The family-operated company Vemo 99 Ltd. is a successful role model for sustainable development following the political change after the fall of the Soviet Union. With its domestic herb-based nutritional supplements, the specialist is also profiting from the rising consumer trend towards people‘s self-optimization all around the world.
By Dr. Henriette Ullmann
The Vemo 99 Ltd. company was founded in 1999 and is now headquartered in Sofia, in the wake of its predecessor VSV Ltd. which was founded in 1996. The company was established as the core unit for the development and marketing of innovative herbal extracts along with plant-based and enzymatic animal feed additives. The main activity is the development and production of standardized herbal extracts, biologically active nutritional supplements, plant-based and enzymatic animal feed additives and food enzymes. The founders and owners are Hristo Zlatev, Nina Zlateva, Vasil Zlatev and Emil Zlatev, with Managing Director Hristo Zlatev heading up the company, which currently has a workforce of 48 employees.
The basis and original business idea encompassed the processing of valuable herbs for the development and manufacture of standardized herbal extracts. The Zlatev family wanted to use the broad diversity of domestic herbs and plants and transform them into convenient products and nutritional supplements for the global market. The founders‘ inspiration was right on target with this approach, as evidenced by the plant Tribulus terrestris in the caltrop family, known commonly by the names of ”bullhead” or ”goat‘s-head”.
The plant has become increasingly popular internationally for its use primarily in the areas of fitness, muscle building and increased potency, and it is also asserted that it increases concentration and general vitality as well as it strengthens the immune system. In addition, the phytochemical known as saponin contained in Tribulus terrestris kills fungi and reduces cholesterol in the human body. Thanks to these attributes, Tribulus terrestris is being used more and more today as a natural nutritional supplement. Among the articles in Vemo‘s portfolio, it is one of the top products that is now enjoying strong demand internationally.
Bulgarian Tribulus terrestris dried extract has been marketed as VemoHerb PT since 2014 as a highly sought-after raw material, establishing its position for the manufacturers of premium herbal recipes. In the view of the company‘s management, the extract‘s success is due to its high quality and purity. Managing Director Hristo Zlatev confidently explains: “This puts it far ahead of the Chinese and Indian alternatives”. Vemo 99 first took on herbal extracts and nutritional supplements in its second phase. In the early years at its factory in the city of Knezha in northwestern Bulgaria, the company developed innovative plant-based natural animal feed additives. By 2003, the product lines VemoZyme and VemoHerb had been registered here and were received enthusiastically, especially on the domestic market.
Beginning in 2002, the company used the know-how and expertise it had gained to initiate the development and production of biologically active nutritional supplements on the basis of herbal extracts extracted in-house. In the years that followed, there was dynamic sales expansion of these herbal extracts on the international markets of Europe, Asia, Australia and in the USA. By 2010, a new production facility had been built, quadrupling the company‘s capacity. During the same time period, a completely new product using the thermostable phytase enzyme was introduced onto the market and subsequently attained great popularity domestically and abroad. Numerous registrations followed in countries including Russia, Brazil, Ecuador, Columbia, Iran, Thailand, Indonesia, Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Turkey.
In 2016, Vemo 99 moved into a new 2,500 m2 office facility in Sofia that houses the company‘s headquarters and administration offices, the R&D department, the laboratory department and a production facility. New products emerged in the nutritional supplements field such as VemoHerb Bulgarian Tribulus Drink, VemoHerb Armageddon, VemoHerb VeganPro. The rare healing herbal extracts used as the basis for the nutritional supplements are produced at in-house facilities. The closed production cycle allows the specialist employees to implement complete control of every production step for the final products. MD Hristo Zlatev emphasizes how this enables the company to achieve the best quality of the products and to ensure the confidence of the consumers.
The product portfolio is very diverse, consisting of several product groups including herbal extracts in a variety of standardized concentrations such as 45 or 60 % furostanol saponins or as Tribulus terrestris dry extract with 80 % total saponins from herbs and fruits. Additional dry extracts are obtained from Geranium sanguineum, Cichorium intybus, Cotinus coggygria and Urtica dioica. This product group also includes dry extracts from Hypericum perforatum, Ginkgo biloba, Tanacetum vulgare, Solidago virguarea and Artemisia
annua.
The family-operated company is certified in accordance with ISO 9001-2015, FSSC 22000, HACCP, GMP+, GMP, Kosher and Halal, all of which verify the high level of quality at Vemo 99. Co-founder Emil Zlatev adds: “For us, the quality of the products is always the top priority. Most of our investments go into continuous improvement and new developments, not into marketing and advertising”. The success confirms the family’s decision. In the meantime, 5 % of the annual revenues of EUR 4.5 to 5 m are generated on the domestic market. The export countries include EU nations such as Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and Hungary, along with Middle Eastern countries like Egypt and Iran, as well as Asian markets, e. g. Thailand and Indonesia. The list goes on with the USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Columbia. In many countries, Vemo 99 cooperates with a variety of companies, including some major market players.
Overall, Vemo 99 cooperates with exclusive sales partners marketing their rich range of nutritional supplements to supermarkets, drugstores and fitness-related businesses. The B2B business with the raw materials represents another cornerstone of the company‘s strategy. When asked about future plans, Emil Zlatev answers: “Vemo 99 is a very customer-oriented company, and our commitment to quality and perfection is unsurpassed. Our goal is to continually develop and market high-quality products and first-class services”.
