Herbasanté has established itself as an industry game changer—and this status won’t change anytime soon./em>
In today’s global world, companies that focus on reshaping their local communities—while also creating lucrative business plans—are few and far between. At Herbasanté, Patrick Toledano has managed to do just that.
CREATING A LEGACY
In 1984, Toledano’s father founded Herbasanté with a vision to increase the prevalence of locally made, homeopathic remedies in the growing natural health market.
As the creator of one of a few Canadian homeopathic companies in existence at the time, Toledano’s father also saw a need to improve communications between homeopaths and Health Canada. As such, he helped to co-create the CHPA (Canadian Homeopathic and Pharmaceutical Association), a group that Herbasanté still remains part of today.
“My father understood that the homeopathic industry needed its own voice, because we have different needs and processes when it comes to the formulation and manufacturing of our products,” says Toledano. “Forming this organization enabled us to create new regulations and distinguish ourselves within the industry.”
From then on, Herbasanté has been seen as a driving force in the trade, a position they have managed to maintain today.
DEVIL’S IN THE DETAILS
Herbasanté’s exceptionality comes from its acute attention to detail in all aspects of its operations. From its awareness of market needs to its presence in the local and national communities, the company understands how to conduct quality business.
The most unique feature of the company is its ability to supply both homeopathic and herbal remedies to retailers. “That’s rare in this industry—most companies only offer one or the other,” notes Toledano. “We have a lot of experience in both homeopathy and phytotherapy. We believe in both systems, and often recommend people use them simultaneously to achieve the best results.”
This duality also allows the company to stay attuned to the needs of the market. Often, Toledano will get requests from therapists and retailers for the creation of specific new products. When the demand becomes high enough, Herbasanté will begin the crafting of new herbal and homeopathic remedies to address current needs.
The company is also dedicated to helping its local community in a greater sense. “We give to a number of local charities, and we participate in local events,” says Toledano. “We like to contribute to different causes every year.” They also sponsor the local cycling team Powerwatts.
This unrelenting care for its customers and ability to think locally sets Herbasanté apart from its competitors. “At the end of the day, our competition are multinational corporations,” says Toledano. “We’re up against companies that sell everywhere in the world, and we’re one of the few local companies that have been able to compete. We’re very proud of that.”
ONLY THE BEST
Herbasanté is also extremely proud of the quality of its ingredients. Toledano notes that this is the “most important” aspect of the business: it’s how the company controls the quality of its products.
“We buy all of our own ingredients and do everything internally to ensure only the highest quality for our goods,” says Toledano. “We do our due diligence to make sure the companies we buy from are high quality, we have the ingredients tested and analyzed, and we only deal with companies that supply vast ingredient analysis.”
Additionally, Herbasanté is one of a few companies to receive the Health Canada license for the manufacturing, labeling, packaging and importation of homeopathic products. This has allowed the company to further ensure that its goods are top tier.
“We manufacture in house, we have our own lab, so we know what’s going into the product,” adds Toledano.
A FAMILY OF VISIONARIES
Not only has the company been a game changer in product quality: it has helped to shape the industry as a whole. Toledano currently sits on the board of directors of the CHPA, and was instrumental in negotiating with Health Canada over the recent changes to homeopathic labeling regulations.
“We worked all year to negotiate with Health Canada to make these regulations more suitable to our industry,” says Toledano. “I think in the end, we achieved some good concessions, and I think both parties were pleased in the results. We’ll be able to adhere to the new policy without a problem.”
WHAT NOW?
So where does a company as successful as Herbasanté go from here? “We need to increase brand awareness,” admits Toledano. “We’re not known to consumers like our competitors are, so we need to work on that. However, once someone tries one of our products, they’re sold: we get amazing feedback.”
To do this, Toledano plans to increase Herbasanté’s already growing presence with social media, webinars and attendance at various conferences across the country. At this year’s CHFA (Canadian Health Food Association) east conference, the brand will be taking part in a product education seminar about MGN-3, a sought-after Japanese ingredient to which it has the exclusive Canadian rights.
One thing’s for sure: Herbasanté is here to stay. With its strong history, deep care for its customers and eye for detail, it’s clear that the Toledanos have come up with a recipe for success. Follow their lead, and your business is sure to come out just right.
