Fylde supplements firm set for Ecuador exports

Lytham-based ArthroVite Ltd, manufacturer of collagen supplements for the health and beauty industry, has opened up a trading base in Ecuador and is also hopeful of extending into Chile.

Managing director Keith Allum said: “It is a very exciting development for us. We have supplied products - particularly those related to arthritis and mobility issues - to many overseas customers down the years, but this represents our first international distribution deal.”

The company has given Pablo Ponce Hermann the license to be its Ecuadorian distributor and orders are already being processed.

Keith added: “The signs are certainly promising and Pablo is confident that he can not only establish a flourishing agency in Ecuador but also spread into Chile.”

Pablo, 56, who lives in Ibarra, owns an import company and first became aware of Collagen Plus, ArthroVite’s best-selling product, 15 years ago when his wife’s grandfather Manuel experienced serious walking problems.

He said: “Manuel suffered from a severe arthrosis in his knees. Doctors recommended a knee replacement operation, but because of his age (78 at the time) he decided against it.

“We had an English friend, David Bayne, who was a distributor of ArthroVite products in Dorset and he suggested trying Collagen Plus. The response was amazing, the knee problems eased almost immediately and for 10 years up to his death Manuel regained 100 per cent mobility.”

Manuel subsequently set up an import business for the treatment. He believes Collagen Plus will make a big impact in Ecuador and is embarking on a major marketing initiative to spread the word.

Keith added: “We have come a long way over the past 25 years and are always looking to develop, both in distribution and product range. To get this opportunity in Ecuador is a real chance to grow the business overseas. Chile could be next … so who knows where else it might lead?”