A nutritional scientist by trade, Stuart Lowther’s passion is formulating high-quality nutritional products that benefit consumers and allow both kids and adults to maintain optimum health and well-being.
As a two-time nominee of Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award with 25 years of experience in the health science field as well as the pharmaceutical, nutrition and dietary supplement industries, Lowther knows exactly what it takes to operate a successful business.
Moreover, as a triathlete, half marathoner, husband and father of three teen daughters, Lowther understands what it takes to keep up with an active family and stay healthy himself.
In 2005, Lowther founded Life Science Nutritionals, Canada’s only manufacturer and supplier of gummy-based vitamins for children at the time.
“Gummies is where the vitamin market was going, and I knew once kids tried our gummy vitamins, they wouldn’t want a chalky chewable vitamin ever again.”
In 2014, PROFIT 500 Business Week Magazine named Life Science Nutritionals the second fastest growing company in Canada. “Although we were a very successful business, I was still the smallest player in the market,” Lowther explains. In 2015, Lowther sold his thriving business to one of his U.S. competitors, Santa Cruz. “It was the right time to sell.”
SECOND TIME IS A CHARM
Still eager to create new products, Lowther “opened a new set of doors” within a month, establishing Element Nutrition Inc, his new supplement company. Based in a newly built state-of-the-art office in Burlington, Ontario and employing many of his key staff that guided the success of his first business, Lowther is confident Element Nutrition will enjoy greater success.
“The second time around, the process goes faster.” Lowther says he has a greater level of confidence launching his new business. “I have the best team in place and have structured the entire start-up process differently: timing operations, managing finances and cash flows, timing details with product development and retailers,” says Lowther.
ENTER ELEMENT NUTRITION
“Element Nutrition will enhance people’s lives by delivering innovative and convenient nutritional solutions for all areas of human health,” Lowther says.
Lowther called his new company Element Nutrition because “elements are the basis of all human life and optimal nutrition is key to living life to the fullest.”
Element Nutrition is releasing eight new products under the following brand names: Boomer Nutrition and IronKids Nutrition.
“We create new and innovative products and retailers appreciate that. We have secured listings with Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaws as well as health food distribution,” says Lowther. “Our products are launching nationwide this May.”
Boomer Nutrition
Using his background in nutritional sciences and human metabolism, Lowther has developed Boomer Nutrition, a line of protein-based products specifically designed to help Baby Boomers—people aged 50 and older—decrease muscle loss due to aging and maintain a healthy metabolism. According to April 2014 Data from the U.S. Census Bureau, there are 80 million baby boomers in North America.
“Everyone is aware we have an aging population,” he says. “Being a scientist by trade, I am aware of sarcopenia and the effects of losing lean muscle mass as we age. I decided to focus on that market for one aspect of my second business and Boomer Nutrition was born.”
IronKids Nutrition
Along with its brand for boomers, Element Nutrition will launch IronKids Nutrition. While operating Life Science Nutritionals, Lowther developed IronKids gummies, one of Canada’s top lines for children’s gummy vitamins.
“We’ve developed four different healthy snack bars for kids, which are gluten-free, GMO-free, and peanut-free, and will be available at retailers in March,” Lowther explains. “These bars will be perfect for today’s active kids that need healthier options for school lunches and extra energy for after school activities.”
HARD WORK
Challenge and hard work is something Lowther aspires to even outside of business. Having completed a 70.3 IronMan, sumitted Mount Kilimanjaro and hiked to Mount Everest Base camp with his wife, Lowther is not shy to setting big goals.
Lowther’s family gets behind the brands he develops with his children being chief taste testers and ambassadors at local events for his IronKids products while his wife Deborah, works on the marketing, websites and social media.
“I want to grow Element Nutrition five times faster than I did my previous company,” he says. “Our five-year growth rate for Life Science Nutritionals was over 5,000 per cent, according to Profit Magazine. My goal is to exceed that with Element Nutrition.”
“I want to grow Element Nutrition five times faster than I did my previous company.”
