Novus plans to celebrate three decades in business via the company’s social media with video and images on what 30 years means for those closest to the company – its employees. 

Since the Covid-19 pandemic is prohibiting Novus from celebrating in-person, it is taking the message to the web. 

“We’re having a toned-down, socially-distant anniversary instead, which is really unfortunate since the employees are the reason for Novus’s success,” said Novus President and CEO Dan Meagher said.

“We have hard-working, dedicated, intelligent people at every level of our company, and they each deserve a standing ovation.”

In 1991, Novus International Inc was founded with a mission “to make a clear difference in sustainability meeting the growing global need for nutrition and health.” 

The outcome of Novus’ mission statement is clear – the availability of healthy and affordable animal protein can positively impact populations, particularly when produced with regard for environmental impacts, feed costs and animal performance. 

Looking back at the last three decades, Mr Meagher said the company has always endeavored to offer solutions for the industry’s biggest challenges.

“Achieving performance and profit goals while optimizing animal health are challenges for every producer regardless of operation size,” he said. 

Novus’s foundation began with methionine. In a joint partnership established in 1991, Mitsui & Co Ltd, and Nippon Soda Co Ltd., acquired the rights to ALIMET® feed supplement and SANTOQUIN® feed preservative*, creating the company with a source of methionine as its flagship product. From there, methionine solutions MHA® feed supplement and MFP® feed supplement were added to the portfolio. 

Novus’s next innovation was the MINTREX® trace minerals line, which includes organic sources of zinc, copper and manganese bonded to the HMTBa (hydroxy methionine analogue) molecule allowing for better absorption and mineral availability. 

ACIDOMATRIX™ feed additive and ACTIVATE® nutritional feed acid, both offering combinations of organic acids and HMTBa, were created for the eubiotics portfolio. Other organic acids, essential oils and the CIBENZA® enzyme platform were added. 

Novus was sold to EW Nutrition earlier this year, as part of a re-focusing currently underway for the company called Project Destiny. Pitched as a strategic business transformation, it includes the goal of becoming the industry’s go-to source for gut health nutrition solutions.

“Food production is changing with a strong focus on sustainability, animal welfare/health, efficiency, and other drivers directly related to gut health,” said David Dowell, executive vice-president and chief operating officer. 

“Health through nutrition has been a long-time principle in human health and Novus wants to expand our solutions in the key area of growth for our industry.”

As part of the renewed focus on innovation, Novus announced its partnership with biotechnology company Agrivida Inc to develop an innovation pipeline of products using INTERIUS™ Technology; the first in-grain-based feed additive platform commercially available to animal nutritionists and feed formulators. 

Novus is also working to commercialize the flagship product GRAINZYME® PHOS phytase which uses the technology to produce the enzyme inside corn kernels, thus eliminating processes and costs in feed production. 

“As a part of this industry, it’s important that we’re aware of the resources we use. Expressing feed additives directly inside grain is an exciting way to do more with less,” said Chief Innovation Officer Al Zimmerman. 

What will the next 30 years look like? Mr Meagher said Project Destiny is paving the way for a Novus known more for its partnerships with customers than its product line. 

“There’s no question that our solutions – methionine, minerals, enzymes, organic acids, essential oils – can help our customers with their operations, but we want to be more than that. Our goal is for customers to look at Novus as a trusted advisor that is going to help make their business more sustainable financially and environmentally.”

Learn more about Novus at www.novusint.com.