"We are thrilled to initiate this new venture in Utah," said Bruce McMullin, founder and CEO of Sibu. "With a world-class management team, a wonderful product, and a proven business plan, we fully expect rapid growth, satisfied customers and partners, and significant contribution to the region's economy."
The new offices are expected to be operational by the end of second quarter 2005.
Along with McMullin, who has devoted his much of his career to humanitarian projects and served as CEO of McMullin Homes, Western Enviro Systems, and Gateway International, the 5-strong management team includes former Nu Skin and Pharmanex executive David Cattani as COO.
The company is currently in pre-launch mode with its nutritional drink product Sibu Balance. The product is a proprietary formula containing seabuckthorn berries, a Himalayan fruit which has been consumed for years by local populations and is claimed to be rich in omega-3, -6, -7 and -9 - a balance the company claims is "unmatched in any product, plant or animal".
It also contains a range of antioxidant vitamins and trace minerals, the combined effect of which is to rejuvenate cells and slow the aging process, said Sibu.
In its homeland, seabuckthorn is in season for just one or two months of the year, when ripe berries are harvested at dawn so that the sun's heat does not destroy their nutritional properties.
Sibu plan is to puree the berries at origin, then ship the puree to the US in refrigerated containers for purification, formulation and testing.
And it is not modest about the putative potential of the product:
"This one drink could possibly replace every nutritional supplement in your home," it says.