Hamilton dairy biotech company, Quantec, won the Supreme Award at last week’s Natural Health Products NZ annual awards in Nelson. 

The event recognised the successes of New Zealand companies developing, manufacturing and exporting natural products, functional foods, complementary medicines, cosmeceuticals, and nutraceuticals industries.

The Supreme Award acknowledged Quantec as the best overall entrant across the four awards categories open at this year’s event.

Quantec CEO, Dr Rod Claycomb, said, “It is great to be recognised for the successes Quantec has recently achieved. We’ve experienced sustainable growth over the past nine years – a factor I imagine played a part in us receiving this award.

“We’re a small business with science at our heart, yet we’re experiencing commercial success here in New Zealand and in several key markets overseas.

“We’re a relatively young company – we started our natural dairy-based ingredient activities in 2009. It’s been a challenging road to get to this point and really heartening to be recognised by the industry for our successes along the way,” said Dr Claycomb.

Quantec also won the Fernmark License Programme Growth Award at last week’s industry event and was recognised as Highly Commended in the Cawthrown Innovation Award category.

Quantec manufactures a patented dairy ingredient, IDP®, which is used by its customers to make products such as dietary health supplements and skincare. Its largest market for the ingredient is China.

Quantec also manufactures a range of anti-acne products under the EPIOLOGY brand which contain IDP®.  EPIOLOGY is distributed through New Zealand pharmacies and Mexico is the company’s largest export market for the anti-acne skincare range.

The company established a company in China in February this year, making it one of only a few New Zealand businesses to do so.  It has hired staff in-market with the goal of exponentially expanding its business in China over the next few years.

“I would like to recognise the New Zealand natural health products industry, many of whom have played an instrumental role in Quantec’s success.  The organisation and its member companies represent a very unique combination in the world,” said Dr Claycomb.

Quantec is a past finalist in the New Zealand Innovator of the Year Awards and has also won a Kudos Hamilton Science Award.

The company is headquartered at the Waikato Innovation Park in Hamilton.