CEO MONTHLY / CEO OF THE YEAR 2022 35 CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 1 2023 16 Helping People Live Healthy Lives That’s Kirkman Group’s core ethos. As simple as it is, it has proven to be a shining light for the company, with clients that speak on the company’s commitment to excellence and dedication to providing the best supplements on the market. We spoke with CEO Eric Gripentrog following his welldeserved success as the 2022 CEO of the Year for Oregon. t would be a colossal understatement to say that the nutraceuticals industry is competitive. It speaks volumes then, that Kirkman Group has become one of the leaders in the space, nurturing an impressive and growing reputation for highquality, effective supplements. Naturally, this reputation is made even more impressive when you consider the market, and the skyhigh expectations for new supplements. “Our target demographic is healthconscious individuals who take supplements. We have a target sector specifically on the ASD community and the experience and reputation has enabled our success with this smaller customer subset. Our selling points are the purity of our supplements, their bioavailability, and superior absorption. Our products are UltraTested®, which translates into incremental testing of raw materials and finished products beyond the FDA requirements,” Eric explains from the outset. It is important to emphasise that the supplement market has changed dramatically over the last couple of years and over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cleaner, healthier, more ethical products and ingredients are now in greater demand, driven by the global drive towards health and wellness. “Our brand essence, “Helping people live healthy lives” sums up our values and goals. This has been our mission for nearly 75 years. Our core values align our company, the brand and employees to delivering the purest and cleanest supplements to customers and consumers.” But let’s turn our attention to Eric entirely. In light of his success in the programme, we asked how he defines his leadership style. “I continue to work on my leadership, and I believe it continues to evolve. I approach my leadership style as a servant leader, where I believe I am serving our employees, knocking down barriers to enable their success, supporting their decisions and being a resource for them to be successful. “I realise now that a true leader must have a willingness to listen and learn; he/she must build trust with employees through honest, selflessness actions and words while having integrity to persevere through good and bad times.” Of course, Eric understands that a good leader creates a good team around them. A good synergy breeds creativity and innovation, and Kirkman Group is no different. “Our Kirkman team is the key to our success. Our employees are extremely proud of the products we produce. Our products, via personal testimonials, have helped multiple families overcome adversity and challenges. We continually receive phone calls every day from our consumers ‘thanking us’ for helping their families. When looking for new talent, they must exude flexibility, willingness, and helpfulness.” “There is a valid belief within the Kirkman culture that we are supplying a great service to our community, and we do it with honesty, integrity, and quality.” All in all, the future of Kirkman Group is, expectedly, one of further growth, with plans to take the company public over the next year. “We’ve signed engagement letters with an attorney and New York investment banker with the expectation of becoming public in the U.S. in 2023. As a public entity, our ability to significantly accelerate growth with easier access to additional working capital is very exciting for our business and employees.” As CEO, Eric’s focus is on securing the monumental achievement of a public listing, but after that he aims to strengthen the Kirkman Group brand. “My current focus is getting our business public via a direct listing, IPO or RTO. Once that is accomplished, my goal is for Kirkman to be a ‘household’ brand where people utilize our clean supplements to improve their lives. In addition, because of our cGMP and FDA registered facility, we will look to acquire other complimentary supplement brands to leverage our manufacturing capabilities,” Eric concludes. The sky is the limit. Company: Kirkman Group Contact: Eric Gripentrog Address: 6400 SW Rosewood Street, Lake Oswego, OR 97035 Web Address: www.kirkmangroup.com Email: [email protected] Telephone Number: 1-800-245-8282 Dec22154 I
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