of applications including baby formulas, nutrition bars, dairy products and sports drinks. The company took over manufacturing at BASF's Denmark plant on 1 September.