Ginsters and Soreen owner Samworth Brothers has acquired SCI-MX Nutrition, owner of sports nutrition brand SCI-MX.
The deal comes as supermarket sales of sports nutrition goods have soared 12.8% to £143.5m on volumes up 20.2% in the past year [IRI 52 w/e 11 July 2015].
SCI-MX Nutrition, which operates from a joint sales and warehouse operation in Brockworth in Gloucestershire, claims SCI-MX is the fastest-growing sports nutrition brand in grocery with 16% annual sales growth [Nielsen 52w/e 20 June 2015].
The SCI-MX brand includes a range of powder, capsule and convenience sports nutrition products, including the SCI-MX PRO2GO Flapjack. The business’s senior management team will remain with the business.
Samworth Brothers, which also makes own-label chilled foods including sandwiches and ready meals, described the acquisition as “an exciting development leading us into a new and high-growth sector”.
“SCI-MX will be supported by the group’s strong retailer relationships and our proven ability to grow brands,” added group chief executive Lindsey Pownall “It also builds on Samworth Brothers’ existing involvement in the sports and healthy living area with our malt loaf brand Soreen, our group sponsorship of Olympic triathletes Alistair and Jonny Brownlee and the Samworth Brothers Charity Challenge platform.”
SCI-MX managing director Trayl Wallace said the brand’s vision was to become a household name for healthy, high-protein, convenient snacking.
“The sports nutrition market has evolved significantly in recent years, moving from the niche end of exercise to becoming synonymous with a healthy lifestyle, thus presenting a huge value gap for future growth,” he said, adding the UK now had the world’s second biggest market for sports nutrition after the US. “One major growth area is convenience and SCI-MX holds a very strong position within the convenience sector with products such as market leader SCI-MX PRO 2GO Flapjack.”
Samworth Brothers last month announced that former Tesco commercial director for fresh foods Richard Marris would join the business in November in the newly created role of brands director.
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