Under the leadership of CEO, Dan Meagher, which began in 2020, Novus has refocused its attention on where it can best support its customers as they strive to meet their production goals. Its product portfolio includes tools to address those challenges in the form of amino acids, organic bis-chelated trace minerals, organic acids, enzymes, and essential oils. It is also pioneering the embedding of functional ingredients in grain through its INTERIUS technology.
“We’ve experienced significant growth since 1991,” said Novus SVP and CCO, Ed Galo. “In the last few years, we’ve honed in on what we can uniquely provide to poultry and livestock producers, nutritionists, feed mills, and distributors around the world – solutions offering something extra. Services and solutions that are made of more.”
Meagher told us that this focus of ‘delivering more for producers’ through ‘intelligent nutrition', will inform R&D projects at Novus, it will inform its ongoing evaluation of innovative technologies, and it will also inform its future M&A strategy.
“It is about getting that differentiation in the marketplace.”
When Meagher took over the helms of Novus again three years ago, he and the team decided on a strategy of focusing on core businesses, technologies, and competences, divesting the firm’s non-core platforms. And the executives then looked at strengthening its pipeline of development by bringing in new technologies.
This rebranding is a continuation of that; intelligent nutrition is a combination of internal talent, people who bring insightful perspectives to developmental projects, and smart products, according to the CEO.
Sustainability goals
Meagher outlined how the INTERIUS technology, which Novus took ownership of following its purchase of Agrivida in January this year, is illustrative of the firm’s intelligent nutrition goals. He believes the platform can revolutionize the industry through the expression of high‐value, functional proteins inside grain, for example, providing new products that are sustainable, both environmentally and operationally.
It is a case of watch this space, said the Novus lead, in terms of what is in the pipeline in relation to that technology. But the innovation strategy is spurred on by a preventative approach, by an understanding that animal health can be improved through nutrition.
The company also aims to be aligned, connected, and well-positioned to meet the evolving needs of its customers and the industry. “We have made certain adjustments, we have brought the R&D and commercial teams closer.”
Services, predictive tools
Services are also a key part of the feed additive player’s evolution, continued the CEO.
Novus’ swine and dairy Scale Up programs help producers deal with issues going on at their farm, as well as leveraging a network of experts to identify opportunities that could take their operations to the next level, explained Meagher.
In tandem with those kinds of programs, the company will explore how diagnostics and predictive tools could help farmers to increase efficiency and improve other production parameters, said the CEO.
Mergers and acquisition targets
While he would not be drawn on actual M&A targets, Meagher said: “We have a commitment from our shareholders to look for the right opportunities. But these things take time, they don’t just materialize overnight. So, finding the right [acquisition target], one that fits into the culture of the company, one that fits into the vision we have for the expansion of our intelligent nutrition solutions is particularly important.”
