Originally Posted by
simla
I think we might pause and acknowledge.
In 2006 a small struggling company called Blis Technologies conducted a business review. The results were announced to the shareholders in 2007. Since then, we've watched that plan being implemented.
Consider this from the 2008 annual report. "The implementation and execution of the new business strategy announced in 2007 has been the focus of the company over the past 12 months. The emphasis of this strategy is on the development of key business relationships and the establishment of partnerships with companies with substantial regional and global marketing reach."
Appointments were made for Business Development and Logistics Manager and Chief Scientific Officer and Marketing Manager. Efforts were made on intellectual property and regulatory matters. Targets were "every major market globally" apparently. We first heard mention of the need for a pipeline of products, since when we have had M18 and Q24. The NZ market approach was overhauled, which we see the fruits of now. Immediately work was done on stabilising and extending the possible environments of the product, which fruit we are again seeing now with stable product both on the shelf and in food environments. Scientific work was emphasised along with publishing, and Blis started to appear in the press. Work was commenced on the manufacturing side too, the fruits of which we are again seeing now in both capability and cost structure.
The words "functional foods" were right there from the beginning of that strategy. (And, ominously, even in 2008 they mentioned "increasing regulatory approval required". Well, that sure understated what followed!)
So there it was, all writ large in the 2008 report, describing the first year of action on that plan.
And now the first functional food manufacturing facility fires into action. Yes, the ice cream preceded it, but it is true that they only said at the time that that was proof of concept and there is no such hedging going on now, I believe. This is the real thing.
And with that latest announcement, the plan is fully implemented. What a huge and audacious undertaking, and what a huge achievement. Yes, things swerved a bit here and there (and some years need not be remembered fondly perhaps), and yes we hoped it would be quicker, but this company set a plan and then made it work in the face of whatever followed next.
Well done.
Now we wait and see how well the plan pays off, and how well it scales up. Looking promising at this point.
Much water will yet flow under this bridge. But let us pause and notice that the bridge has now been completed. That is quite an achievement.