Super trouper
Specialising in scientifically formulated super supplements, Revive Active is a fast-growing company with global ambition
In 2010 Daithi O’Connor was drawn into the food supplement area when he saw an unfulfilled gap in the market for super supplements that really worked. The first product that was developed in the early days, the Revive Active super supplement, was voted Number 1 VMS (vitamin, mineral and dietary supplement) product at the Irish Pharmacy Awards last year.
Based in Galway, the company now has six super supplements under the Revive Active brand, which are stocked in 1,000 outlets across the island of Ireland and by 50 retailers in London. They are also sold online into 42 countries around the world.
“The Revive Active brand formulates and markets high-quality super supplements for the world market,” says O’Connor. “The products are scientifically designed to deliver the maximum benefits to the customer. The brand has grown through word of mouth and is currently the fastest growing supplement company in Ireland.”
Revive Active was one of only nine Irish companies to appear in the Financial Times listing of the top 1,000 fastestgrowing companies in Europe last April, achieving a ranking of 414. The company’s turnover shot up by 42% last year to reach €4m. The target for 2018 is minimum growth of 30%.
Around 15% of Revive Active’s sales are generated in the export markets of the UK, Australia and worldwide, with a growing audience in the United Arab Emirates. O’Connor visited Shanghai, China last November where he concluded an exclusive export deal. The company is targeting mainland Europe this year by setting up separate digital portals for different languages and plans to enter the US pending approval from the Food and Drug Administration.
“The US market is a major growth area as the VMS market there exceeds €25bn. Research has identified the state of Florida as the first place to target,” says O’Connor.
Over the past six years the team at Revive Active has grown to a total of 20 people, including doctors, scientists and production specialists. Its five reps on the road are all fully qualified nutritionists. “We currently use contract manufacturers, but by mid-2018 we expect to be blending and filling sachets in our own manufacturing plant in Mullingar,” says O’Connor. “This will add a further 10 staff to the Revive Active products team.”
The research and development team is headed by Dr Daniel Jones, who was previously a post-doctoral researcher in University College Dublin in the area of food and health. He is currently overseeing the development of three new products, which are due to be launched by the company this year.
“The brand has grown through word of mouth and is currently the fastest growing supplement company in Ireland”