How Fit Foods finds success with a purpose driven approach to manufacturing
Jim McMahon, owner of Fit Foods, shares the company’s history: “The business was founded in 1996 with a mission to supply not only great supplements for sports and active lifestyles but also with the added benefit of providing valuable information to inspire people to truly take back control in their lives; to rise up, show up, and thrive, not just survive!
“Consumers seek solutions, not just products. This sentiment is shared by our business partners, including retailers and distributors. Our specialty lies in our deliberate commitment to care; we attentively listen to all our customers because prioritizing profit is not our sole objective. Instead, we are purpose driven. Since 1996, we have provided valuable information alongside exceptional supplements, intentionally crafted to deliver tangible results. In the realm of supplements where brands come and go, purpose holds greater significance. This philosophy has fueled our growth for nearly three decades, constituting a winning formula. Our success stems from prioritizing customer care, offering valuable information, and ensuring high-quality products, which enables us to outperform those solely focused on profit in the long run. We believe that emphasizing purpose over profit is paramount in conducting any business.
“Life and business do not operate on a zero-sum basis. I can win, even if you do too. We uphold the belief that all ships rise with a rising tide. The world is harsh enough; we do not have to be cruel, mean or uncaring to be successful in business. Competition is natural and fair but resorting to steamrolling your own coworkers or suppliers is a terrible path. That’s the road to short term profits only; it’s not a sustainable business model.”
Jim expands on the company’s products and services: “Life and performance hinge on good nutrition; you are what you eat after all. By helping people understand that if you eat crap food, you feel like crap, we can help make good nutrition simpler to obtain. While many people try to eat healthy already, sometimes it’s hard, or life just gets in the way. Most of our customers globally have figured out that by having at least one meal per day as a protein shake or smoothie is great place to start. We all get busy, so instead of having a 1200 calorie fast food meal full of rubbish, it makes more sense to trim that down to a simpler, faster and less expensive 200 calorie shake instead. We anchor all our products around real life and real goals. It’s always about food first. So, protein shakes (and we have one for every lifestyle) are a great place to start. From there, we make some of the most tested and trusted sports supplements in the world. Olympic athletes and weekend warriors all use our many top-notch supplements, to help find a boost, whether that’s workout energy, recovery, gut health, or joints that don’t creak or ache as much.
“We also all use our own products and only make what we would use ourselves. Thanks to our loyal customers, we know that what we do works. It’s not rocket science; it’s simple basics. For example, we just made a new hydration drink mix. There’s a plethora on the market already, but we simply could not find a single one that checked all the boxes that we wanted: clinically correct levels of all three key electrolytes, all natural, dye free, and sugar free, as well as having a delivery system that transports the electrolytes and water like sugar does but without the sugar or any carbs at all. Living in a hot summer area as I do, I was stunned that not even the most high-end electrolyte mixes I saw (I looked at over 100) checked all those simple boxes. So, we had to make it ourselves. PVL PROH2O is the result, and it’s growing fast. We make products that make super simple sense; they work better and are free from deceptive marketing. This is a good example of how being driven by purpose leads to a better product.”
Jim elaborates further on the company’s research and development process when creating innovative new products: “Our approach is based on solving problems.
Each formula must adhere to three standards: it must consist of real ingredients, be based on real science, and offer real doses. We first look at the consumer problem, what’s a big challenge out there? Does a current product deserve an upgrade? Is there a new category of ingredients that provides a better benefit than a current ingredient? Can we help customers get results faster? From there we take the idea to our in-house team of sports nutrition experts who work tirelessly to develop formulas that deliver real results. We use high-quality ingredients and conduct rigorous testing to ensure the efficacy and safety of our products. We also have such a vast network we’ve built up since 1996, that also gives us a unique advantage in this stage.”
Marcus Noronha, CDO of Fit Foods proceeds to explain the company’s strategy for integrating automation to optimize manufacturing processes and boost production capacity: “We have made significant investments in artificial intelligence (AI) across various departments. These investments are aimed at improving our day-to-day operations, keeping us ahead of our competitors, and better supporting the needs of our customers and consumers. By leveraging AI, we are enhancing efficiency, driving innovation, and ensuring that we continue to deliver exceptional value.
“Building on this foundation, Fit Foods has undergone a comprehensive digital transformation over the past seven years, modernizing its technology infrastructure to enhance scalability, efficiency, and data-driven decision-making. Implementing SAP Business One ERP and MRP (BeAs), WMS (Produmex), and some additional add-ons has been instrumental in streamlining operations. The seamless integration of back-end systems with Salesforce CRM has further strengthened customer relationship management, while predictive modeling and advanced analytics provide greater visibility into sales and demand forecasting.
“In addition, the adoption of Mulesoft Automation RPA (Robotic Process Automation) and IDP (Intelligent Document Processing) has significantly improved cross-departmental workflows, reduced manual effort and increased operational efficiency. The deployment of an EDI solution ensures seamless connectivity with B2B partners, optimizing supply chain management. Data governance has also been a key focus, with Tableau enabling real-time analytics and actionable insights that drive informed business decisions. These strategic investments have transformed Fit Foods into a technology-driven leader, fostering innovation and ensuring agility in an evolving market.”
Fit Foods is also leveraging cutting edge technology across its digital channels, as Jim explains: “We use an educational approach through our platforms, offering informative content about sports nutrition and supplements. We conduct webinars, publish articles and educational videos, and collaborate with experts to provide accurate and useful information to our customers,” he concludes. “It is all driven by first identifying the consumer problem, then showing customers the benefits of overcoming this challenge, and finally we demonstrate to them why our product is the best solution available.”