ASIA FUELS GROWTH City retailer scores spectacular goal in sport supplements
A FAM FAMOUS Townsville wombat who tragically died last year has been returned to the city he loved to be adored by the public once more.
Bare- nosed wombat Tonka captured the hearts of Billabong Sanctuary staff and visitors after he was rescued from the pouch of his mother, who was hit by a car, in 2009.
He gained global attention in 2011 when he was diagnosed with depression while the wildlife park was closed for repairs following Cyclone Yasi.
Sadly in June last year, Tonka died from kidney failure. He was to be cremated, but quick- thinking Museum of Tropical Queensland volunteers saved his body, which was then sent to Brisbane to be taxidermied.
The amazingly lifelike display was yesterday unveiled and includes his equally- famous wombat teddy.
“I came in for sneak preview and it really took me back and was emotional because it’s so lifelike,” Billabong Sanctuary owner Bob Flemming said.
“I think there is going to be mixed reactions from people … but all of the staff at Billabong think this is a way to preserve Tonka into the future.”
Turning Tonka into taxidermy was a painstaking process with his unique positioning chosen due to his front paws and stomach being shaved during one of his last medical procedures. He is now on display on Level 2 at the Museum of Tropical Queensland.
RACHEL RILEY tony. A TOWNSVILLE business has become among the largest sports supplement distributors and retailers in Asia and is partnering with Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba.
But most people in Townsville have probably never even heard of Nutrition Depot.
Townsville economist Carey Ramm, whose business interests include beer manufacturing, biofuels, hospitality, construction and aquaculture, established Nutrition Depot seven years ago as he expand- ed his corporate advisory firm AEC Group into Asia.
He set up an office in Bangkok and now lives between there, Shanghai and Townsville.
Nutrition Depot has more than 300 outlets in 20 countries in the world’s fastest growing marketplace.
“We started seven years ago in Thailand. That’s where we spotted the opportunity,” Mr Ramm said. “We trialled it there and have … expanded to cover all of Asia and Australia.
“I think we are the only Australian company with a footprint in every country in Asia. It shows that you can access the Asian markets from Townsville.”
Nutrition Depot sells the world’s top brands including those owned by Hollywood megastar Arnold Schwarzenegger. It is also developing its own brands including Fitique, which sells whey products called Go Girl, Tummy Tuck and Frock Rocker.
Mr Ramm said they had manufacturing facilities in the United States and Thailand and as well as selling from retail stores and online, and distributing supplements wholesale to supermarkets, pharmacies and to retailers in Australia.
While each country has its own team, warehousing, retail managers and social media staff, Mr Ramm said Nutrition Depot’s financial control and management was conducted from AEC Group’s Flinders St premises. “The entire top floor is full of accountants,” he said.
Nutrition Depot’s big break came with the signing of a joint venture with the world’s biggest e- commerce retailer Alibaba.
“Nutrition Depot is their preferred partner to supply sports supplements on the Alibaba Health platform,” Mr Ramm said. “We beat a lot of other global players to that. That’s the jewel in the crown. That’s going to be the foundation of our growth over the coming years.”
Health, health product and fitness is a huge growth industry with Townsville alone hosting as many as 60 gyms and 20 supplements stores.
Mr Ramm said the same trend was occurring through Asia with Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Active Gyms becoming sites where people spend half their day doing a workout, getting a massage and having a meal.
But he said the Asian market provided niche opportunities for Australian products, particularly in China where Nutrition Depot’s Australian links were a big selling point.
Sports supplements are a $ 15 billion global market and the Asia Pacific is the world’s fastest growing market. “We have 2.5 billion people, almost half the world’s population, roughly in the same timezone as Townsville,” Mr Ramm said.