Grenade aims to make a big impact in sports nutrition sector
A SPORTS nutrition business run by a husband and wife team from Solihull is aiming to make 50% of its turnover export reliant just three years after being set up.
Alan and Juliet Barratt set up Grenade UK in August 2009 after helping a friend secure a place in the SAS.
Mr Barratt said “One day, I bumped into a Royal Marine friend who told me he wanted to lose some body fat and improve fitness as he was attempting selection for the SAS. After months of research and testing we came up with a combination of ingredients that delivered the following results: suppressed appetite; metabolised body fat; controlled sustained energy release; increased alertness and focus with no jitters, cravings or crash.
“Our friend tried the formula and was the only man out of a selection of more than 200 applicants to successfully complete the arduous four week course. After he called to thank us, he told us the formula was so effective that he had friends in the military who also wanted to try this product….they’d nicknamed it ‘Grenade’ and the name stuck.”
After product development they launched Grenade UK last year and the Grenade Thermo Detonator is now one of the country’s most popular sports nutrition brands.
Enlisting the help of UK Trade & Investment, the firm set up distributors in France, Germany, Austria, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Italy, the Czech Republic, Scandinavia, Bulgaria and Poland. Outside Europe, it distributes to North America and through Sportika Export it products are available in more than 100 other countries including Iran, Iraq UAE, Qatar, South Africa, Egypt and India.
Grenade’s sales have more than doubled between their first and second years. Exports now account for more than 30% of the current sales and this figure is rising. The company anticipates that by the end of next year, exports will be 50% of turnover.
UKTI provided financial support for the couple to attend a trade show in Germany where it won substantial orders. It then moved on to the United States where it also achieved success.
“The support and information on exporting provided by UKTI has been invaluable. For new exporters like us, this has been more important than the financial assistance we’ve had,” said Mrs Barratt.
Jane Matty, UKTI International Trade Adviser based at Birmingham and Solihull Chamber of Commerce, said: “Juliet and Alan are a dedicated and hard working team who have made Grenade the success it is today. They have established the company in the UK, and crucially in the US and European markets in a remarkably short time.”
Grenade is currently developing a new product which it hopes to launch in the next six months. It is also looking to recruit new staff in order to meet its expansion targets.
